Woman Shoots Her Dog To “Put Him Down”, Discards Him 300 Miles Inside A Forest

It was a cold day in December 2019 when a Fort Bragg woman found a disoriented dog wandering in Jackson State Demonstration Forest, writes ilovemydogsomuch

WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT!

The dog, later named Thunder, had a cone around his neck that prevented him from eating and drinking. Clearly, Thunder’s health was dwindling and he was dehydrated from wandering in the wilderness for weeks.

The woman rescued Thunder and got him transferred to a specialized veterinary hospital in Santa Rosa. However, his medical reports suggested that the poor creature had suffered gunshot wounds. While Thunder was initially bogged down by malnutrition and infections, he eventually proved to be a brave fighter and made a complete recovery – which earned him the title of “Thunder the Wonder Dog”.

An animal cruelty investigation was launched soon after Thunder’s rescue. While the dog’s outdated microchip yielded no results, the investigators were eventually able to pin down one Mendocino County woman named Katie Rhiannon Smith as Thunder’s immediate owner.

Katie confessed to having fired a handgun to “put down” her dog. However, she threw away a severely wounded Thunder after the bullets didn’t kill him right away. At first, the 34-year-old admitted to “maliciously and intentionally maiming, mutilating, torturing or wounding an animal”. But she has renounced her statement now.

In a recent press release, Katie is said to have entered a “no-contest” plea to felony animal abuse charges, which means she is not admitting to her guilt but will forgo a jury trial. She faces up to 3 years in prison. Her final sentencing will happen on December, roughly a year after Thunder was found.

As for Thunder, he is completely healed and is living happily in his dream forever home. The sweet-natured dog has become a cherished member of the community, and the locals are eagerly looking forward to the day his abuser is brought to justice.

Click the video below to watch Thunder’s heart-wrenching rescue after he was shot and abandoned in the wilderness.