Young boy's brave alert leads deputies to dog trapped in trash bag

COWETA COUNTY, Ga. - A young boy’s alert led Coweta County deputies to a horrific scene near a local motel where they rescued a dog left to die inside a trash bag. 

Coweta County animal rescue

What we know:

A young boy told Coweta County deputies he watched two men put a living dog into a trash bag, place the bag inside a grocery cart, and roll it away near the Red Carpet Inn off Interstate 85. The child reported seeing the animal trying to escape the bag while the men wheeled it away. 

Deputies searched the nearby woods and found the dumped plastic bag. Inside, they discovered a Rottweiler mix named Boogie who was severely dehydrated, hyperventilating and struggling to breathe in the heavy humidity. First responders gave the dog water at the scene and transferred him to a soft bed with food. Sadly, Boogie died while authorities attempted to get him emergency veterinary care. 

Alan Thompson and Jacob Burke were arrested in connection with the incident. Both men are charged with animal cruelty and child cruelty due to the young boy witnessing the act. Authorities found other healthy pets belonging to the suspects at the motel and left them in the care of a relative staying at the location. 

Trash bag dog arrest

What we don't know:

Deputies stated one suspect claimed the dog had already died before they left the bag in the woods, which directly contradicted what deputies found. Boogie has been taken to Auburn for a necropsy to determine his official cause of death. 

Motel pet investigation

What they're saying:

Investigators noted that while Boogie could not be saved, his final hours were considerably more humane than his time spent trapped inside the trash bag.