Dog Survives After Being Thrown Onto I-40, Investigation Underway

A bizarre case of animal cruelty is under investigation after a German Shepherd was thrown off a bridge and onto a busy interstate. The dog survived, and now investigators are looking for the person responsible.

The Oklahoma County Sheriff's Office is trying to find the person who threw the German Shepherd from a bridge on Southeast 59th Street down onto I-40 Wednesday.

The vet caring for the dog now says it's a miracle he survived.

According to the tag on his collar his name is Rookie, and it's hard to believe how anyone could throw him off a bridge into traffic.

12/6/2012 Related Story: Dog Critically Injured After Being Thrown Off Bridge In OKC

An OHP trooper pulled Rookie off the road Wednesday. He was found on I-40, and a truck driver reported seeing someone throw the dog off the southeast 59th bridge.

"Other than the leg fracture, he's got a few skid marks on him, and that's about it that we can find right now," Deer Creek Animal Hospital vet technician Kate Bellah said.

Rookie's being treated at the Deer Creek Animal Hospital in Harrah.

The vet says he's in critical but stable condition right now.

"Other than that, he has pretty good spirits," Bellah says. "He's still got a long way to go before he's probably going to be ready for any kind of surgery."

Those caring for Rookie say he's about 4 years old, and while he does have a tag, it's unclear who owned him. His vet says it's incredible that he managed to survive.

"He could've gotten hit by a car or anything could've happened after that, and who knows how long he laid out there," Bellah said.

Now it's a waiting game to see if surgery can be done to save his leg.

"If he's in shock or anything like that, it'd be a lot harder for him to go through anesthesia and pull through," Bellah said.

The Humane Society of the United States is paying for Rookie's veterinary care, and it's offering $2,500 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible

Anyone with information on this crime should call the Oklahoma County Sheriff's Office (405) 869-2501.