DETROIT – It’s been less than 24 hours since someone shot Curtis in his leg.

Now, the Detroit Dog Rescue and a local vet are helping with his recovery.

The fresh gunshot wounds are a constant reminder for Kristina Rinaldi with Detroit Dog Rescue of how strong Curtis the dog really is.

“He had gaping wounds in his body,” Rinaldi said.

Rinaldi said Curtis was shot and abandoned Thursday, but that’s really all they know.

“We don’t have a lot of information. He was picked up by the Detroit Police Department. We don’t have a ton of information on his story and sometimes, that’s the hardest thing for these guys,” Rinaldi said.

Detroit Dog Rescue rushed him to Union Lake Vet Hospital for emergency surgery.

“The x-rays show that we have a bullet that is actually fragmented within his knee. One of the pieces was actually within the joint capsule of the knee itself. We’re going to have to monitor him for long term damage,” said Annette Engler, with Union Lake Veterinary Hospital.

It’s a sad situation but Rinaldi said it’s common.

“Unfortunately, at Detroit Dog Rescue we see the worst of the worst. I don’t even want to say what we see, because it’s heartbreaking and we see it every week," she said.