A Seattle dog that was shot while intervening in a domestic violence incident now needs surgery after bullet fragments lodged in his head began to shift, his owner has said.
Judah was injured in November 2024 when Lauren Wiggins said her ex-fiancé shot her in the leg as she tried to leave their home. The dog attacked the man and was struck in the head and shoulder.
Wiggins said the intervention may have saved her life. “If I had gotten two extra shots to me, I would’ve died that night,” she said.
She was left paralysed from the knee down in her right leg and now uses an orthotic to walk. She said she had initially felt guilty that Judah had put himself in danger to protect her.
Bullet fragments in Judah’s head have shifted
Veterinarians advised against removing the fragments immediately after the shooting, saying the procedure was too dangerous at the time.
But Judah, now seven, has recently developed swelling in his head. A veterinary examination found that the fragments had moved, raising concerns that they could reach his brain or damage his eyes.
“If the fragments that have already shifted kept on moving around, it could go to his brain,” Wiggins said. “It could affect his eyes, and I don’t want that to happen to him. He doesn’t deserve that.”
Veterinarians have determined that surgery is now necessary to reduce the risk of permanent brain damage or loss of vision.
Wiggins has launched a GoFundMe appeal to pay for the operation and Judah’s recovery. The campaign, created on 23 October 2026, lists a fundraising target of $13,000.
She described Judah as her “lifeline” and said he had helped her cope with the aftermath of the shooting.
“Without him, I probably would’ve crumbled and fallen apart,” she said. “He really is my soul dog, he’s literally everything to me.”
