Happy Ending For Dog Missing After I-85 Wreck

By MJ Kneiser, WLHR Radio, Lavonia

There is a happy ending for a family whose German Shepherd went missing earlier this month after a bad wreck on Interstate 85.

Back on March 23, Karen Love and her husband were on their way back to Atlanta from their home on Lake Hartwell with their son’s dog, Georgia, when they were hit by a drunk driver.

Their SUV flipped and rolled over several times before skidding to a stop on its roof.

Miraculously, no one was hurt but the Love’s son, Eric, said that in the confusion, first responders told the family that his dog got out of the car’s broken window and ran.

That launched an intensive, weeklong search for the missing dog.

By Saturday morning, dozens of volunteers had gathered at the Flying J off Exit 160 along I-85 to spend the day searching for her, and then it happened.

Eric Love said a friend spotted her close to where the wreck took place.

“Starting about 10:30 Saturday morning, I got a call from Ava McNease,” he said. “She had been helpful all week and she said she spotted Georgia on her way to work at mile marker 158. So I posted that on Facebook while we were getting ready to drive up there. Then about 11:15 a.m., a stranger called to say he had spotted Georgia at 158 also.”

That good Samaritan waited for Eric and his friend to drive up from Atlanta.

When Eric arrived, he said he saw his beloved dog stick her head out of the woods.

“We all got out of the car and walked about 20 yards north on I-85 south and she popped her head out of the woods,” he said. “I ran up there and I was actually talking to someone on the phone about where she was and she started walking towards me through the woods, realized who I was and then just ran up into my arms.”

Georgia was dehydrated and had some ticks on her but was otherwise OK.

The accident had taken place last week near mile marker 155 and Love said he’s thankful for all the help from the community to find his dog.

“I thank everybody for all their hours of searching,” Love said. “I think it helped that so many people were going out to keep her in the area and make sure she didn’t leave the accident scene and wander too far away.”

He said when he got Georgia home, he treated her to 3 cheeseburgers, bacon, and two bags of dog treats.