Caring for a pet is just like caring for a child in many ways, don't you think? We raise them with all the love in the world, from infanthood to adulthood. We spend endless nights worrying about them when they get sick. And feel immeasurable happiness seeing them thrive.

That's exactly how it was for dog mom Hayden Howard and her beloved Jackson. So, she was beyond horrified when she noticed something wrong with her English mastiff. And she became all the more so when she realized what those strange marks on his skin were.

Everybody Loves Dogs!

If there's anything that the general population collectively loves, it's dogs. And what's not to love? They're selfless creatures who only want to bring joy to their owner's life. Many of them can even be trained to be therapy dogs to comfort those who need it most.

That said, it's almost unfathomable how a person could even think about hurting an innocent dog. Unfortunately, this is a thought that Hayden had to contend with in raising Jackson. Although she did her best to look out for him, harm still found its way to him and it happened in the most unexpected way, too.

Watch Out For The Little Things

Hayden's suspicions that something was up with her beloved English mastiff began when she noticed slight changes in his behavior. Soon, she was also seeing minor changes on his body. But by the time she figured out what was going on, it was almost too late.

What could be wrong with Jackson? How did he get the marks on his body? Was Hayden able to save him from the mysterious affliction that ailed him in the end? That's what we're about to find out today as we recount Hayden and Jackson's harrowing story.

Indiana Born And Bred

Our story is set in the small city of Seymour, Indiana, where Hayden lived. Wanting to welcome a new member to her household, she got in touch with her friend Seneca McKinny living in nearby Freetown. Seneca bred English mastiffs, and Hayden thought it a great idea to buy a puppy from her.

That's how she and Jackson crossed paths with Hayden bringing him home when he was just eight weeks old. That said, you can say little Jackson was Indiana born and bred, having spent all of his then still short life in the Hoosier State.

Growing Into A Real Charmer

Over the following months, Hayden looked on proudly as her canine buddy grew into a lively and cute ball of energy. So, it's no shock that almost everybody that encountered him took a liking to Jackson, too. Even the neighborhood kids weren't deterred from interacting with him.

And that's saying a lot! English mastiffs can be an intimidating dog breed because of the way they look. When full-grown, they could weigh just as much if not more than a grown man. They get pretty tall, too, with male members of the breed reaching a height of 30 inches.

The Day Everything Changed

Jackson continued to grow into a healthy and loyal pet nearly a year into Hayden's care. But everything changed one Saturday in April 2017. Coming home to her beloved pet after a long day out, she was excited to spend the rest of the weekend just chilling and lounging with the English mastiff.

All seemed fine at first. Jackson was still being his energetic self, yet Hayden couldn't help but feel like something had changed about him. She didn't think much of it at first, though, and likely chalked it up to just him being tired from the day's activities. Nothing a bit of his favorite dog food couldn't fix, right?

What Lies Beneath

But as Hayden later realized, her hunch was correct all along. As she went down to give Jackson a good scratch, she felt something beneath his short fur. The sensation shocked Hayden as she didn't even notice the little bumps on her dog's skin when he greeted her just a little while back.

As she tried to ascertain what the bumps must have been, she was horrified to find more and more of them on his body. Well, it looked like Jackson had a severe infestation of pests! A good shampoo would do the trick for that—or so Hayden mistakenly thought.

No To Cuddles!

After noticing the tiny bumps all over Jackson's body, Hayden also began noticing minor changes in his behavior. It seemed like he didn't like being touched where the mysterious humps were. He didn't seem that hurt at all, but cuddling him appeared out of the question.

This put Hayden's fears at ease. There was probably a simple and logical explanation behind her beloved English mastiff's affliction. She didn't want to jump to the worst conclusions right away. And so, she racked her brain for possible reasons as to why Jackson was suddenly covered in bumps.

Too Hot For Comfort

While not the hottest state by any means, Virginia can get warm in the spring and summer seasons. With it being the middle of April, Hayden's town was also in the middle of spring. The sudden change in temperatures might not have agreed well with Jackson, especially since he was left out in the backyard that Saturday.

The warm weather might have caused irritations to appear on his skin, explaining the bumps Hayden found. Although not too common, some dogs can get hives due to various triggers, including sunlight and heat, according to the MSD Vet Manual website.

Down With An Unknown Bug

Another possibility that Hayden likely considered was that Jackson was just coming down with an unknown bug. Dogs are curious creatures by nature, and her English mastiff was no exception. He could've eaten something from the backyard that made him break out in bumps.

Or, in the same vein, Jackson could've encountered some kind of bug (or an army of them) that bit him in several places on his body. It's also worth noting that mastiffs are prone to certain skin ailments, especially around the folds in their neck and face, that need complementary skin treatments.

