Hi everyone, my name is Azaria Loya Alcocer, and I’m asking for help for my dog, Nova. I was outside with her just letting her use the restroom when, within minutes, everything changed. A man and his young child approached us, and before I could even react, he pulled out a gun and shot Nova right in front of me. I watched it happen just inches away. She started bleeding from her mouth, and in that moment I realized how close I was to being seriously hurt too—the bullet actually grazed my foot. I feel incredibly lucky it wasn’t worse.

Nova has never shown any signs of aggression. She’s always been loving and gentle, which made this even more traumatic. We rushed her to the emergency vet. By some miracle, the bullet didn’t hit any vital organs. She has an entry and exit wound, with a small fragment still inside that the vet said is safer to leave. She also has bruising around her lungs and needs time and care to heal.

I’m asking for help to cover her emergency care and ongoing treatment. Any donation or even just sharing our story would mean so much to us. Thank you for taking the time to read about Nova.