A pet dog has died, four days after having been shot with a shotgun in Magħtab.

Distraught owner Stephanie Demanuele said the young Husky, called Chiko, had been playing with her and her family in their fields when he wandered off.

Half an hour later he returned, bleeding heavily from a gaping wound.

“I realised immediately that he had been shot; this is an area popular with hunters, it's amazing that he made it back,” she said.

The injury after the first operation. Other pictures taken before the operation are too gruesome to show.

She rushed him to a vet, where he immediately underwent an operation, lasting seven hours. Chiko had injuries to his lungs, kidneys and rib cage.

The vet gave a bleak prognosis, saying Chiko was riddled with shotgun pellets, but the dog was eventually taken home.

Fending off tears, Ms Demanuele said the Husky had been adopted only five months ago, but had quickly become a happy, playful member of the family.

But yesterday he took a turn for the worse. He underwent another operation lasting several hours, but died soon after.