Officials say family dog killed during burglary in Coweta County

COWETA COUNTY, Ga. - Coweta County investigator said a botched burglary might be the reason a family's dog was beaten to death. In the end, nothing from the home was taken and it appears the only one standing in the way was the family dog, Toby.

Toby's family shared a poignant picture of them grieving over his body at a local vet's office last week.

Carolina Martinez and her daughter Sheridan said they can't believe he's gone.

"It's sad to think he gone," Sheridan Bock said. "My brain still hasn't processed it."

Investigator's in Coweta County said it appears it was the work of a burglar and Toby apparently scared them off.

"It appears that the dog died from blunt force trauma," said Jacob Herbert an investigator with the Coweta County Sheriff's Office.

Investigators said they found a brick which was tossed in the yard. The family said it had been in a stack of bricks. Investigators have sent the brick to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation crime lab for analysis.

The family asked if someone could hurt a dog, what else are they capable of?

"We have children playing in our neighborhood and it scary to think what could happen to them," Bock said.

Toby had been in a basement room that had a door to the outside. The family said the door was open when they arrived home and discovered him unconscious.

Toby was a rescue dog from the Coweta County Animal Shelter and was a year and 10 months old. He graduated from obedience school. No one taught Toby to be a hero. The family said he was just that kind of dog.

"He was one of a kind," said Bock.

A neighbor who heard the story has given the family a puppy named Duke.

Anyone with information that can help investigators should call the Coweta County Sheriff's Office.