Dog survives after being shot twice in abdomen, giving birth

A female dog is recovering after surviving two gunshot wounds in her abdomen and giving birth to a litter of eight puppies.

The Lewiston Tribune reported Merida the apparent Rottweiler-chow mix was found severely injured on Feb. 22 in a shed in horrid conditions near Spalding.

Her puppies were infected with canine parvovirus.

Members of the online nonprofit group Zeus’s Friends rescued the mother and her pups.

Two of the puppies did not survive.

Merida was taken to a veterinary clinic where the channels where two .22-caliber bullets entered were cleaned out.

Veterinary staff are unsure of when Merida was shot or if she was carrying the litter at the time of injury.

Zeus’s Friends Volunteer Rita Leslie says Merida may need to stay in recovery for at least another month before she can be ready for adoption.