Good and Bad of a Ride!

Started in Ferrelview and rode to Dearborn. Weather was great, but on the warm side. Got to Dearborn and was a half mile short of my 17.5 mile turnaround when I saw a lady half off and half on the road. She was picking up something in the ditch that I soon discovered was a little dog. It look like Sandy, Little Orphan Annie's dog, only smaller. The little guy was still breathing but in shock at that time. It was bleeding and badly damaged in the hind quarters. The lady told me that she saw something rolling under the car in front of her and then recognized it as her neighbor's dog. Evidently, the dog got out, or was let out, of his fenced in yard. It was running with another dog when it got hit. The driver that hit the dog kept on going. After all, we are a busy people and haven't got time to stop for trivial stuff!

I helped the lady lay the dog in her trunk on a little baby mattress. He was trying to get up and was pulling himself by his front legs. I'm pretty sure he had some serious back and internal injuries. I started petting him and talking softly to him to give him some comfort. I actually thought the dog was going expire at any time. He started moaning and then howling. I guess the shock wore off and the pain was setting in. It was all I could do to keep from crying myself. The lady, on the other hand, was almost in panic mode and I felt myself comforting her as well as the dog. I was holding the dog down to keep him from hurting himself any more and patting the lady on the shoulder at the same time. She was really shook up!

I took my water bottle and began pouring some water on the little dog's head and upper body to keep him cool. It was fairly hot in the ladies trunk and the dog was laying half in direct sunlight. I don't know if it helped or not, but it made me feel like I was, at least, trying to keep him comfortable.

I called 911 shortly after arriving on the scene and apologized to the operator for it possibly not being a qualifying emergency. She was great and said help was on the way. The help was in the form of an Animal Control officer who was totally inept! I wanted him to just take the dog to the animal clinic to either help him or euthinize him. All this idiot wanted to do was ask question of how, when, who, etc. I told him that minutes could make the difference in whether the little guy makes it or not and if he wanted to ask questions he could call me later. I was more than a little pissed!!!

At any rate it was a long ride back to Ferrelview. All I could picture, in my mind, was that little dog looking up at me with that forlorn, lost look in his little eyes asking me what happened to him....Mike