Buckingham County dog shot in face finds healing and new home

Aug 11, 2025 - 00:25

0 0

Buckingham County dog shot in face finds healing and new home

GOOCHLAND COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- A German Shepherd who was found shot in the face and abandoned in Buckingham County earlier this year is now thriving thanks to the efforts of animal rescue groups and his new family.

Dagney which means “new beginnings," was discovered in March with a gunshot wound that pierced his nose and jaw.

Goochland Animal Care and Protection quickly took him in and provided emergency surgery, along with weeks of intensive care to help him recover.

Dagney’s new owners, Mara and Chris Hilliar, say it was love, patience and the support of their own German Shepherds that helped him heal and adjust to his new life.

“To me, he means, he has really shown me what unconditional love is, and, he has taught me a lot about how bad everything can be and that there is a new beginning, which is his name. His name means new beginnings, new day,” Mara said.

Mara recalls the moment she first saw Dagney’s adoption photo online.

“I just showed the picture to my husband and said, 'oh, do you remember this dog?' And basically it was just, I don’t know, you say what it is when you saw the picture, it just kind of hit me.”

The very next morning, Mara and Chris went to meet Dagney at the shelter. From the moment they met him, the couple said Dagney didn’t leave their side.

Dangey and owner Chris Hilliar: Photo courtesy of: 8News Sahara Sriramen

“People poking and prodding and all that, he wanted to do was just come and be close, you know, and wanted to be petted and basically curled up on the couch there and didn’t leave,” Mara said.

Since April, Dagney has made remarkable progress. He has recovered from heartworm, put on weight, and become a member of the Hilliar family’s “pack” of other German Shepherds. Mara credits the pack for helping teach him house manners and confidence.

Dagney and owner Chris Hilliar: Photo courtesy of: 8News Sahara Sriramen

“You give a dog an environment that they can thrive in, and it's amazing how resilient they are,” she said.

Though Dagney still has some scars including missing teeth and a splash of water left after every drink, his injuries are barely visible now.

Mara and Chris say Dagney’s story is one of survival but also serves as a reminder about the responsibility we have toward animals.

“If you have the room and you know that there’s always more room in your heart for these sweet animals that didn’t ask to be in the situations they are in, there’s never any reason to dump animals,” Mara said.

Today, Dagney is “100% a real dog” according to his family, running, playing and enjoying the life they believe he always deserved.

Here are a few locations servicing rescue animals as well as places to adopt:

Regional & multi‑county rescue groups

Central Virginia Humane Society & SPCA (Amelia, Appomattox, Buckingham, Cumberland, Fluvanna, Goochland, Powhatan, Prince Edward, Farmville)
Southside SPCA (Prince Edward and surrounding counties)
Central Virginia Regional Rescue (Forest, VA)