Authorities in Henry County closed down a ramp from Jodeco Road to Interstate 75 after receiving several calls about a jungle cat casually roaming around.
According to police officials, the tiger jumped over a fence around 6 a.m. to chase a dog in a nearby backyard.
Britney Speck told the Atlanta Constitution Journal her dachshund, Journey, started "going crazy in the backyard." She called 911 after seeing the striped feline attacking her beloved pet.
"It was like a full-grown, zoo tiger and it was massive. It was huge," Britney added.
"I fell to the ground crying because my husband was screaming because the tiger had jumped on top of my dog," Speck told local media.
The tiger was shot by officials in Beck's backyard to prevent it from hurting anyone, including Speck and her three children, who were about to head to school.
At the time, officials did not have tranquilizer guns on them and did not want to risk waiting for the non-lethal weapons to arrive.
"And the officers I guess just started firing rounds and took it down and then gave me my dog back," Speck told the newspaper, adding that her dog Journey is doing just fine, albeit a bit scratched and shaken.
Several people described seeing the tiger in comments on local CBS affiliate CBS 46's Facebook page.
— Kaitlyn Pratt Fox 5 (@Fox5Kaitlyn) September 6, 2017
Connie Kidd said she reported to police around 4:40 a.m. that a tiger was walking through her front yard, and a worker at a local Hardee's was told by a man in a parking lot that he had just seen a tiger in their vicinity, the station reported.
Where the tiger came from, however, is still a mystery. Although there is a nearby animal sanctuary in Locust Grove, none of the tigers in the shelter were reported missing.
— Dispatch Demon (@DispatchDemon) September 6, 2017
According to the Noah's Ark Animal Sanctuary's Facebook page, "We responded immediately and were on the way to the scene with hopes of chemically immobilizing the tiger and bringing it back to Noah's Ark. Unfortunately human life became at risk and the tiger was shot by authorities. All of our tigers are accounted for. Thank you to the officers for trying their best to bring the animal to safety."
The tiger was female and her body was cremated according to Gerri Yoder, director of the Henry County Animal Care and Control Department.
