Tenn. Dog Survives Being Thrown off 29-Foot Overpass, as Police Investigate

Police in Tennessee are searching for someone who threw a puppy over a highway overpass in the middle of the night.

“The unthinkable happened this morning at around 3 a.m. when someone threw this sweet puppy off of the Alcoa Highway overpass near Tyson Park,” the Knoxville Police Department said in a Facebook post later that day.

Luckily for the puppy, who survived, a police officer was parked under the overpass working on paperwork, WRCB-TV reports.

“I heard a deep male voice grunting/cursing and shortly after I heard a loud impact sound with what appeared to be a dog whining a few yards in front of my patrol vehicle,” the officer wrote in a police report obtained by the station. “Upon approach, I observed an injured female dog that had been thrown off the Alcoa Hwy overpass.”

The incident report states the dog was bleeding from the mouth, had cuts on her paws and may have suffered a broken back leg, according to WRCB-TV. The officer took the puppy to University of Tennessee Veterinary Medical Center, where it was determined she was not suffering from any life-threatening injuries.

She is expected to be transferred to Young-Williams Animal Center following her treatment.

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The distance between the overpass and the ground is a 29-foot, 9-inch drop, according to the report.

Anyone with information is urged to contact the Crime Hotline at 865-215-7212 or the Animal Control Unit at 865-215-8640.