Making A Mountain Out Of An "Anthill"

Going back to the bug theory, ants were another potential culprit that Hayden could have looked into. Jackson was tied in the backyard near a tree and possibly stepped onto an anthill. If that was what happened, she definitely wouldn't be making a mountain out of a molehill (or an anthill in this case).

Ant bites can come with severe repercussions. According to the PetMD website, stings can eventually lead to lameness, hives, and even an anaphylactic reaction. Hearing this would undoubtedly send any pet owner into a panic, but Hayden still hesitated on bringing Jackson to an animal hospital right away, probably because he lacked these symptoms.

The Calm Before The Storm

Hoping for the best but still preparing for the worst, she decided to observe Jackson overnight. Hayden anticipated the bumps on his body to disappear come the following day, especially if they were just harmless bug bites.

That night proved to be the calm before the storm. As much as Hayden wanted for Jackson to be alright, the reality was that he wasn't. Unknown to her at the time, something sinister happened to her beloved pet while she was away. And it wasn't insects that were to blame for it.

Holey Moly!

Sunday mornings are typically the calmest part of a person's week. With no work or school to hurry to, people can enjoy a slow and relaxing start to their day. But when Hayden woke up that weekend in April 2017, it was worry that occupied her mind.

Instead of finding a healed Jackson, she found something else on his body. There were several holes all over him! Turning to Google in search of answers, she saw results that point to botflies, which can infect dogs by burrowing their larvae into their skin, as a culprit.

No Time To Waste

Perhaps not knowing what to do next, she called on her friend Seneca, Jackson's breeder, to come and have a look. Together, they brainstormed what possibly caused the holes in the English mastiff's skin. But they still couldn't figure out what was truly going on with the dog.

Fearing that wasting time guessing would only make things worse, Hayden finally decided to take him to the local animal hospital once and for all. The only catch was that the facility was closed on Sundays, so she'd have to wait until Monday morning to see an expert.

Leave It To The Experts

When Monday rolled in, Hayden immediately drove to take Jackson to Seymour's local animal health care facility to leave things to the experts. The physician who saw them was Dr. Steve Sunbury, a graduate of Purdue's veterinarian school and a longtime medical practitioner.

With his credentials and years of experience, Hayden hoped he could determine what was wrong with Jackson and save him from potential danger. She wasn't mistaken. Although he, too, was initially puzzled by the holes on the dog's skin, Dr. Steve got to work to get to the bottom of things.

Looking Beyond The Surface

Not content with a quick physical exam, Dr. Steve looked beyond the surface to help Jackson. Likely, with Hayden's permission, he shaved parts of the dog's fur to get a closer look at the holes that riddled his body. And by the end, the English mastiff almost looked like a checkerboard!

The veterinarian found so many holes in different parts of his body that Jackson was half-shaven by the end of it. That said, even Dr. Steve was shocked to see the way the dog's skin looked. He had never seen anything quite like it in his years on the job.

The Horrible Truth Comes Out

With Jackson's short, white fur out of the way, the horrible truth was finally out in plain sight. It seemed like his affliction wasn't caused by disease or an attack at all but of a cruel act likely caused by a human.

The English mastiff had circular puncture wounds all over his body. Speaking with the TV station WHAS11, Dr. Steve said that he's encountered hunting animals hurt by gunshots. But even their condition was nearly as severe as Jackson's case. Safe to say, Hayden was rightfully horrified by has happened to her beloved pet.

Who Could've Done This?

Seeing Jackson lying down with all of his injuries was, without a doubt, a heartbreaking moment for Hayden. She couldn't wrap her mind around how a person could do this to an innocent animal. Despite his large size, Jackson was not an aggressive pup. She racked her mind trying to think of who could have done this to her English mastiff.

Hayden suspected the neighborhood kids but immediately dismissed the idea, given how much they loved playing with Jackson. The good news, though, was that there were many animal protection groups she could turn to if she ended up pursuing a case against the perpetrator.

Steve To The Rescue

But before she could find justice for Jackson, making sure he healed from his injuries was Hayden's top priority. Fortunately, Dr. Steve was there to help him do just that. With the animal care facility being well-equipped with everything the dog needed, he was prescribed pain medication and antibiotics.

Looking back, Dr. Steve told WHAS11 that bad things could've happened to Jackson had he not been immediately brought to him. But while Hayden could breathe a bit easier again, knowing her pet was already on the mend, many questions still bothered her: "What object could have punctured his skin that badly?"

Breaking Even More Bad News

Hayden didn't have to wonder for long, though. While Dr. Steve was tending to Jackson's wounds, he made another horrible discovery. BB pellets caused the punctures on his skin! Once again, he broke this bad news to Hayden, who we bet was made even more distressed by that finding.

