I had a very sad afternoon today. While heading past the park to fill my car with gas, I was flagged down by some folks who found a dog on the side of the road who had been hit by a car. It took us awhile to locate the owner, and when we did he did not seam concerned about his dog. We had to basically tell him he had to do something that he could not just leave his dog that had been hit by a car lying in pain in the grass along side of the road.
I really donâ„¢t ever want to have to deal with this kind of horrible situation again. It is not a pleasant experience trying to hold a dog with a broken back while it is in pain knowing the whole time that the dog will probably have to be put down. I urge everyone to head warning from this incident and be sure to leash their dogs when going from their vehicle into the off leash area. Not only is it the rules, it is also a good safety practice.
Michelle,
How should we handle this kind of situation next time? What is the best thing to do if there is some kind of dog related emergency at the park? Would you be willing to help users out if need be in the future? Please feel free to tell us all about the clinic that you work for. I am sure there are some users that would love to have a vet that also comes to the dog park. Please introduce youself if you see me at the park. I have Wilson that Lab Basset.
Tom
That is never an easy thing to run into. Very early on in my career, I got a call like that from my husband who was on his way home from work and ran into a similar situation on Highway 96. At least he contacted me, though sad to say, that dog did not make it either. At least I was able to be the vet and act without hesitation. It will be nice when I am in the neighborhood there in Hugo and hopefully only a phone call away!
Cory did some checking, and the owner of this dog did take it to the emergency vet. The dog was badly injured and had to be put down. At least the owner did follow through and take it to the vet and not dump it somewhere. Please protect your pet and use a leash to avoid similar situations from happening in the future.
Tom
As soon as we found the dog injured with no owner, we called 911. The owner was found, but did not seam to want to do anything. After waiting at least 45 minutes for the police to come, we go sick of waiting and we concerned for the dogs suffering. We told the owner that he needed to do something. We reffered him to the animal emergency room in Oakdale. They are best equiped to help the dog, although I am afraid that it will probably have to be put down. The police never did show up, and I call dispatch back and told the what we decided to do.
That could be constituted as criminal neglect, cruelty to animals. Have you reported the owner to the police?
-Ninjahippies (aka Sue, owned by Bailey the super-fast Packers-collared Beagle-thing)
That is very sad.
That is a very sad, particularly that the owner was indifferent to his dogs condition. Did he eventually get the dog to a vet or hospital?