On April 26th, 2021, a dog was driven to a wooded area next to an apartment complex near 9300 Manassas Drive and shot multiple times. As the dog recovers from the traumatic event, police are searching for the person behind it.
The floppy-eared pup of an unknown breed had been taken to a secluded area near the apartment complex in Northern Virginia at around 9:25 am, according to Manassas Park Police Department.
A tenant of the complex had been enjoying his morning sat on the balcony with his own dog, when he distinctly heard 6 gunshots in the woods. He then saw a hooded figure quickly exit the woodland and get into a black SUV, that had been parked in the complex parking lot, and drive away.
The injured dog had tried his best to follow his assailant and had appeared confused about being left behind when the shooter drove away.
News4 had spoken with Rafael, the man who had heard the gunshots and witness the man leaving the woodland. Rafael had described the scene as “heartbreaking” and explained that the injured pup seemed “confused why the door closed on him.”
As the driver fled the scene, Rafael immediately alerted the Manassas Park Police Department to the shooting.
As police officers arrived at the scene, they were unable to see the injured dog anywhere but were able to locate a blood trail leading back into the woods. They followed the blood until they found him hiding in the trees, bleeding from several severe injuries.
The critically injured pup was rushed away for emergency medical care, provided by MedVet Northern Virginia.
Rafael did not hear a name for the dog, but since his arrival in care, he has been affectionately nicknamed “buddy” by the City of Manassas Park Police Department. The Police department shared a post of MedVet North Virginia on Facebook, thanking them for their rapid response in saving the poor dog.
“Manassas Park Police cannot say THANK YOU enough to all of the employees at MedVet. Without your team waiting outside for our arrival, the outcome may have been different.”
Several hours later, an update was posted to the Manassas Park Police Department Facebook page, with photographs of “buddy” outside, with several bandages but otherwise looking surprisingly healthy following his ordeal. The post thanks everyone who has shown concern for the dog, and reiterates that they are still in search of the person responsible for the shooting.
Unfortunately, they announced on their latest post that the poor unnamed pup would have to have his right hind leg amputated, as a result of the bullet causing “severe damage.”
There has been a tremendous outpour of love and support for “buddy” as well as an immense amount of donations to go towards his recovery. Medvet Northern Virginia explained on a Facebook post that any donations that go over the allotted amount required for the pup’s recovery will go into their Lucas Fund.
The Lucas Fund charity is funded by the MedVet hospital to go towards helping all sorts of pets in need.
Capt. Frank Winston of Manassas Police explained that only a dog with a lot of love for a person would be willing to follow them, after being shot multiple times. This leads them to believe that the person who shot “buddy” was his owner.
Police are hoping that a full community effort can help them to locate the pup’s owner. They feel it is likely that someone will recognize the dog and therefore know who the owner is and come forward with the information.
The person who cruelly shot this dog is facing several felony charging including animal cruelty and gun charges. Police are working extremely hard to follow any leads given to them that may show them who the shooter is, and will provide updates as soon as they have any.
