K9 allegedly shot in owner's Hawthorne backyard

HAWTHORNE, Calif. (KABC) -- A 5-year-old K9 named Bear is recovering after being shot in his left hind leg early Tuesday morning in the backyard of his Hawthorn home by an unknown assailant.

Surveillance video shows Bear standing on top of a covered Jacuzzi in the backyard at about midnight Tuesday when he was allegedly shot, said his owner Kris Herzog, who owns the Bodyguard Group of Beverly Hills.

Herzog, who was working nude at his home office, didn't hear a gunshot, but ran out after hearing Bear's cries and carried him into the home. It was unclear if Bear was hit with a pellet or a bullet from a small caliber gun.

"I heard my dog screaming and yelping in pain and I grabbed a weapon and ran outside. I found him laying on the ground," Herzog said.

Tap to watch the surveillance video in the News app.

Herzog said he notified police, who think the shooter accessed his backyard by climbing a neighbor's fence.

Herzog believes he may have been the intended target, not his dog. He says he's received threats because he helps elite military veterans find jobs as bodyguards.

"Don't come back to my house and shoot my dog, because I promise you it won't go like it did last night," Herzog said.

A $10,000 cash reward is being offered for information leading to the shooter's arrest.