When Hayden Howard came home to find her beloved English Mastiff, Jackson, covered in what she thought were bug bites, it changed her life forever. But the horrible truth would soon come out.
As Hayden called Jackson inside, she saw that something wasn’t right. When she looked more closely, she saw that her animal friend had been shot many times.
Jackson had to have emergency surgery after being rushed to the vet. What the vet found shocked everyone: 27 shots had been taken out, but 20 more had to stay in because they were in sensitive places.
Hayden was shocked by how brutal the act was. She told the story, “I was shocked and didn’t know what to think.”
It was the same thing that Assistant Chief Craig Hayes of the Seymour Police Department said: “It’s a very bad case, and it’s sad to see.” The cops quickly started their investigation and found that the gunfire came from a yard next door.
A check of the suspect’s home turned up a rifle, ammunition, methamphetamine, and a BB gun with pellets. The person who did this was not only horrible, but they also posed a threat to the whole town.
Hayden fought for justice, but Jackson’s recovery was still her main worry. Jackson was healing amazingly well, even though he had been hit 70 times.
This terrible event shows how serious animal abuse is and why harsh punishments are needed. BB and pellet guns are not “toys,” they are real tools that can do a lot of damage.
What they did is wrong, and Hayden only wants the worst for them: “I hope they get the maximum sentence and never get to be around animals again.”
Jackson is getting better, and his strength shows how strong animals’ spirits can be. His love and devotion will help him get better, and his story will bring more attention to how terrible it is to hurt animals.
Jackson’s story is a stark warning of how important it is for people to care about each other. When someone hurts an animal, we need to all stand together and make sure they face the full force of the law.
