MONROE COUNTY, Ga. - A Georgia deputy went above and beyond the call of duty to create a memorial for "man's best friend," after the dog was ejected from her owner's vehicle and was eventually hit by oncoming traffic.
A photo, taken by Monroe County Sergeant Greggory Phillips, shows where he personally buried 'Storm' the Weimaraner and created a special cross for the beloved dog, after he found her on the side of the freeway on Interstate 75.
Phillips also retrieved her collar and made it his mission to return it to Storm's owner, Anthony Hawkins, 28, of Albany.
"I think most people would have done that. Who would have left her on the side of the road?" Phillips said to FOX 5.
"He certainly went above and beyond anything that's expected, and to a complete stranger. It's something I will never be able to repay him," Hawkins said, who was in the hospital recovering as volunteers tirelessly searched for Storm.
The search for the dog and the story went viral across the region, as Hawkins and loved ones offered a substantial reward for her return.
Storm was ejected from Hawkins' vehicle after his Nov. 1 wreck on Interstate 75 South, about 2 miles before Interstate 475. Hawkins said his vehicle hydroplaned and flipped over multiple times, and when the car came to a stop, Storm was nowhere to be found.
RELATED: Search for Missing Dog Goes Viral
"Once my vehicle came to a stop, I climbed out the sunroof. I went roaming around looking for her. Once the emergency personnel arrived, I declined medical care. I was still looking for her," Hawkins said.
Hawkins told FOX 5 he was heartbroken when Phillips contacted him and told him he found her body.
Phillips, a plain-clothes drug agent, heard about the search for Storm and was one of many local volunteers who embarked on the search in the wooded area around the crash. Wednesday, Phillips followed a lead on an eyewitness sighting of the dog and found the body on the freeway.
"I decided to bury her out there on the side of Interstate 75 to give him some closure," Phillips said. "I had been a K-9 handler for 13 years. When I lost my K-9, it's like losing family," he said.
Phillips obtained some pieces of wood from local store Hayslip's Hardware, and with the help of one of the workers, painted the name "Storm" and dog bones on a memorial cross.
"[Hawkins] had already had a rough-enough week. I was trying to help a fella out," Phillips said.
"He told me in a [text] message and sent me a picture," Hawkins said. "I got emotional. I messaged him back and told him that I was grateful," he said.
Hawkins had owned Storm for more than four years, and said the dog who loved outdoor activities and swimming was truly his best friend.
"I got her four years ago, and it's been me and her ever since," he said.
Hawkins said he plans on visiting Storm's memorial once he recovers from his injuries.