Mystery gunman shoots pet through the mouth in his own garden, in front of terrified owner who is also hit

A beagle suffered a shattered jaw after a mystery gunman opened fire in his own backyard in front of his terrified owner, who was also hit.

The unknown sniper fired a series of bullets at Copper and pet parent Tiffany Noel at her estate in South Carolina’s Lancaster County on October 20.

Tiffany had let Copper out around 10 p.m. as part of his nightly routine, but the situation took a terrible turn when Noel heard Copper crying in pain from her doorbell camera.

As she ran outside to check on him, she jumped back and screamed as a bullet grazed her arm. She then grabbed her beloved beagle and ran back inside to call 911 when more gunshots were fired.

“All of a sudden I hear a lot of loud noise,” Noel recalled WSOC TV. “So I ran. I thought, “My dog must be terrified.” I ran to the door and opened it, and he was screaming.”

Tiffany Noel’s arm was grazed by a bullet when she went out to save Copper

Copper the beagle was shot through the mouth by an unknown gunman on October 20

‘You can’t expect things like this. No one can prepare for that,” Noel told WSOC-TV.

Noel said she was fine after being shot, but the right side of Copper’s jaw was completely shattered.

Shots also hit Noel’s car and house, leaving bullet holes.

Noel’s girlfriend Kara Kline wrote in one GoFundMe post: ‘Copper lost a lot of blood, but was rushed to the vet, where he was anesthetized.

“They discovered that the bullet had lodged in his upper right lip; his teeth near his first molar were all knocked out, the bullet pierced his tongue, exited the left side of his neck and his jaw was broken.”

“When he opens his mouth, you can hear the bones rattling in there,” Noel told WSCO-TV.

Noel jumped back in pain and was scared why she was being shot at when she tried to get Copper, who was losing a lot of blood

Copper’s teeth were knocked out, his tongue was pierced and his jaw was shattered by the bullet

Noel said her dog was ‘terrified’ when she responded to his howl

Metal pins were placed in Copper’s mouth to stabilize his jaw and his tongue required stitches, costing Noel more than $3,000 for his care.

Now the vocal and energetic dog must wear a cone and a muzzle while he recovers from his excruciating injuries.

According to the GoFundMe, Copper’s recovery should take about two months.

For the shocked owner, the aftermath of the shooting has not only been ‘really tough’ financially, but she also feels scared and ‘traumatised’ in her own home.

Lancaster police are still searching for the shooter and investigating the incident.

Copper’s medical bills have risen to about $3,000 after he needed stitches and pins in his jaw

They have speculated that this event may be related to gang violence in the area, WSOC-TV reported.

Before the gunshots, Noel said she heard people arguing from far away.

Authorities have offered $20,000 for a tip leading to an arrest.

Copper’s shooting occurred about a month after a Kentucky cat died after a disgruntled neighbor shot it for leaving paw prints on his vehicles.

Christopher Jones, a 54-year-old Georgetown resident, fired his gun at Kristin Bradenburg’s cat named Gray Baby on September 22 because he was on his property and climbing on his cars.

The person who shot Copper has not yet been identified and police are still investigating the incident

The heartbroken owner rushed and took Gray Baby to the vet, but it was too late. There was no other option but to euthanize him.

Police came to Jones’ home the next day to question him about the incident.

He admitted to shooting Gray Baby and claimed the cat was on his property, which was a “nuisance,” according to court documents.