If there’s one thing every dog owner hopes to give their pup, it’s a life filled with safety, comfort, and love.
We do our best to protect them, but sometimes things happen that are simply out of our control. A trip to the park might turn into a mishap, or an illness may come out of nowhere.
Thankfully, we’re always ready to step in and help them through it. That’s exactly what happened to one woman who adopted a senior dog, not knowing what shocking discovery lay ahead.
A Shocking Discovery
Kelly P. Bergman adopted her dog while living in Alabama. She came across Posie in a local shelter and was surprised to learn that the sweet pup was already a senior.
Curious about her history, Bergman tried to piece together Posie’s past, but most of it remained a mystery. There was no clear record of where she had come from.
What she did find out was that Posie had already cycled through several homes before arriving at the shelter, making it difficult to trace her original owners.
They estimated her age to be around 13 to 15 years old, but even that was uncertain.
Still, none of that mattered to Bergman. She loved Posie deeply and was determined to give her the best possible life. After moving to New Jersey, she continued to care for her dog as lovingly as ever.
That’s when something unexpected happened.
Posie began coughing frequently, prompting Bergman to take her to the vet for a check-up.
But what the vet discovered came as a complete shock. An X-ray revealed unusual objects beneath Posie’s heart, something the vet immediately recognized.
They were pellets from a BB gun.
The veterinarian, having seen similar cases before, concluded that Posie had likely been shot at some point during her time in New Jersey.
Fortunately, the coughing wasn’t related to the pellets and wasn’t causing her serious harm. The vet began treating the issue with steroids, reassuring Bergman that Posie was going to be just fine.
How The Internet Reacted
After the appointment, Bergman shared Posie’s story on Reddit and the internet quickly responded with an outpouring of emotion and support.
One user wrote: “Omg, people are terrible! I am so sorry. Thank you for adopting an older dog. She must believe she went to heaven when you adopted her.”
It’s hard to imagine why anyone would harm a small, innocent dog like Posie. She must have been so frightened when it happened.
Another commenter added: “I understand this well. I adopted an elderly pitbull and I found out from the vet that someone shot her with duck shot in the lungs. I was so angry.”
The anger and heartbreak from these kinds of revelations are completely understandable since no pet should have to endure that.
Someone else shared:
“These kinds of things make me hope that instant karma is more than a good song.”
Hopefully, the person responsible for hurting Posie has changed and no longer poses a threat to animals. She didn’t deserve any of it and it was a truly heartless act.
But in the midst of that cruelty, the compassion shown by strangers online serves as a reminder that there are still so many kind, dog-loving people out there who will always stand up for animals in need.