A pet dog has defied all odds after surviving horrific abuse leaving his head riddled with air-rifle pellets.
The battered mixed-breed Keks (meaning cookie in English) was surrendered to an animal shelter in Bautzen in Saxony, Germany, where staff noticed something was terribly wrong.
‘We quickly realised that something was not right. An X-ray revealed Keks had been shot multiple times,” shelter deputy head Maria Göpfert told German news outlet Bild.
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X-rays revealed dozens of projectiles from an air-rifle lodged throughout his skull.
“When we saw the X-rays, we couldn’t believe it,” Göpfert said.
“There were 42 Diabolos in his head.”
Diabolo airgun pellets get their name from the Latin word diabolus, meaning ‘devil’.
They are usually used for target practice, pest control, or small-game hunting, taking animals such as rabbits, squirrels, and birds, and can be deadly when fired at close range.
It was Keks’s owner, not a stranger, who was allegedly responsible for the cruelty.
Police allege he deliberately targeted him over and over.
Vets rushed Keks into surgery.
Three separate operations were needed to pull as many of the air-rifle pellets from his muscles and bones as possible.
Even then, not all of them could be removed.
“On 27 August 2025, he had his third and final operation.,” Göpfert explained.
“Seven more diabolos were removed. Unfortunately, the ones that are still inside are too close to blood vessels or have grown into the bone.
“Our hearts sank when we heard he had stopped breathing for a moment.
“Thank you to the veterinary team who did not give up on removing all the diabolos that they could.“
Meanwhile, investigators have confirmed a breakthrough.
Police carried out a search at the former owner’s home, where they seized an air-rifle believed to be the weapon used.
“The air rifle in question was found and seized. The man will have to answer on suspicion of violating the Animal Welfare Act,” police said in a statement.
Göpfert said despite the abuse Keks has become affectionate and trusting.
“This dog is a miracle,” she said while he curls up beside her.
“He has not lost faith in humans, even though such terrible things were done to him.”
After enduring and surviving unthinkable cruelty, Göpfert, the woman who saved him, adopted Keks, giving him his fur-ever home.
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