UPDATE: Lucky has fully recovered! He is patiently waiting for a loving home but in the meantime, he is enjoying his time at a foster home. The sweet boy follows his foster family around like a shadow and gets along with other dogs and cats. 

NYC Second Chance Rescue hopes to match him up with his person soon. He is getting the second chance he deserves and sends his thanks for your generous donations. 

Meet Lucky.

This six-year-old German shepherd mix was at death's door when he arrived at NYC Second Chance Rescue.

The poor pup was the victim of a heated argument between neighbors which turned violent. He was shot in the chest and abdomen and was bleeding out. The dog's owner surrendered him to the rescue, and they rushed him to the vet. 

At the animal hospital, Lucky received an emergency blood transfusion. This helped stabilize him, but he wasn't out of danger yet. He refused to eat and started to vomit dark fluid. Vets determined that Lucky was suffering from gastrointestinal bleeding and a loss of intestinal mobility. 

According to the rescue, "The surgery took hours. Lucky lost a tremendous amount of blood, his pelvis fractured by a bullet, air is trapped between his chest and lungs, causing a pneumothorax, and there are bullet fragments lodged in his body that could not be removed. It is far more dangerous to remove them than to leave them alone. The doctors performed surgery on his abdomen and chest. Both areas were flushed and cleaned, and drains were placed to allow bacteria and infectious fluid to leave the body."

Lucky is a fighter. He has been through so much and refuses to give up, but he needs your help to heal. Thankfully, the bullets did not hit any vital organs. 

His medical bills continue to accumulate, so the rescue reached out to Greater Good Charities' Emergency Animal Medical fund for support. 

The fund was started to help save pets like Lucky and give them the second chance they deserve. Shelters and rescues are already stretched thin trying to feed for all the animals in their care and are unable to afford ongoing medical care. We are only able to help these pets with your donations.

The rescue told us that Lucky is a sweet boy and an absolute gentleman around humans and other dogs. Once he has fully recovered, he will surely find a loving home. 

The police are investigating the cruel act and hopefully those responsible will be charged.

Pets receiving critical care facilitated by an Emergency Animal Medical grant may not be eligible for adoption until they have completed their course of treatment. If you would like to inquire about adoption of a specific animal, we strongly encourage you to visit the shelter’s specific website first as that is often the most up to date place to learn about available pets and review the adoption policies and process.

You can help Lucky live up to his name. With proper treatment and surgery, he'll be lucky enough to make a full recovery, but he still needs your support. Will you help Lucky heal?

Help us raise $20,000 to cover Lucky's medical bills and ongoing care.