Rescued pup roamed Denver for weeks with bullet wound to his face. Now he’s a new dog
A dog in Colorado is celebrating his brand new life with a family who adores him after going through a painful, monthslong ordeal.
Solo Vino, a 3-year-old Australian shepherd, was wandering the streets of Denver for months during the summer of 2024, and evaded capture at every turn — until people noticed something wrong.
He had been shot in the face.
According to KDVR in Denver, the community came together and worked with Denver Animal Protection once they discovered the injury to finally capture the pup and bring him to the Denver Animal Shelter.
“Our talented vet staff removed bullet fragments from the injured pup’s fractured upper and lower jaw, along with pulling several broken teeth,” the shelter said in a news release. “Then, they outfitted the frightened animal with a muzzle that he had to wear 24/7 for nearly three months.”
Some of the folks that were involved in the rescue kept tabs on Solo, hoping for happy updates.
“Thank you to all the neighbors in this area that despite one awful human who did this to the poor dog the majority of you all took him under your wings and fed and watered him during his 3+ month untouchable adventure on the run,” Sarah Luv-Garcia said in a Aug. 26 Facebook post. Luv-Garcia said she was part of Solo’s rescue.
Now, months later, Solo is getting his happy ending with a familiar family.
“We began fostering Solo a few weeks after his complicated jaw surgery. As many know, he was injured on the streets while living as a stray for five months. At first, he was quiet and reserved. He slept most of the day and did not want attention,” the family who fostered him said in a release.
The family was identified by KDVR as Alesso and James Mikula.
“His condition improved remarkably in early October, exuding curiosity and playfulness throughout the day. When the time came to finally remove his muzzle and cone, his spirit rebounded fully. He is a new dog, one that sprints through the living room and begs for several long walks a day. He is eager to meet other dogs on walks, as well as our neighbors.”
And after over two months of caring for the recovering pup, the Mikulas decided to become a foster fail.
“Having spent the past 10 weeks witnessing his full recovery of health and spirit, we plan to adopt him. He’s become a member of both the family and local community,” they said.
This story was originally published January 6, 2025 at 11:54 AM with the headline "Rescued pup roamed Denver for weeks with bullet wound to his face. Now he’s a new dog."