Drivers on Rockside Road were dodging an object in the middle of traffic Friday night. Some of them put themselves at risk to investigate.
Turns out, what some people thought was a box thrown from a moving car, was in fact a helpless animal.
News 5 caught up with the man who witnessed that pet being tossed out the window like a piece of trash and you won't believe the bond he formed with his new furry friend before this story took yet another tragic turn.
"It's mind-boggling, confusing, sad," said Cody McKay.
Those are just some of the words McKay used to describe what he saw on the Garfield Heights Maple Heights border.
"It's pretty devastating," said McKay.
McKay was driving down Rockside Road when he thought he saw a box tossed from a car. He stopped when he saw what happened next.
"Then it stood up and was standing there," said McKay. "Turns out it was a dog."
McKay got the injured pooch out of the road, but not before it was hit again. McKay thinks maybe two more times. Wrapped in a blanket, McKay took him to his job at a Christmas tree lot to wait for someone to bring him to the vet for treatment.
"He then took his final breaths and said goodbye," described McKay.
McKay believes the dog, which he said was friendly, had a troubled life.
"There were scars all over his face, not new wounds," said McKay. "So it was pretty obvious that this dog was no friend to anybody, just used for fighting."
VCA Great Lakes Veterinary Specialists are going to be cremating the dog. His remains will be given to McKay. As for why he wants them?
"You never really know how - how much an animal impacts your life even in a short amount of time until something like that truly happens," said McKay.
In addition to receiving the remains, McKay named the pooch after a popular Christmas tree on his lot.
"He's now living in the legacy of the trees as the Douglas Fir," said McKay. "So, Douglas is his name."
Witnesses were not able to get a description of the car or license plate.
The Garfield Heights animal warden is currently investigating.
