A dog that was shot in the head and left to die on the side of a highway in Saratoga last month has fully recovered.

Rawlins animal control officer Rob Fall says a concerned passerby called police after seeing that the injured slate-coated mix was shot near the right ear with a .22-caliber weapon.

Katie Flock with the Carbon County Veterinary Hospital says the dog, nicknamed Ghost, would have died if the bullet lodged a few inches to the left, lower or forward.

The Rawlins Times reports police have tried to contact Ghost’s owner, who reported his dog missing right before moving to New Mexico. The contact number given by the owner is disconnected, and the dog is now at the Rawlins Rochelle Animal Shelter awaiting adoption.

SOURCE: Associated Press