Dog shot and wounded in backyard of Cocoa home

Cocoa Police are investigating after a dog was shot and wounded the backyard of a home. The dog is the companion of Jonathan Hawkins, 8, who has special needs.

The 2-year-old Chow Shepard named Riley is recovering in little blue cast around his leg. The shooing happened on Saturday night while the dog was  in the fenced in back yard of the family's Cocoa home.

“We heard the gunshot and it sounded really close, and then we heard the second gunshot and Riley hollered and we just knew somebody had shot her,” said Loretta Hawkins, the owner of the dog,

When they came outside they found poor Riley bleeding from his right hind leg, with bullet fragments in his paw.

“It was devastating,"  Hawkins said.

Hawkins said they adopted the precious pooch two years ago to help her grandson’s special needs.

“Jonathan loves dogs, and it's just amazing how Riley is so humble to Jonathan, whatever Jonathan does, if he pulls his ear, he's fine, he lays on him rolls on him, he's fine the bond is just a miracle,” Hawkins said.

Cocoa Police continue to search for the suspects who they say fired two shots one of which hit the dog, meanwhile the family has posted flyers about their Go Fund Me page to help pay for the dog's surgery and hopefully avoid amputation.

“We're waiting on the results to come in on Tuesday to know for sure, he does have to have surgery we just don't know what type of surgery it's going to be," Hawkins said.

Anyone with information on the shooting should contact the Cocoa Police Dept.

Go Fund Me page: https://www.gofundme.com/rgu9mkb4