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Izzy, a 14 month old lab retriever mix was shot in the chest area late on Oct. 16.

(Courtesy Photo | Jenn Treece)

STANTON, MI - A family in Montcalm County is furious at a neighbor who they believe shot their 14-month old dog.

Jenn Treece said Izzy, her family's lab retriever mix, was shot in the chest late on Oct. 16.

With a bullet lodged outside her right shoulder, Izzy was rushed to the State Road Animal Hospital in Alma where she underwent emergency surgery to stop the bleeding and remove the bullet.

She's hopeful the pup, which serves as an emotional support dog for a member of the family, will make a full recovery. The dog returned home on Monday night.

"Currently Izzy is doing great," Treece said. "She is playful despite having to wear a cone to keep her from licking at the tube in her chest. She wants to run around and be normal."

Treece said a neighbor had admitted to shooting the dog because she was eating cat food located at his house. However, he changed his story once he saw the $480 medical bill, Treece said.

Treece called the Montcalm County Sheriff's Office on Oct. 17, but didn't file a formal report. Officials at the department said police dispatchers fielded a call from a woman who said she was taking a dog who had been shot to the vet, and that she would call back. Treece said she had yet to do so.

"I have to call them when our neighbor gets back home," she said.

The family has set up a GoFundMe page to help pay for Izzy's emergency surgery, which Treece said the family say they simply cannot afford. As of 4:30 p.m. on Oct. 19, $410 has been raised.

Any money raised over the $480 will be donated to the animal hospital's memorial fund that assists families in need, the page indicates.

"We are extremely grateful and overwhelmed by everything," Treece said of those who have reached out to help. "They have become part of Izzy's family now."