‘He didn’t deserve that’: Dog allegedly shot by convicted murderer

TOLLESON, Ariz. (KPHO/Gray News) - A German Shepherd is on the mend after he was shot in his left leg last week.

“He didn’t deserve that. He didn’t deserve that,” said Bridgett Ivy, Symba’s owner.

Ivy says her dog was bleeding out after veterinarians told her the bullet shattered Symba’s bones in his leg. Now, he needs to have the leg amputated.

“The first couple of days, he was really depressed, wouldn’t move, wouldn’t eat or drink,” she said.

Ivy says her brother and roommate were walking Symba and another dog along the sidewalk while heading home when Symba darted after a group of people on bicycles.

He did not have a leash on, but Ivy says he listened to commands and turned around quickly. But 38-year-old Ruben Garza allegedly shot Symba from across the street.

“He could’ve shot my brother. He aimed at my brother ... but then, he turned the gun on my dog,” Ivy said.

According to court documents, Garza ran away but was soon caught at a nearby house.

Garza had been released from prison in 2022 after pleading guilty to second-degree murder and aggravated assault. Authorities say he is a prohibited possessor and should not have had a gun.

“I just feel really bad for [my dog], that now he’s going to be one limb less,” Ivy said.

Ivy says she is grateful that Symba is alive but it will be a long road to recovery for him. His surgery is scheduled for Monday.

Ivy says she rescued Symba from an abusive home where he had been choked and beaten.

“I don’t know what he was named before, but he knows his name is Symba. It fits him. He’s a king,” she said.

Ivy says Symba is a good boy and very gentle with other dogs and people. He’s like a child to her.

“He’s gotten to be part of the family. You know? He’s sweet,” she said.

Ivy has several medical bills of her own to pay, so she started a GoFundMe to cover the costs of Symba’s surgery and rehab.

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