Ohio Man Who Claimed His Dog Shot Itself in the Face Is Now Facing Charges After Admitting to Lying

An Ohio man initially claimed his dog, Lula, a 4-year-old brown brindle boxer who required emergency surgery last week after being shot in the face, suffered from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, FOX 8 reports.

“Said his dog shot itself and he trained the dog to bring a gun to him,” Norwalk police Capt. Jim Fulton said. “The dog had the gun in its mouth when it went off accidentally. The officers didn’t believe that story.” Jonathan George, 31, later admitted he accidentally shot Lula in the jaw while trying to unload his gun. He was also intoxicated at the time of the incident, judging from his 1.7 BAC, which is over twice the state’s legal limit for driving.

While the man was being questioned by authorities, Lula reportedly escaped the Norwalk residence early Monday morning, but his ex-girlfriend, the dog’s previous owner, found her hours later and reported the discovery to the Huron County Humane Society. Despite losing her eye, Lula is resting comfortably in a foster home.

As of this writing, the Huron County Humane Society is less than $200 shy of reaching its goal of $3,000. Daphne Nelson, a humane investigator for Huron County, said Lula still has bullet fragments in her head that could require her going under the knife once more in the future. Any money that exceeds the cost of Lula’s medical care will go towards other animals in the humane society’s care.

George has been charged with three misdemeanors, including handling a firearm while intoxicated, cruelty to animals, and discharging a weapon in a municipality.