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Dog shot and abandoned in central Utah likely wandered for days before being rescued

From a distance, the 23-year-old thought it was a coyote limping down the side of Highway 50 in a canyon near Maple Grove Campground on Wednesday afternoon.

The dog — an Australian shepherd mix Collingsworth’s younger sister later named Coco “because he’s sweet as chocolate,” she said — was skittish at first, she said.

It took her 10 minutes, but she coaxed the pup into her car with cat food. She rushed the dog to a veterinarian in Richfield.

The dog, who the veterinarian determined is younger than 2 years old, had been shot in the right shoulder; she had likely been wandering for a few days, the veterinarian told Collingsworth.