Marley, a 10-month-old German Shepherd mix, is recovering from major injuries.
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The tough part of her journey started last week when San Jose police were called near McKee Road in San Jose for sounds of gunshots and a dog yelping. That dog was Marley.
"(She) had approached an individual who had a pistol on him," said Dr. Elizabeth Kather, medical director at the San Jose Animal Care Center. "She was extremely friendly, which makes the story all the much sadder. Came up with her tail wagging. He took the pistol, placed it against her snout and fired a single bullet."
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Kather said police brought Marley straight to their facility.
They were able to stabilize her but the damage done to her jaw was beyond the type of surgery they could do onsite.
"We reached out to UC Davis, spoke with their dentistry departments and put her story out," Kather said. "The feedback from the community has been heartwarming, amazing."
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The special surgery cost up to $8,000. The community stepped up with donations to cover it completely.
Marley's recovery is still ongoing. On Wednesday, she was taken in for a CT scan.
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"A 360 degree sort of X ray," Kather explained. "So they'll be able to really assess what the damage was done in the nasal turbinates, if there's bone fragments that need to be removed, get a better sense of the jaw, and then they'll come up with a treatment plan of how they're going to stabilize that jaw."
As recovery continues, Kather points out the tragic fact that Marley's story is not unique.
"We have seen a lot of cats that have had limbs shattered from an air rifle, and we've had dogs attacked with knives and machetes," Kather said.
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Thanks to widespread support, the animal care center says it no longer needs donations to cover Marley's treatments, but still could use support for the shelter and adoptions from loving homes in the community.
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"We get over 11,000 animals in through our doors every year," Kather said. "So without the community helping and adopting them and fostering them, it would be unsustainable."
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San Jose Police say that there are no updates in the investigation and are asking the public for any information.
San José's Animal Care and Services still don't know who Marley's owners are, she remains in foster care with staff as her path to recovery continues.