LAPEER, Mich. – Gemma, a 2-year-old black retriever, looks like any other dog until you see the staples in her head that signal she is lucky to be alive.
Gemma was found Monday wandering around Lapeer with an arrow through her head.
A construction worker saw her and called Lapeer County Animal Control.
"It was actually millimeters between her brain and her optic nerve. It's amazing there's no brain damage," said Aimee Orn, chief animal control officer for Lapeer County.
Authorities got a tip that the dog's owner was the one who did this. The arrow penetrated the area right above the dog's left eye and came out through the roof of her mouth.
Gemma's owner has not yet been charged.
"He claims that she was acting aggressively and went after his other dog," said Orn.
Regardless of the reason, animal control officials said it's no excuse to ever do anything like this. They said Gemma is going to be fine.
The shelter is hoping that the owner will sign-off on the dog so they can find her a happy home. Meanwhile, the owner could be facing animal cruelty charges.