An animal rescue centre has expressed its shock over a dog which was shot from close range and is now being cared for by its volunteers. 

The Association for Abandoned Animals (AAA) said it had “no words” to describe its feelings after learning that a Pharaoh Hound/Fox Terrier was suffering from injuries caused by a shotgun.

The shelter described a rollercoaster journey to diagnosis, with officials first believing that the dog they called Bobby had been run over. When a vet later cleaned Bobby up it was thought that it had been mauled by another dog.

But that all changed when Bobby was x-rayed on Saturday.

The images from the x-ray show him peppered with lead pellets on his head, neck and back, which the shelter said indicated it was shot at close range.

“Bobby wasn’t shot accidentally; we think it happened at point-blank range because of how the injuries were concentrated,” said AAA sanctuary manager Rosalind Agius.

“If he’d been shot from further away, the pellets probably would have been over the rest of his body as well.” 

Lead pellets lodged in Bobby's head, neck and back, with some also found on his front leg.

The pellets continue along his back.

Some additional pellets can be seen lodged in his left back leg.

Although Bobby is now receiving medical care, it will not be possible to remove the pellets as the operation would be too traumatic and would likely damage his internal organs.

Instead, the pellets will have to be left inside his body, which, however, risks lead poisoning over the long term.

The vet was so concerned by Bobby's ordeal that she has now offered to foster him,

Describing Bobby as “a lovely dog and very friendly,” Agius expressed her outrage that he hadn’t been assisted by Animal Welfare Services (AWS) earlier.

She said a jogger had first discovered Bobby in a field close to the sanctuary in Birzebbuga but that despite him reporting to AWS, when he returned the next day Bobby was still there.

Agius said this was typical of the organisation which she said frequently failed to respond to enquiries from AAA.

Despite the shocking nature of Bobby’s injuries, according to Agius, dogs being shot are a common occurrence in Malta, with the shelter seeing similar cases on a monthly basis.

Bobby’s case was the second such incident since the start of the month.

“Why are we abandoning and abusing these dogs?” she asked. “Our mentality seems to date back 500 years, that’s the truth. We’re not learning.”

Agius said she would like to see more action from authorities on animal welfare and more enforcement to ensure people obey the rules, pointing to Bobby not having been microchipped and registered – a legal requirement in Malta – as one such example.

Questions have been sent to the AWS.

Bobby is now recovering from his injuries.