German Shepherd Stolen, MIxed-Breed Shot

A Wilkes dog owner says someone shot one of his dogs and took the other. Sheriff deputies were called to Victor Verela's home in Ronda last week after Verela came home and could not get one of his dogs to respond. His wife says both dogs were outside shortly before she came home, and she had been playing with them both until that time. But she went inside, and when Verela came home, only his mixed-breed dog would come to him -- the German Shepherd was nowhere to be found. Later that evening, he bathed the mixed-breed dog, and found a bloody mass in its hair, and evidence that it had been shot with a pellet gun. The dog was taken to the vet the next morning and is apparently okay, according to Verela. The female German Shepherd has not been seen since. Deputies are investigating the case, and if a suspect is identified, they would potentially face a theft charge and a charge of cruelty to an animal.