The Houston County Sheriff’s Office was still searching Tuesday for a suspect over a month after nine puppies were shot on Christmas night in Kathleen, investigators say, and a local nonprofit is trying to help a surviving puppy recover.
Only one dog, named Brody, miraculously survived, according to Jessica Gomez, president of Paws in Middle Georgia. Paws is a volunteer-based, no-kill pet rescue nonprofit in Warner Robins.
“While he was okay physically, mentally was a very different story,” Gomez told The Telegraph.
Reward offered for info
The incident was reported on Christmas after a man heard what he thought were fireworks on Dixon Road, but he witnessed a cruel sight.
“He drove up to see a metal dog kennel getting pushed off the side of an (all-terrain vehicle) and then they sped off,” Gomez said.
She believes Brody survived without any physical injuries because he was likely protected underneath the others.
The puppies weren’t little, she said. They were likely five or six months old and tightly packed in the crate.
Eight puppies were found dead at the scene from gunshot wounds, according to the sheriff’s office.
Police found 11 shell casings and gloves left at the scene. The sheriff’s office “spoke to some people about it,” but there was not enough information to make an arrest yet, Capt. Nate Noler said Monday. The incident was still under investigation.
A man connected to Paws in Middle Georgia was offering a $500 reward for any tips that lead to an arrest, Gomez said.
The nonprofit was accepting donations in honor of the deceased puppies and for Brody’s recovery efforts.
Brody’s recovery
Brody was timid and in shock days after the incident, Gomez said.
He is not available for adoption until he “learns how to trust humans again,” according to Gomez.
The man who found the puppies and reported the incident initially told Gomez he would adopt Brody, but recently changed his mind because he was returning to active military duty, Gomez told The Telegraph.
Warner Robins Animal Control held Brody for four days after the incident, then gave him to Paws in Middle Georgia. He lived with Gomez for a week, and now lives with a medical foster from the nonprofit.
“He wouldn’t make any effort to eat, drink, go to the bathroom, he wouldn’t even look at you when you walked in the room,” Gomez said. “He was completely shut down.”
About six weeks later, he now runs around and plays in the foster’s backyard, which are major improvements.
“He’s learned the joy of toys and is very food motivated,” Gomez said, chuckling. “If you have food, he’ll find a way to be your best friend.”
While Brody has made big strides in his mental and social recovery, he was far from ready for adoption, according to Gomez.
“It probably won’t be anytime soon, just whenever he’s ready,” she said. “It’s really going to depend on him warming up to people.”
People often try to get rid of unwanted litters, but this was the most drastic incident Gomez ever heard of locally.
“I do see desperate people all the time trying to get rid of puppies and kittens, but never to this level of cruelty,” she said. “Not that this would ever excuse something like this.”
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