Beaten dog to go to new home Tuesday

Murphy should be going home today.

The 9-year-old Australian shepherd who suffered severe head injuries after being bashed in the head with a sledgehammer is expected to be released from the veterinary clinic once the paperwork is done and the home is set up for his care, said Stephen Pope, veterinarian and medical director of Pets Are People Too in Dunwoody.

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Hyosub Shin/hshin@ajc.com

Murphy the dog slept at a DeKalb County animal hospital.

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DeKalb County police

Joe Waters

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His destination: the Dunwoody home of Robert Kennedy, who found the dog near death in Murphy Candler Park on Dec. 2. It was Kennedy’s 60th birthday.

“The vet checked him out and said he only had a 10 percent chance of survival and it might be humane to put him down,” Kennedy said. “But I thought, ” ‘Today is my birthday. I can’t do that on my birthday.’ “

Murphy, named after the park where he was found, has steadily improved since being found in shock, with a bloody sledgehammer next to his body.

Veterinarians operated on Murphy’s skull fracture, which caused him to lose an eye, but he doesn’t appear to have brain damage.

Murphy was allowed out of his kennel last week, to encourage him to stretch and get back his appetite. He would only eat baby food on Friday afternoon, but over the weekend was willing to wolf down chicken.

“He decided he wasn’t into dog food, but he’s eating rotisserie chicken and loving it,” said veterinarian Laura Hooper.

Being able to keep down food is key to getting Murphy home. He will move into the home — with a fenced-in yard — that Kennedy shares with his 25-year-old daughter and two 2-year-old golden retrievers.

Murphy also has gifts waiting. A representative from Bill Jac dog food has pledged a month’s worth of chow for Murphy. A manager at the Westin at the Concourse wants to give Murphy one of the hotel’s “heavenly dog beds.”

Nearly 600 people have given to a trust fund that Kennedy set up to help defray the more than $6,000 vet bill so far. Kennedy initially intended to pay the bill himself, but set up the account after being inundated with offers to help from as far away as Puerto Rico and Canada.

“I’m just overwhelmed by the generosity of people, and I’m going to make sure that generosity is justified,” he said.

DeKalb County police took just a day to track down the dog’s former owner and charge him with one count of felony animal cruelty in the attack. Joseph “Joe” Waters remained in the DeKalb County Jail on $25,000 bond Monday afternoon. Police have not given a motive for the attack.