Georgia veterinarians lose battle to save dog that was shot 7 times, thrown in dumpster

Veterinarians in Georgia have said that they were not able to save a dog that was found after being shot seven times and then left in a dumpster.

Atlanta police found "Catie," a 3-year-old terrier mix, in a dumpster on March 7 after an anonymous tip about gunfire in the area.

The dog was turned over to Society of Humane Friends, but they quickly contacted the University of Georgia Vet school after realizing how serious Catie's injuries were.

"Either the person was a really bad shot or they just wanted to torture her instead of kill her," Dr. Lori Chandler told WGCL. "Because there were no bullets through her chest, really not many in her abdomen. They were all kind of around the edges, through her throat, through the top of her back."

Catie's neck and spine were shattered by gunshots, and shrapnel was lodged in her heart. Damage to her lungs made breathing difficult, and she could not go to the bathroom without help.

Doctors at the vet school contacted the Society of Humane Friends on Wednesday to let them know that Catie was in extreme pain, and infections were inevitable. They decided that the best solution was to put Catie to sleep.

"It really upsets me that anybody would do that to a dog or any other, you know, pretty much helpless creature," Chandler noted. "This little dog is in pain. And I put my hand in there [her cage] and she just rested her head on my hand."

Watch the video below from WGCL, broadcast March 12, 2013.