Bulluck arrived home on Tuesday to find her cat was no where to be found. She went door to door in her Riverview neighborhood for hours and into the night in fear that her hairless cat would not survive in the cold.
With no luck, her family tried again on Wednesday morning. They found Akila in some bushes with a dart lodged in her head, right between the eyes.
The dart bounced off her skull and lodged into her skin. Her veterinarian said that if it had pierced the skull, it would have been instant death.
Veterinarian Elaine Foley of the Animal Coalition of Tampa performed emergency surgery on Akila on Wednesday and removed the seven inch long dart.
Bulluck said she called the police about the attack and they’re investigating the dart for fingerprints. She also says Akila is sticking by her side.
She’s a bit traumatized but Bullock says she was welcomed home by the other pets in the house.