She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Someone used her poor dog for target practice, it seemed, and managed to lodge several pellets within his skin in the process. Hayden's heart broke for Jackson, who must have been so terrified during the attack.

Cruel Intentions

With more clues to go off on, Hayden thought of possible suspects once again. She realized that the shooting likely happened when she left Jackson by himself in their fenced-in backyard. The culprit probably saw him as an easy target being all alone and tied.

Whoever did this to her dog had cruel intentions, too. See, while not as damaging as real firearms, it's no secret that BB guns can still hurt the people and animals they hit with their ammunition. That's because they're loaded with round metal BBs that can penetrate the skin when shot from a close distance.

Toy Guns That Cause Real Damage

That said, you've probably heard of incidents when BB guns and products of that kind were used to hurt or intimidate people. In 2021, Fox 59 reported one such occurrence in Indiana. Armed with a BB gun, a teen fired at a car and shattered its window while a family was inside it.

But despite the real damage that they're capable of causing, BB guns are still classified and advertised by some as toys. It's pretty easy to get your hands on one, too, with plenty of them being sold on Amazon and similar stores.

Play Time Gone Wrong?

Knowing these, was it possible that the person who hurt Jackson was only trying to play with him? Perhaps they didn't realize how cruel shooting the defenseless pup with BBs was, mistakenly thinking the toy gun wasn't capable of seriously hurting him.

We doubt this possibility made Hayden feel any better about the entire ordeal, though. Intentional or not, Jackson was still suffering from the consequences of the perpetrator's careless actions. She was determined to find them and bring them to justice for what they did. While BB guns are technically legal in Indiana, animal cruelty is punishable by law.

The Extent Of The Damage

But before Hayden could focus on her search for the perpetrator, she had to contend with the full extent of the damage done to Jackson. Just when she thought she had heard the worst of it, Dr. Steve told her that some of the BB pellets that hit her dog ended up lodged inside.

After the veterinarian thoroughly examined Jackson, he found one of the projectiles stuck under his eyelid. Had it gone in another way, the English mastiff could have been left blinded in one eye. Hayden then later told Fox 59 that BBs also made it into his ear and knees.

Every Pet Parent's Worst Nightmare

What's astonishing, though, was how brave Jackson was throughout the entire ordeal. Despite the injuries he sustained, he didn't let on much that he was hurting. In fact, had Hayden not noticed the holes on his skin, the incident could have gone undiscovered.

It was fortunate that Hayden was observant, though, because those punctures could have impaired Jackson in the long run if left untreated. Worse, the person who did to Jackson was still walking freely and could attack once again. Safe to say, the situation Hayden found herself in was indeed every pet parent's worst nightmare.

The Recovery Mission Continues

Dr. Steve carried on inspecting Jackson's injuries and continued his mission to recover the BBs in his skin. All in all, the vet retrieved seven pellet-type ammunition from the dog. Typically made of plastic, most pellets used in toy guns are nonbiodegradable.

They could've been left lodged within Jackson's body as he continued to mature into an adult had Dr. Steve failed to recover them. At less than a year old and weighing about 100 pounds, the English mastiff still had some growing left to do. Who knows how the pellets' presence could've hindered that process.

And The Grand Total Is...

But that was not all. Upon further extraction, Dr. Steve ended up removing 20 BBs from Jackson. Hayden, who left the room unable to watch her beloved pet in such a worrying state, was later approached by one of the Seymour Animal Hospital's staff and handed a cup that contained all of the BBs and pellets.

There were a grand total of 27 bullets in there. She was left speechless seeing these tiny objects that were once stuck beneath her beloved pet's skin. The person who shot Jackson must have done so at close range to have landed that many.

The Undeniable Proof Of Jackson's Strength

The undeniable proof of Jackson's strength was discovered later on, though. During the case investigation, Hayden was told that it was probable that her dog was shot with more projectiles than the ones Dr. Steve found. The number was closer to 60, in fact.

Over half of those either missed Jackson or simply bounced off his body and left on the ground. Hayden later relayed this upsetting information to the media and said that some of the projectiles were most likely still stuck under Jackson's skin despite Dr. Steve's best efforts.

Getting The Law Involved

After learning the truth about what happened to Jackson and making sure he was on the mend, Hayden got in touch with the local police force to formally report the incident. While it's typically animal protection groups that handle cruelty cases, Indiana residents can also contact law enforcement.

Hayden didn't hesitate to tell the police about everything she knew in hopes of helping them catch the culprit. Fortunately, her complaint was answered by immediate action on the part of the Seymour police. An investigation on Jackson's attack was promptly opened, and the officers even visited the scene of the crime.

The Search For Clues

Armed with their police academy background and years in the force, the officers began their search for clues in the most obvious place: Hayden's backyard. The scene seemed undisturbed despite the time that had passed, and they found plenty of evidence there.

