A citizen found a dog belonging to a man who was shot in Cobb County, Georgia, on Wednesday and is keeping the animal safe for the time being.
Officers were called about a shooting that happened on I-75 northbound near the Hickory Grove Road overpass where they discovered a man named Jason Matton in his tractor-trailer, suffering from gunshot wounds, Fox 5 reported on Friday.
The man, from Somerset, Massachusetts, was taken to a local hospital for treatment. Prior to being transported, he was conscious and later said to be in stable condition, the Cobb County Police Department wrote in a social media post on Thursday.
Authorities believe the victim was shot by another driver and also learned Matton was accompanied by his dog, named Suzy, who went missing after the incident.
“A good Samaritan contacted Cobb County Police this morning after locating Suzy, who is safe and doing well. The Good Samaritan has agreed to keep Suzy until Mr. Matton can make arrangements to get her,” the department’s post read.
Relatives told WSB-TV the dog was located thanks to the outlet sharing her picture online.
When the shooting happened, she apparently darted off into some nearby woods.
“Family said Matton rescued the dog from a truck stop and that she is his ‘road dog’ and keeps him company while he travels,” the report noted.
Viewer Sara Weinschenk contacted the outlet and said she spotted the animal running along I-75. According to the news station, the driver’s sister-in-law later confirmed it was the same dog.
“These people are just sitting in their cars, not out trying to get her or anything,” Weinschenks recalled of the ordeal. “Then she darts out into the interstate!”
She caught the dog and after a visit with the vet, brought her home. When a neighbor told her about the missing dog’s photo, she realized what happened.
“She’s in great health. She’s had a spoiled rotten almost 24 hours at my house,” Weinschenk said of the misplaced canine. “She is loved and she is very well taken care of. She is in great shape and I am more than ecstatic to meet them and get her back to them.”