Stray Texas Dog Shot Over 4 Times Is Preparing to Find His Adopters After Surviving Abuse

Caretakers at the Hill Country Humane Society have nicknamed the dog Sweet Messiah and say they are now working on "providing him the most comfortable and happy life"

A stray dog found with multiple gunshot wounds is on his way to recovery thanks to animal welfare providers in central Texas.

The dog was given the nickname Sweet Messiah by his caretakers at the Hill Country Humane Society. The dog arrived at the shelter after he was found with "multiple fragments or whole bullets in his body" by a good Samaritan last week. Sweet Messiah's rescuer also alerted the Llano County Sheriff's Office about the dog's condition.

According to the Hill Country Humane Society, shelter workers rushed the dog to an after-hours emergency room after his arrival, where vets discovered bullets near the canine's nose, neck, upper back, and back leg.

Sweet Messiah's caretakers believe the dog may have suffered as many as eight gunshot wounds, CBS Austin reported.

At first, the Hill Country Humane Society was worried that the pup wouldn't make it through the night, but the animal thankfully did.

"His fight is not over, but he's in good hands and is receiving the best care thanks to all of our amazing supporters," the shelter wrote on Facebook. "Thank you so much to everyone who has donated toward his care."

The post on the shelter's Facebook page includes a photo of the canine shortly after he arrived at the facility covered in blood and dirt. The Hill Country Humane Society also mentioned that vets found Sweet Messiah's stomach was full of gas and had to be drained.

By Tuesday, the dog's condition had improved enough for the shelter to move the pooch in with a foster family. After a bit more recovery time, Sweet Messiah will be up for adoption.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free weekly newsletter to get the biggest news of the week delivered to your inbox every Friday.

"We are not sure when he will be available," the Hill Country Humane Society wrote on social media. "We will continue to update! He will be seeing a new vet soon, so we can have their opinion on providing him the most comfortable and happy life!"