Some people should never be allowed near animals—and Hayden Howard’s heartbreaking experience is proof of that.

A few years ago, Hayden noticed her English Mastiff, Jackson, wasn’t acting like himself after playing in the backyard. At first, she thought he was covered in bug bites. But when she looked closer, she was horrified to find he had actually been shot—dozens of times.

Rushing him to the vet, she learned Jackson had nearly 70 wounds from BB pellets. “There was one under his eyelid, one in his ear, one in his knee—they were everywhere,” Hayden said. The vet removed 27 pellets and had to leave 20 others inside his body.

Assistant Police Chief Craig Hayes said, “I’ve never seen an animal shot that many times. It’s a terrible case.”

Police traced the attack to a neighbor’s yard, where they found a BB gun, ammunition, drugs, and meth paraphernalia. The investigation is ongoing, but Hayden—and many others—hope the person responsible faces serious consequences and is never allowed around animals again.

Thankfully, Jackson is recovering well. Despite the trauma, he’s healing—and showing just how strong and resilient dogs can be.