ORANGEBURG COUNTY, S.C. — A stray dog shot in the leg in Orangeburg County has been rescued and is now making strides toward recovery.
Volunteers found Molly the dog walking near an intersection in Elloree in December.
Rescuers discovered after taking her in that she had been shot in the leg.
“Molly is very blessed to be alive at this point," said Molly's foster mom Sabrina Faircloth.
She says over the past year, at least seven dogs in the county have been shot.
“We don’t understand why somebody would shoot a dog. We don’t understand any of this but we’ve had a lot of it going around in Orangeburg County," said Faircloth.
When they found Molly, they could tell she was nursing and shortly after, they found four of her puppies in the woods nearby. Those puppies were sent to Winnie's Legacy Canine Rescue in Vermont.
“They got reunited at the shelter so that was nice. They were a little older and we could tell they were still nursing on her," said Faircloth.
Elloree-based rescue For the Love of a Paw stepped in to help Molly seek care. They found a doctor who will perform surgery in the coming weeks to save her wounded leg. Once Molly heals from her surgery in her leg next week, they plan to send her to the same rescue where her puppies went and hopes she will find her forever home.
“My dogs have taught her how to play. She’s running in the backyard and everything so to give a dog a chance to rescue somebody," said Faircloth.
She estimates the surgery will cost up to $5,000. They're covering the costs through fundraising efforts and the help of the Winnie's Legacy Canine Rescue in Vermont.