Heli's day job has her spending time in hospitals and extended-care facilities as a certified therapy dog.

But since Sunday, the 4-year-old Rottweiler has been the one in need of care as she fights to recover after being shot through her abdomen with a .44 caliber pistol.

"All that little girl has done is bring joy to people," the dog's owner, Bruce Becker, said Tuesday night as Heli lay in critical condition in the intensive care unit at Carolina Veterinary Services.

"Normally dogs don't survive this type of thing," Becker said. "But normally, there aren't fools like me to say, 'Do whatever it takes.' "

Heli underwent four hours of surgery on Sunday night, repairing her damaged stomach, liver and both sides of her abdomen.

"She's got more tubes in her than I did when I had heart surgery," said Becker, 62.

Becker, who lives on Rock Creek Dairy Road in Whitsett, said he was shocked that the dog was shot at the home of his neighbor, a man he has never had problems with.

The neighbor's dog, hiding under Becker's car in the driveway, took off running, and Heli followed, Becker said. His wife, Cindy Becker, ran after the dogs, but halfway to the neighbor's house, she heard a gunshot.

Credit: Courtsey of Bruce and Cindy Becker

Heli

The neighbor, Jonathan Edward Davis, told sheriff's deputies he was afraid for his daughter, a toddler playing outside when the dogs came running up. Davis said he thought the dog was aggressive, according to a incident report. His brother, David Andrew Davis, got a gun from inside and shot Heli to protect the child, the report said.

Davis declined to comment for this story.

"We can't prove that it was other than self-defense at this point," said Lt. Robert Elliot, a watch commander with the sheriff's office.

Becker isn't convinced: Heli comes from a line specifically bred to be gentle. And to become a therapy dog, Heli passed rigorous training, proving she can keep her cool around the most fragile of people: stroke victims, terminal cancer patients, paraplegics.

Jonathan Davis was arrested later Sunday night for possession of a firearm by a felon. He was convicted of second-degree burglary in 2002.

The first two days of Heli's care cost $10,000, and Becker thinks she will be in the hospital for at least three more weeks — if she survives.

"There isn't anything I won't do to save her," Becker said.

The veterinarian in charge of Heli's care said it's not certain whether anything can save the dog.

"It's still very much an hour-by-hour and day-by-day situation," said Dr. James Bassett.

"She's made it this far," Bassett said. "Given how bad she was, we hope she keeps on hanging in there."