A rescued dog, on the mend at a Dartmouth, N.S., shelter after being shot in the head with 50 pellets, is looking for a loving home.

Despite being blind in one eye as a result of the pellets, Darrold Gould, executive director for Bide Awhile animal shelter, said Buck the dog shows no other signs of abuse and has not lost his love of people.

Upon closer examination and an x-ray, the vet found that the two-year-old mixed breed dog had about 50 pellets lodged in his skull. Upon closer examination and an x-ray, the vet found that the two-year-old mixed breed dog had about 50 pellets lodged in his skull. (Yvonne Colbert/CBC)

"He's very active, so he's going to need a home where he has space needs, a little bit of training but he meets people extremely well. He's not tentative with people, he's not nervous in any way at all," said Gould, "He's just a very happy dog."

Buck has undergone eye surgery, been neutered, has received all of his needles and is ready to find a family.

He was rescued about two weeks ago and brought to Dartmouth's Bide Awhile animal shelter with terrible injuries thought to be sustained six months to a year ago.

"He had a severely bad right eye and we knew there was something wrong there. When we started to examine him, we found a couple of pellets," Gould said.

Upon closer examination and an X-ray, the vet found that the two-year-old mixed breed dog had about 50 pellets lodged in his skull.

'He's not tentative with people, he's not nervous in any way at all. He's just a very happy dog.'—Darrold Gould, executive director of Bide Awhile

The extent of Buck's injuries is shocking, even to Dr. Gerry Solomon, a vet who has been practising for 33 years.

"To me, it's just unbelievable that somebody would do that to a dog," Solomon said.

Gould said he doesn't know who harmed the dog.

"I guess a lot of the pellets stayed pretty superficial," Solomon said, "They didn't penetrate vital nerves or brain tissue."

Buck was lucky, but Gould says other animals that come to his shelter are not as fortunate.

"We see dogs and cats — both — that the abuse has been beyond. Some we can't help, there's nothing we can do for them, they've been somebody's punching bag," said Gould.