“He still shows nothing but unconditional love when we see him every single day by licking us, and wagging his tail,” Zeus’ owner said

A red husky named Zeus in Stafford Springs, Connecticut, faces a long road to recovery after suffering gunshot wounds to the head.

Zeus’ owners, Nicholas Denunzio Jr., 18, and his mother Audrey Owens, have been sharing updates on Zeus’ journey via social media.

The incident happened in late March, when, according to a GoFundMe post by Owens, “he went outside to use the bathroom and he ran off. Zeus was only gone for 5 minutes and when we were out looking for him we heard several gunshots.”

“Shortly after that we saw him trying to walk back home but he was scared and extremely hurt so he hid under a vehicle near by… He was shot twice in the head and somehow is alive,” the post reads.

Since then, the 5-year-old husky has been in the care of the Stafford Veterinary Center — where donations can be sent directly.

In one of Owens’ Facebook updates on Friday, April 5, a user asked if any arrests had been made since Zeus had been shot. “Not yet,” the owner replied.

According to the outlet, Owens says Zeus “has a track record” of getting out of the house.

“He literally pushed an air conditioner out of a window to get out of the house one day in the summer,” she told the Stamford Advocate. “He’s an escape artist.”

Earlier this week, Owens shared a photo of the canine’s X-ray on her Facebook account.

“This dog has suffered a traumatic brain injury and has been having a hard time with normal functioning things that other dogs do not have problems with because of this. And after all that he’s been through, he still shows nothing but unconditional love when we see him every single day by licking us, and wagging his tail,” she wrote.

“The second bullet was between the eyes at the top of his snout, and was lodged in the back of his throat, where they were able to extract 2/3 of the bullet, leaving 1/3 of the bullet fragment in him,” the original GoFundMe post explained.

On Saturday, April 6, Tractor Supply in Stafford Springs will hold a bake sale to raise funds for Zeus’ medical bills. The event will be from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 54 West Stafford Road.

In her most recent update, Owens shared that Zeus’ stay at the vet would be extended.
“Just found out that Zeus is running a fever and going back on IV to get fluids and meds. We were hopeful he was coming home soon but we have to just trust the process and know he’s where he needs to be to get the best care,” she said Friday via Facebook.

“Please keep him in your prayers for his recovery. Thank you everyone.”