GASTONIA, N.C. — After someone shot a pitbull puppy named Paco on Wednesday, a Gastonia police officer acted quickly to save the pup's life.
"We heard a loud bang, and I asked my friend who was sitting out back with me, 'What was that noise?'" the witness recounted in a video posted by Gastonia Police on the social media platform X. "She said, 'A gunshot.'"
The witness called Gastonia Police, and Officer M. Whisnant was dispatched to the scene. That's where Whisnant found Paco shot in his back leg.
"I held the towel over its wound, trying to stop the bleeding as fast as I could," Whisnant described.
The witness said Paco laid down and closed his eyes, making her fear the puppy had lost consciousness. Whisnant nudged Paco, but the dog didn't budge.
"I grabbed the dog and took it over to my car, put him in the back seat and drove him over to the clinic," Whisnant said.
The puppy survived and is now recovering from his wound.
"He deserves an award," the witness said. "He does. He deserves to be recognized for what he did."
It's still unknown at this time what led to the shooting incident, but Gastonia Police is asking anyone who knows what happened to call 704-866-6702.