ohmidog!

Hershey, a 15-year-old German shepherd mix, is back home after spending 17 days in and around a neighboring nature preserve — at least some of that time with an arrow sticking out of his chest.

Shot either by a hunter or sick thrill seeker, Hershey was found this week with an arrow protruding from both sides of his chest. He has since had it removed and is recovering.

The dog ran out of his house Oct. 20 to chase a squirrel and disappeared into the Princess Ledges Nature Preserve, a 46-acre site in Brunswick Hills, Ohio.

The family had searched for the dog for 17 days. On Sunday though, Hershey wandered into a back yard in Valley City, 15 miles away. The homeowner cut off the ends of the arrow that protruded from both sides of the dog’s body to make him more comfortable, and called the Medina County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the Akron Beacon-Journal reports.

SPCA officials took Hershey to the Akron Veterinary Referral and Emergency Center in Copley Township, where the rest of the arrow was removed.

When an animal control officer in Brunswick heard about the dog, he determined it was Hershey, whose family had called him repeatedly during their search. He relayed that information to the SPCA, which contacted Hershey’s owners, Deanne Pennell and her daughter, Mindy Daugherty.

SPCA Director Stephanie Moore said the arrow was probably lodged in the dog’s body at least two days.

The Pennells picked up Hershey on Tuesday afternoon and took him home.

Donations are helping to cover the cost of Hershey’s medical care, including $1,000 from an Olmsted Falls family. Donations can be made through the Medina County SPCA.

(Photo by Karen Schiely / Akron Beacon Journal)