MILWAUKEE - A Good Samaritan brought an injured opossum to the Wisconsin Humane Society after he saw a neighbor trap it, shoot it several times in the head, and then throw it into the garbage. Turns out, the opossum was still alive, and had six babies inside her pouch.

The Humane Society named her Christina, and did emergency surgery to remove the pellets from her head. She is expected to recover, but it will be a long process.

While she is recovering, her babies are in "foster care," meaning wildlife volunteers are taking of them. The Humane Society hopes to reunite Christina with her babies as soon as she is able to take care of them. After that, Christina will be released into the wild.

The person who shot Christina could face criminal charges. The incident may have happened near 100th and Keefe, which is on the Milwaukee/Wauwatosa border. If the suspect lives on the Milwaukee side, he could face animal cruelty charges. If the person lives on the Wauwatosa side, he could face charges for shooting a pellet gun within city limits.

The Humane Society says there are several animal-friendly ways to deal with nuisance animals. They have a 24-hour crisis line for people who have questions about what to do. You can call 414-ANIMALS if you need more information about how to get rid of nuisance animals without hurting them.