ESCONDIDO, Calif. -- A dog found abandoned in Lake Elsinore with serious injuries is now recovering at an Escondido home thanks to the help of an animal rescue group, 10News reported.

A man found the German shepherd named Kellen in October and noticed the dog had a terrible infection on its neck. The man contacted Riverside County Animal Services, who then called Coastal German Shepherd Rescue.

Trish Fleming of the Coastal German Shepherd Rescue said, "(Kellen was) terrified of people. He wanted nothing to do with people. He would run away from people and hide underneath a bush."

Kellen had a rope collar imbedded an inch into his neck, and had two surgeries to remove the collar and clear up the infection. X Rays taken at the hospital showed Kellen had been shot with BBs in his chest and abdomen.

Alyssa Bishop and Adam Harper, working with Coastal German Shepherd Rescue, took Kellen into their home two weeks ago, but the dog was still terrified of people.

"He laid down in the bushes out front and he wouldn't move. We tried for maybe three hours," said Harper.

Two weeks later, Kellan seems fine. He plays with Bishop's and Harper's other dogs and acts like a dog.

"He loves his life. He has a reason to love life. He's happy," said Bishop.

Riverside County Animal Services has no clues as to who did this to Kellen. They said cases like this are very difficult to solve unless someone saw something and comes forward. So far, no one has any information.

Kellen will have to get his strength up before he can have surgery to remove the BB pellets. After that, he'll be put up for adoption.

More information is available at www.coastalgsr.org.