Dog thrown over a bridge in Macon is ‘doing great,’ making a miraculous recovery

A young puppy thrown over a bridge in Macon is making a miraculous recovery despite having multiple, serious injuries, rescue officials say.

Guy Paine, the name affectionately given to the puppy, was found inside a backpack near Mead Road on May 21 after allegedly being thrown over a bridge .

“Guy is doing great - he’s walking pretty well with a slight limp, runs with a limp, and tires easily but he continues to get stronger every day,” said Kerri Hatcher Fickling, S.O.S. Rescue GA president and founder.

Fickling said Guy had multiple x-rays. They wrapped one of his legs as it was too far along for surgery. Part of his rehabilitation includes lots of crate rest and swimming. She said his eye was removed due to his injuries, and he has been neutered. Many of the fractures he suffered have healed on their own and the major break to his right front leg has already healed, she said.

The incident that left Guy injured was first shared by the Humane Society of the United States on July 3.

A witness reported seeing two suspects traveling in a four-door sedan along Mead Road when a blue, black and gray backpack was thrown off a bridge onto the railroad tracks. The witness retrieved the backpack and opened it to find the gravely injured puppy, according to a July 3 news release from The Humane Society of the United States .

A veterinarian who treated Guy discovered multiple old and new injuries, suggesting weeks of torture before the puppy, estimated to be 10 weeks old, was thrown from the bridge.

Fickling said the trauma has made Guy a little wary of humans.

“He is a little timid and reserved, but he is getting more and more trusting of us and is very comfortable around other dogs and even cats,” she said. “He’s very sweet - not a mean bone in his body.”

The Humane Society of the United States is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the identification, arrest and conviction of whoever was responsible for throwing Guy off the bridge in Macon.

Kassi Bennett, case manager of Animal Crimes at The Humane Society of the United States said the organization usually gives donations for information on animal cruelty cases like Guy’s approximately 12 to 15 times a year.

“All reward requests are handled on a case-by-case basis, we generally offer up to $5,000 on cruelty cases for information leading to an arrest,” she said.

Bennett said there are studies that show animal cruelty is linked to multiple other crimes, including violence against people, and it’s important to charge offenders to hold them accountable for their actions.

“Hopefully, by showing that crimes against animals are a precursor or co-occurring with other crimes we can strengthen the laws and further protect animals alongside people,” she said.

Fickling said the rescue hopes to take Guy to an orthopedic specialist to fix the leg most severely damaged, but $2,500 would need to be raised.

Those interested in making a donation to help fund Guy’s recovery can visit the Donate page on the S.O.S. Rescue GA website.

“Someone needs to speak up because brindle puppies are not that common and someone must know who hurt him,” Fickling said. “This helpless puppy was tortured on multiple occasions over a long period of time.”

Anyone with relevant information can report tips anonymously to the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office at 478-751-7500.