'Hitman' paid to kill pet dog

A Croatian pet owner is believed to have paid a "hitman" to kill a dog instead of paying the $50 cost of having the dog properly euthanased.

It reportedly cost just $7 to have the healthy mongrel, named Olly, shot and tossed into the icy Draga River in northern Croatia, according to the Mirror.

Fortunately, Olly survived being hit with buckshot and was rescued from the water by a fisherman who was out angling with his son on Sunday morning when he heard the gunshot, reports Jutarnji.

Pawel Brodzky said the one-year-old dog "was floating like a log past us and suddenly his front leg moved like he was waving at us".

He pulled Olly from the water and took him to an animal shelter, where the dog received surgery to treat buckshot wounds to his head and legs.

Brodzky saw the shooter packing his gun into his car and reported the license plate to police. The huntsman is believed to have shot several other dogs and reportedly faces a year behind bars if convicted to animal cruelty.

Veterinarians, who say Olly was quiet and in shock when he was brought to the clinic, say it's likely the dog was an unwanted pet because he is too well-fed to have been a stray.

Olly started eating again shortly after his operation and is expected to fully recover in two months.

The cost of the dog's operation was covered by a donation from Croatian heavyweight kickboxer and mixed martial artist Mirko Filipovic.