A 3-year-old Labrador retriever mix is slowly recovering Monday after he allegedly was shot by his inebriated owner in Riverside.
Officers responded to the 4600 block of Gardena Drive, a few blocks west of Riverside Plaza, about 3 a.m. Sunday for a call of shots fired, according to John Welsh, public information officer for the Riverside County Department of Animal Services.
The large dog, named Spartacus, was found lying on his side, unresponsive, with a bullet wound in his right shoulder, Walsh said.
Spartacus was rushed to the Animal Emergency Clinic in Grand Terrace, then transferred to the Western Riverside County/City Animal Shelter in Jurupa Valley, where he was given an IV drip and pain medications, according to Walsh.
"I was told that two men living at the house had been under the influence of alcohol and started shooting a firearm in the backyard," Riverside County Animal Services Officer Sean Fazio reported. "At one point the owner apparently shot his dog."
Two men in the home's front yard were detained, and another dog was found inside the home's garage and was taken to the Jurupa Valley shelter, according to Walsh.
It is too soon to know if Spartacus will survive his injuries, but he is stabilizing and "showing small, positive signs for recovery," Walsh said.
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It was not immediately clear if the dog's owner intended to shoot Spartacus or if it was an alcohol-related accident, according to Fazio.
