Hayden Thought Her Dog Had Mosquito Bites—The Truth Was Heartbreaking
Some people should never be allowed near animals.
Hayden Howard learned that the hard way when her beloved English Mastiff, Jackson, came inside from playing in the backyard—covered in what looked like mosquito bites.
But when Hayden looked closer, her heart dropped.
They weren’t bites. They were bullet wounds.
“I was utterly taken aback and unsure of what to think,” she said.
She rushed Jackson to the vet, who quickly discovered something horrifying: Jackson had been shot multiple times with a BB gun—dozens of small pellets embedded all over his body.
“They were everywhere,” Hayden recalled. “One in his knee, one in his ear, and even one stuck under his eyelid.”
The vet had to shave large patches of Jackson’s fur just to remove the pellets.
He managed to extract 27 BBs—but had to leave 20 more inside.
In total, Jackson had more than 70 wounds.
Assistant Chief Craig Hayes of the Seymour Police Department said,
“I’ve never seen an animal shot this many times. It’s a very bad case… heartbreaking.”
Police quickly traced the shots to a nearby home—and what they found was even more disturbing.
Inside, they discovered a BB pistol, pellets, and a stash of meth and drug paraphernalia.
Authorities believe the neighbor had been firing at Jackson from his own backyard.
Hayden was devastated—but she’s also determined to see justice done.
“Who could do something so cruel to a dog who’s never harmed anyone?”
Despite the trauma, Jackson is recovering well. He’s strong, gentle, and surrounded by love.
But this story is a powerful reminder:
If you see something, say something.
Animals deserve better. And the people who hurt them should never be allowed near them again.
🙏 Share this if you agree that animal cruelty should never go unpunished.