The investigators recovered the BBs that were lodged in a tree that stood in the yard. They began piecing together the details of the attack from there. Hayden was hopeful and cooperative throughout all of this as she put all of her trust in the police's expertise. And they didn't fail her.

The Evidence Doesn't Lie

Taking note of the placements of the BBs they found, the investigators figured out which direction they were shot from. Hayden's home, although fenced, was located close to that of her neighbor's. The evidence seemed to indicate that it was from there that the perpetrator fired the BB gun.

The police didn't waste from then on. They pursued it carefully once they found a lead, plotting their next move to push the case forward. Meanwhile, Hayden was shocked to learn that her next-door neighbor was to blame for Jackson's attack.

Primary Suspect

The primary suspect was a man named Tim Woodard, who lived with his daughter right next to Hayden's property. She had known him for a while and didn't think he was capable of hurting Jackson unprovoked. Still, she trusted that the police would be able to prove once and for all if he had anything to do with the shooting.

It was a terrifying thought—finding out that your neighbor was involved in an incident that hurt one of your loved ones. We wouldn't blame Hayden if she began feeling unsafe in her own home living near Tim, especially since she also had a young son at the time.

Law Enforcement Comes Knocking

According to a report from the local paper The Tribune, the police knocked on Tim's door just a couple of days after the shooting incident. They came prepared, having obtained a search warrant to enter his home and look for more evidence that could link him with the animal cruelty case.

Opening the door to law enforcement, we could only imagine how tense Tim felt at the time. Knowing how this story ended, he had a lot to hide from them. While he looked just like any regular guy, he had a terrible secret.

An Unexpected Twist

The police immediately got down to business and questioned Tim about his alleged involvement in Jackson's shooting. However, he refused to answer without the presence of a lawyer, as Detective Sergeant C.J. Foster later relayed to the media. Still, the police search pushed through.

And the police found plenty of evidence within his home, alright! But in an unexpected twist in our story, what they recovered there pinned Tim to a different crime. He was then promptly arrested for several charges that were unrelated to the initial animal cruelty case he was being investigated for.

Heartbroken And Confused

This turn of events understandably confused Hayden even more. She was already heartbroken finding out that her neighbor was the likely culprit in the incident. As she told Fox 17, the people that lived next to her have been generally good to Jackson.

And here's one more catch, Tim's daughter even served as the English mastiff's dogwalker from time to time! That said, Hayden didn't know what to think about the situation. So, all she could do was look at the mounting evidence that the Seymour Police have gathered against Tim and be the judge.

All Signs Point To Tim

According to a Fox 17 report, the police could locate physical evidence that connected the neighbor to the shooting. However, they didn't disclose exactly what they found. So, while all signs point to Tim being Jackson's attacker, no arrests regarding the animal cruelty case were made.

It is also worth noting that offenses committed against animals are only classified as a misdemeanor under Indiana's laws. This means that had Tim been charged with Jackson's shooting, he would have only gotten a short jail sentence or made to pay a fine for his actions.

A Weak Case

That said, it seemed that Hayden had a weak case against Tim on her hands. She could only rest assured in the fact that the Seymour Police was still pursuing the investigation. They also said that the physical evidence they found could be sent to the state's police laboratory for examination.

Meanwhile, Detective Sergeant Foster told Fox 17 that investigators would do follow-up interviews, too, regarding Jackson's case and see where that could take them. From what we can find reading through online sources, Tim was never held responsible for his alleged involvement in the shooting.

Tim's Got Bigger Problems

Still, Tim had to face bigger problems. As it turns out, the police illegal substances in significant quantities in his home. So, if animal cruelty laws didn't punish him, he likely faced a harsher sentence. In a way, Hayden still got some kind of justice.

Knowing that the police was hot on Tim's trail, she could rest assured that he wouldn't be able to hurt anyone else without getting caught. What's more, the Seymour community was made a safer place once again as law enforcement proved that they were doing their job well.

Holding Out Hope

With Tim out of the picture, Hayden still held out hope that the police would be able to catch anyone involved in Jackson's shooting. She even put up $500 in reward money for anybody who could offer more information regarding the case.

At the same time, she was busy helping Jackson make a full recovery from his injuries. During an interview with Fox 17, she assured everyone that her beloved dog was doing well and resting safely at home. He was still on medication but was well on his way to becoming his lively self again.

Coming Together For Jackson

In the end, a lot of positive things came out of the harrowing incident. Sure, Hayden never did see the perpetrator punished, but she saw how her community came together for her and Jackson. From netizens on social media to local council members, she was thankful for their help and kind words.

So, wherever Hayden and Jackson are now, we hope they still live a happy life together. And who knows? Perhaps someday, she and her pet could finally get closure and the justice they didn't get the first time around.