Nobody knows exactly how this stray black dog ended up with an arrow pierced right through his head. But thankfully the dog, who was found wandering around the train station at Beijing’s 798 Arts District, was saved by good samaritans and is now recovering from his injury.

Some speculate the dog, nicknamed “Big Black,” was a victim of the notorious dog meat industry. Illegal dog traders sometimes shoot the animals with crossbows or poison darts, then collect them and transport them to horrific dog slaughterhouses. But nobody knows for certain.

Although Big Black was a stray, a local barista had taken to feeding him. The kind barista also paid for the dog’s veterinary bills. Luckily for Big Black, the arrow had only pierced his scalp, and did not damage his brain. Veterinary staff were able to remove the arrow, and the dog is expected to recover.

Despite surviving this brutal attack, however, Big Black’s future is uncertain, to say the least. it is unclear whether the dog will be adopted or simply sent back to live on the streets, where he will again be vulnerable to the dog meat trade and other perils. And because China has no animal cruelty laws to protect companion animals (or neatly other animals), whoever shot the arrow through Big Black’s head will never be apprehended for the attack.