Sadness wrapped her big, heavy arms around me yesterday. While driving my Mom to a doctor's appointment (leaving the men installing her septic tank at my house and nervous horses there on my mind), we came across a tiny black dog on the side of a main road dragging her hind legs, desperately trying to get off the blazing hot sand of the roadside. I immediately pulled to the shoulder just past her. My soul was screaming for her - I felt the anguish and confusion she felt; my first feelings were how she was thinking "My body is ruined". I was crying uncontrollably as I got between her and the traffic that whizzed by oblivious... uncaring. A man was working (telephone company) at a corner not 100 feet from this sweet little dog. After I coaxed her to the shade beside a block wall and my Mom found two bottles of water that I poured into our insulated snack bag - I ran to that phone worker and asked him, "Do you know what happened to this dog?" - the man said that she was like that when he arrived about an hour earlier and no one had stopped until me. WHAT! I wanted to scream at HIM. What the $%*# was wrong with him! HE should have helped her. HE should have called the humane society. But he didn't matter. Only this precious canine mattered - and my Mom who was now sitting in the running Camry with the air conditioner on.
I ran back to my Mom and the car and my cell phone. The little dog had had several long drinks of water and was now curled around the wet beg in the shade. I dialed 911. Sobbing, I told the story to the dispatch. She was so kind and said that animal control would be right there. My Mom wanted to take the dog to the Vet. But, if I got her into the car... what if she would (understandably, in fear) bite my Mom? Mom is on coumadin (a blood thinner of some potency) and having had serious heart trouble four months earlier... I couldn't take a chance.
We waited. I called my Mom's doctor and told them we would likely be late. They are kind people and seemed to understand at least that we were being delayed (I wondered - would they have stopped for this tiny creature?).
The animal control truck arrived. Two men got out and moved slowly with me to the little girl. I was explaining what I knew of her condition and their voices became soft and reassuring for her. One officer repeated " We'll get you to the doctor, honey... easy girl". They didn't have a towel. I gave them an extra shirt from my car. They wrapped it around her to support her broken body and gently placed her into an air conditioned compartment in their truck.
This was all I could do. I had to get my Mom to her doctor. Crying, I thanked them, praised them and had to drive away. The day was difficult. I had taken this photo of the little girl to show my Mom because she couldn't see her from the car (thank goodness, the doggy's condition would have devastated my Mother) and all I could do was try to hide my sobbing. I don't know what happened to the dog. We tried calling the Humane Society where she was taken when I finally got home, but it was too late to find out anything. Today we will call again. No matter what, at least that little dear knew someone loved and cared about her. At least she didn't die on the side of the road, dragging her hind end, in the oppressive heat without water or concern. Even if she had to be euthanized, people cared.