So
Near…
Does
it ever stop?…This past Monday, I was getting ready to take Annie to meet
Elaine for Annie’s training, and as I was putting Annie in the back seat,
Clancy and Doc were also wanting to get in the car and take a ride. Because it would be a distraction for Annie,
they had to stay home and watch the girls at home. After telling and watching them to get back
on the porch, I got in the car and slowly backed up. After moving about three feet, I heard an
awful yelp and felt a bump and KNEW what had happened, I just didn’t know who
it was… As fast as I could jumped out of the car, I did.
After
Doc’s Heartworm scare, he and I became buddies.
I guess I felt a little sorry for him because his life had been uprooted
and has lived in three different states, but he was finally home. He had fit in nicely and was part of our
pack. Just last week, “just the two of
us” were playing on the driveway and I was also talking baby “dog” talk and he
was jumping and prancing and giving me kisses.
I do this with all the dogs but this was the first time Elaine had
watched me, and from the porch she said “You really love him, don’t you”, “Of
course I do” I said, “he’s special, but I also do this with all the dogs” and
that very night, Doc got to come inside and watch TV with us and lay on my lap
and every night thus far, he expects to come in and he has. He learned the routine and would jump on the
couch and flop over, putting his palls up in the air with half of his 45 pound
body on the couch and the other half on me.
I at least got the “head” end where he would drift off to sleep with his
mouth open just a little, showing his white teeth and dreaming of great times. I would rub his lips and brush over his face
and he would be oblivious to my touch, but I was not, and it was very
comforting to me. Last week, and in just
a few days, we bonded even more. I don’t
know why, except that in my heart, I feel sorry for him going through the pain
and medication and not being able to run with the pack but watching from the
porch and he was a prince about it while he healed from the Heartworm
treatment. It has happened thousands of
times and many times it occurs when you least expect it, and the worst tragedy
is when it could be a family member and he was…
As
I first jumped out of the car my heart was in my throat and knew what to
expect, I saw one of the dogs on the porch and as I looked back at the rear
wheel, I saw blond hair on the driveway and knew…Doc had been run over.
As
I looked around and even under the car, he had moved and when I looked toward
the porch, he was quickly headed that same way.
“DOC” I screamed and ran toward him, “What were you doing?” as I touched
and rubbing his chest and legs. His eyes looked normal and were reactive and no
blood was visible, anywhere. I extended
his legs and checked for movement and breaks and saw nothing but several
skinned spots, all in all, he was fine except a little scared. I immediately gave him a Rimadyl and he took
it for any swelling that may occur but he seemed fine.
Right
after putting them on the porch before the accident, Doc decided to lay on the
driveway and in just a few seconds, he was on a road to destruction for both of
us. At least 7 of our pups that have
left and grown up have been hit by a car and killed, one even in the driveway
by a UPS truck. Dogs don’t experience
fear like we do and we need to be aware of it and watch for them. Was there something I could have done? I don’t know, but I will tell you, I will
give this much thought and plan a course of action. Last year, My Vet was talking to me and he stated
that he once ran over his dog. Lord
knows we’ve been lucky, Dutchess will run toward the cars that come in, once
jumping on the car but usually looking for food inside and they all will swarm
the cars that visit because they know they will get to play.
Later
that evening, after everyone was put up, Doc was waiting on the porch because
he loves to stay out, but this night, as I opened the back door, he pranced in
and jumped on his end of the couch. As I
sat down on the other end, he walked to my lap and flop over, putting his palls
up in the air with half of his 45 pound body on the couch and the other half on
me with his mouth open just a little, showing his white teeth and dreaming of
great times… and it was…
