Rival's Fight For Recovery After Brutal Backyard Shooting

This story breaks my heart. A sweet dog was shot in his own backyard three times. Who would do this and why?

Rival was using the bathroom in his own backyard when someone viciously shot him three times. Rival has survived this shooting but not without incredible undeserved pain and the costs of his surgery to save his life were massive.

FAMILY DOG SHOT THREE TIMES IN HIS OWN BACKYARD

When an attack like this happens, you're left wondering why someone would do such incredible harm to someone's beloved pet. Rival was minding his own business. He wasn't going for a walk through the neighborhood. He was home.

I'm assuming the family must have been home and heard the shots, as they were able to rush him to an emergency vet.

SAVING RIVAL

The vet was able to save his life, but Rival has endured terrible pain. He was shot three times. Two of the bullets hit him in the neck, causing large, painful wounds. The third bullet shattered Rival's lower jaw. It shattered teeth and required emergency surgery.

A GoFundMe page has been created to help cover the costs of Rival's surgery, and the outpouring from caring community members has been amazing. They were trying to raise $15000 to help cover the costs that had already piled up. Luckily, 100% of that amount has been donated, so far raising approximately $24,000.

RIVAL'S GOFUNDME PAGE

Rival's owners posted this message on their GoFundMe page:

Our sweet dog, Rival, was brutally shot three times while simply using the bathroom in our fenced-in backyard.

This was not out on a walk, not off the property; he was safe at home in the back yard in Kasson-Mantorville, Minnesota. And yet, someone still chose to shoot him.

Two of the bullets grazed his neck, leaving large, painful wounds. The third shot was devastating—it went through his lower jaw, shattering his jawbone and destroying his lower teeth.

Rival was rushed to the emergency vet, where he was immediately taken into surgery. The damage was so severe that doctors had to remove part of his lower left jaw. Moving forward, Rival will require some pretty major care to help him recover.

The cost of saving his life is overwhelming; his emergency surgery alone was $13,000.
This has been incredibly heartbreaking, and we are still trying to process how something like this could happen to such a sweet boy in his own backyard. A police report has been filed, and we are hoping for answers and justice.

Rival is more than a pet; he is family. He didn’t deserve this pain, and we are doing everything we can to give him the chance to heal and live a happy life.

If you’re able to donate, no amount is too small. If you can’t donate, please consider sharing Rival's story. Your support means everything to us during this incredibly difficult time.

Thank you for helping fight for Rival.

FAMILY IS ASKING FOR INFORMATION

The Kasson Police Department confirms that the incident happened on Sunday, I believe March 29th, 2026, between the hours of 2:40 and 3 p.m.

Evidence has been collected for analysis, but the case remains an active investigation, and no suspects have been identified or arrested at this time.

The family says Rival is "more than a pet, he is family," and says "he didn’t deserve this pain."