Reese is 16, gray in the muzzle, and should be spending her days napping on the couch. Instead, the Cincinnati dog was found tied to a fence with a gunshot wound and a shattered leg, according to authorities. After a scramble for emergency veterinary care, she has now been reunited with her owner, Brandon Gibbs. Deputies with the Hamilton County Dog Warden rushed Reese to an after‑hours emergency clinic, then transferred her to county animal services for follow‑up. Her owner and shelter staff say she was dehydrated, and her paw pads were raw when she was found, but she has since stabilized under veterinary care.
As reported by FOX19 NOW, deputies first brought Reese to MedVet for emergency after‑hours treatment, then on to Cincinnati Animal CARE for continued care. The station notes that veterinarians addressed both the shattered leg and the gunshot wound, while shelter staff provided IV fluids for dehydration and checked her damaged paws. FOX19 NOW also reports that a GoFundMe was set up to help cover Reese’s growing medical bills.
Cincinnati Animal CARE said Reese did have a microchip, but the registration information was out of date, a detail the agency points to as a reminder to keep chip records current. The shelter’s website notes that staff can scan microchips, help update registration information, and provide microchipping services at its Colerain Avenue facility. The organization also handles cruelty reports and works with the Hamilton County Dog Warden on related investigations.
“Why would someone shoot an elderly dog?” Gibbs asked in an interview with FOX19 NOW. He said he is thankful for neighbors and online helpers who shared his missing‑dog posts and helped get Reese back home. Gibbs added that “she seems to be doing quite well, considering she's got a bullet hole in her.”
Other troubling cases at local shelters
Reese’s case is not the first time a shot or abandoned dog has ended up at a Cincinnati shelter and sparked public outrage, along with emergency fundraising for care. For example, WCPO detailed an earlier incident in which a dog found tied to Cincinnati Animal CARE’s intake gate needed life‑saving surgery after suffering a gunshot wound.
What Ohio law says
Ohio law prohibits cruelty toward companion animals and allows criminal penalties in serious cases. Under Ohio Revised Code Section 959.131, it is illegal to knowingly torture, maim, or cause serious physical harm to a companion animal. Depending on what investigators find, a court can impose fines, order restitution for veterinary expenses and, in some situations, impose felony charges.
How to help
Anyone with information about Reese’s shooting is asked to contact the Hamilton County Dog Warden or Cincinnati Animal CARE at 513‑541‑PETS (7387), or file a report through the shelter’s online cruelty‑report form. The shelter’s website also outlines how to donate and where pet owners can find help updating microchip details or seeking assistance with emergency veterinary bills.
