WOODBRIDGE, Va. — A Woodbridge man said the family dog is lucky to be alive, after their 6-year-old Teacup Yorkie was struck in the neck by an arrow, while the family sat on the back porch Wednesday evening. The family does not know who shot the arrow, or what the motive was.
The dog, named Mikey, was rushed to an emergency veterinarian, and was given stitches. Photos of the aftermath show the arrow sticking through the skin of the dog's neck. The dog is expected to recover.
"It was just complete luck on his side," said Mehdi Hefel, one of the dog's owners. "It caught the loose skin. So there was no blood or anything. It was just the skin."
At 7:35 p.m. on Wednesday, officers with the Prince William County Police Department responded to the home, which belongs to Hefel's parents, located on the 12700 block of Dulcinea Place in Woodbridge. Hefel said the family was out back, getting ready to grill, when they heard the dog start crying.
"Next thing you know, we see him with an arrow right here," he said as he gestured to his neck. "And we immediately rushed inside - trying to get him back inside. And we closed the windows just in case someone is still out here."
According to the Prince William County Police, the arrow which hit Mikey, was one of three arrows shot on Wednesday. They reported that between noon and 1 p.m., two more arrows were fired, one of which struck the rear window of Hefel's parent's home. A third arrow struck the rear doorframe of a neighboring home where a 23-year-old woman was in the backyard at the time, according to Prince William County Police.
On Friday morning, Hefel pointed toward a small hole in the back of the house, where the arrow hit the windowsill. The arrows were nearly three feet long.
"The arrowhead is still in there," he said. "It's right here."
Sergeant Jonathan Perok from the Prince William County Police said that no suspect has been identified, and they are still unclear what the motive was.
"We are hoping that because it is a bow and arrow, and because it is a very peculiar type of weapon, that hopefully someone will come forward," Perok said.
Hefel said that his family is hopeful someone will be found quickly, to ensure that the risk is passed.
"I just really hope they find somebody," he said. "Because it’s not something people should be worried about. Someone shouldn’t have to be outside thinking I hope I don’t get hit by an arrow today."
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