DEL.ICIO.USUpdated: 6:19 p.m. December 04, 2008
Bank account set up for dog beaten with hammer
Murphy can walk, but is not yet eating on his own
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Thursday, December 04, 2008
Murphy, the dog who was found beaten with a sledgehammer in a DeKalb County park early this week, is up and around.
The 9-year-old German shepherd mix was able to stand up on his own and spent most of the day Thursday out of his cage, said Stephen Pope, the veterinarian and medical director at Pets Are People Too, in Dunwoody, where Murphy is being treated.
“He’s made some good progress,” Pope said. “It’s really been amazing.”
Joseph “Joe” Waters, 48, the man that police said smashed the dog in the head with a sledgehammer, remained in the DeKalb County Jail on a felony count of animal cruelty, according to DeKalb Sheriff’s spokeswoman Mikki Jones. Waters is being held under $25,000 bail.
Murphy, meanwhile, was stretching his legs and even giving staff at the Dunwoody clinic an occasional tail wag.
Murphy recovered from surgery early Thursday and began responding to people, Pope said. He first stood up on his own, then took his first steps.
He spent most of the day hanging out in the clinic office, though staff said he was placed back in his kennel to be hooked up to IV lines.
The lines are keeping the dog hydrated. With worries eased about Murphy suffering brain damage, the focus has shifted to getting him to eat, Pope said.
Because of the shock, veterinarians are worried he may have trouble keeping food down. He was not yet eating on his own early Thursday evening, but staffers at the clinic said that was to be expected.
“He is out on his own, seems to be able to see out of his good eye and is recovering nicely,” Pope said.
Robert Kennedy, who was walking his own dogs in Murphy Candler Park, off Ashford Dunwoody Road, found the dog with a severe head wound Tuesday morning. A bloody sledgehammer was found near the dog, who was in shock.
DeKalb police on Thursday did not give a motive for the attack. Investigators are still looking for people who may have seen something unusual in the park Monday night or Tuesday morning.
Kennedy, who plans to keep the dog, told the clinic that he would pay for the animal’s medical bills. The cost has already exceeded $3,000 and could reach $6,000.
On Thursday, with offers pouring in to help the dog, Kennedy set up a trust fund to help with the cost. Donors can make a gift at any Wachovia Bank branch, to the Murphy the Dog account, number 1010209642669.
