What a story! And one with a good ending. Had it not been for the help of several Good Samaritans, this account would have had the tragic conclusion we very often hear about.
Xena, a beautiful 9 year old pitbull/greyhound mix and a younger dog, were let into the backyard for a few minutes, as they were every night, while their family prepared for bed. Shortly thereafter, barking was heard from the younger pup. The lady of the house went outside to investigate the noise and quickly realized both dogs had escaped from the yard. Panicking, she called her husband, and both began searching for them in the neighborhood park, the dogs favorite place to play. The younger dog returned home with them, but Xena was nowhere to be found.
That same evening, the owner quickly got on several social media sites asking for help in finding Xena. The next morning, she called animal control and was told they did not have a dog of Xena’s breed. The waiting game started. The hours passed and still no Xena sighting. At last, 48 hours later, a stranger contacted the owner to say that a dog fitting Xena’s description had been brought to a local veterinary clinic the day before!
Our runaway, rather than enjoy some free time in the park, made the poor decision to investigate in a different direction which led her to a major thoroughfare. And yes, the inevitable happened. Our escapee, running across a busy intersection was hit by a car traveling 40/50 miles an hour, per a witness. It was a hit and run as the vehicle never stopped. The loud collision noise was heard by a lady in the adjacent parking lot. That first Good Samaritan ran to the sight of the accident to pull Xena out of the street and render any type of first aid possible to this poor animal. In a matter of seconds, a police car appeared with our second Good Samaritan. The policeman picked up the Pitbull, placed her in the back seat of this squad car and rushed her to the nearest emergency vet clinic.
Xena was stabilized and given pain medication. Her X-rays revealed a shattered left hind leg. Even if the leg could be saved, it would require plates, pins, and several months of continuing care and rehabilitation. The alternatives were amputation or putting her down. Since amputation is not done without an owner’s consent, and no one had stepped forward to claim the dog, (Xena did not have her tags and was not microchipped) the emergency clinic’s management saw no other option than to euthanize her.
At this point, the third Good Samaritan stepped forward. A volunteer for a local rescue group happened to be in the emergency veterinary clinic when Xena was brought in by the policeman. The volunteer overheard the decision to put Xena down and said “no”. Her rescue group would take responsibility for the dog. The next morning that group transported Xena to the veterinary clinic they normally work with while they intensified their efforts to find her owner.
Fortunately, Xena’s owner had posted a description and photos of her missing dog on several social media sites and neighborhood newsletters. The rescue group finally saw one of those postings and called the owner saying “I believe we have your dog”. Hurrying to the vet hospital and listening to the new vet’s recommendation to amputate, she consented to the surgery, but with the qualification that she did not have the funds to pay the estimated cost of the full procedure.
So, the same rescue group stepped up and guaranteed payment so that the surgery would be performed, and Xena saved. Animals Abused & Abandoned then paid the hospital in full, and the rescue group was reimbursed.
Xena is now home recovering slowly, but steadily. The family is relieved and happy to have her home. She was adopted at six weeks of age and has been a family member for almost 10 years. The hole under the gate the younger dog had dug has since been filled and reinforced. Xena has been microchipped and wears her collar and tags at all times. We cannot emphasize enough the importance of microchipping your pet and a collar with tags to be worn at all times. It is literally a matter of life and death.
So that we may continue to help save another animal’s life, please make a contribution to Animals Abused & Abandoned for Xena’s surgery here. Your generous gift will help a furry friend look forward to a better tomorrow. We thank you.