I cannot imagine committing to buy a puppy without seeing the animal and if possible the sire and dam. OTOH, a rescue (or adoption of an older dog) is a different thing. My last two Basenjis came to me sight unseen, and turned out to be wonderful dogs, but the breeders I got them from wanted to place their dogs in an experienced Basenji home, and I only paid the cost of getting the dogs to me. One came by air, one was personally transported to me by his breeder. If she hadn't been happy with what she found I expect she would have taken him back with her when she left. I also had to commit to return him if ever I couldn't keep him. Good breeders care about where their dogs end up.
Horrible trauma
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I've been a little terse lately. I realize this. Here's why:
I have been so traumatized by the following event that I haven't been able to think, speak or write of it until now.
On Halloween, I was returning to my truck from Grampa Ebert's house, southbound on I-75 just north of Midland, MI. I was driving my Dodge pickup at around 75 mph. (Speed limit is 70, so, yeah, I was speeding.) Suddenly, ahead of me, I saw brake lights and cars swerving every which way. I had plenty of time to slow down.
When I reached the area where the trouble was, there was a beautiful white and black Bluetick Coonhound in the middle of the hammer lane About 100 yards up, an SUV was on the left shoulder with some of its body parts in the road. I pulled to the right shoulder to see if anyone needed help. AJ, of course, wanted to see what was up too, but he stayed in the pickup and was very good during this whole thing.
As I got out of my truck, I could immediately see the hound bitch was grievously injured. She was crying loudly with that hollow, mournful bay that coonhounds are known for. She was attempting to walk, but could only balance on her forepaws because both of her rear legs were broken and she was screaming in confusion, fear and pain.
I ran to her to get her out of the road, picked her up by lifting her with one arm across her chest and the other under her butt. She did not try to bite or fight me. As I carried her to the SUV owner (who had hollered to me she was a vet) I could feel this dog's blood pouring onto my legs through my jeans. She was heavy, but I managed to get her to the rear of the vet's SUV. The vet had put a blanket on the ground for me to lay the bitch on. I held the dog's head while the vet did a quick, cursory inspection of her.
The vet called the phone number on the dog's collar, left a message on their answering machine and we loaded the dog into the rear of her car. She threw what parts of her car she could quickly retrieve into her back seat and rushed off to the local animal hospital.
I ended up changing out of my jeans on the side of the freeway. (I can only imagine what passing motorists thought about that strange woman on the passenger side of a Dodge pickup in her underbritches.)
Later in the week, I called the only animal hospital I could find listed in the area and they said they didn't have a record of any animals being admitted on Halloween. I can only assume the worst from this information.
I couldn't tell you why that gorgeous Coonhound bitch was in the middle of Southbound I-75. Dogs don't think when they escape. They just run. My heart still hurts like the devil thinking about how horribly that poor dog died…in tremendous pain, with nobody but strangers around her.
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It's horrible,traumatic and one of your worst nightmares. It was really heroic and great what you did Belinda. You did everything you could to help. Maybe she died on the way if she lost a lot of blood. No doubt the poor thing was in shock. I had to race a dog in my truck 10 years ago that was badly injured, wrapped in a towel to a vet that was in shock and dying. Luckily the vet was a mile a way and they saved the dog. Even to this day it affects me when I happen by chance to think of it.
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I actually feel better having been able to get this out of me. The weight of it has been heavier than I thought. Now maybe I can get back to my smarta** normal self.
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You did a wonderful thing trying to save that dog.
My husband saw a dog hit by the car in front of him on Elson Ave in Chicago a few years back. The car that hit the dog just kept going. He picked up the dog, and rushed her to the nearest Emergency clinic, but she was DOA. The back seat of our car was covered in blood. The Emergency clinic helped him clean himself up, and I went there by train to pick up him and the car, because he was too traumatized to drive. He usually faints or vomits at the sight of blood, but he said that the adrenaline got him through it. I was really proud of him for all he did.
I will tell you what I told him. You did everything you could. You cared. Those dogs spend their last minutes with people who cared, and they will be remembered by people who cared.
I hope that helps some.
-Nicole
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Im sorry Belinda but i can't read your post, i started but had to stop. It affects me so badly just to read about it that i fully appreciate how bad it made you feel. In the past i have helped injured animals and seen things and am afraid that it stays with me forever, but i have to tell myself not to think of it.
Sometimes i wish i didn't care so much but we cant change who we are. -
Belinda, I am so sorry to hear about that poor lady dog. She had people around her that genuinely cared for her and her wellbeing, she felt and knew that. You and that vet did all you could, being there for her was what she needed at that point. Bless her heart.
Many years ago, in my previous life, I was in a pickup truck with my then boyfriend,it was late at night and it was raining really bad, tropical storm somebody was moving through the area, so visibility was nil (now in retrospect, we should've not driven through it), we hit a German Shepherd out of nowhere on this lone county rd, she ran into the ditch and disappeared in the water, the ditches were full of water and debris from the storm..
We got out of the car and Greg, dove into the ditch, well jumped in as best he could to see if he could find her…what seemed like an eternity, he finally found her and got her onto his chest, sitting on the bank with water up to his chest..we sat there for 2 hours, in downpour with this poor dog, she ended up passing away in Greg's arms..
The dog had no collar nor did we think she would've made it, especially since we had no clue were the closest vet or emergency clinic was. I still remember that day as if it was yesterday, it haunts me when I am driving in rain and the visibility is poor..
We did all we could for her, and that was to be with her when she crossed the bridge, no dog, our own or a stranger, should have to do that alone... -
So sorry you had to go through that - but so very glad the girl had people there who cared for her.
Every once in awhile we hear of a dog (or bear or something) that is loose on our metro freeways - luckily the city police or state patrol manage to get there quick, control traffic, and get the dog off with no harm - at least so far. -
I am so sorry, for all you that went through that. That is one of my nightmares…but she didn't die alone, and you cared enough to stop to help her, and love her...and remember her...and I think that is what she would have wanted
sniff...
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What a heartwretching story. Made me want to hug my pup (and I did). Not something that you will ever forget but know that you did your best and helped. It's a lot more than most others would do. Thanks for sharing.
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I think one of the reasons I posted this was to underscore the importance of keeping your fur-family safe. I have no idea why that Coonhound was on the freeway. Judging from the phone number on her collar, she was local, so I can assume (okay, okay) she escaped…and, like most hounds, found an interesting trail to follow.
There have been a few folks post about escaped B's and other dogs. A few have posted their dogs have escaped multiple times. This is one of the horrific results that can happen.
I'm not taking a superior stand on this. AJ has escaped twice...one time, I was right next to I-90 and he ran like the devil was on his heels right for the travel lanes. On that occasion, he slipped past me before I could get the lead attached to him. Luckily, at the last second, he pulled a 180 and ran into the woods. I had only had him for a few weeks at the time. The other time, he let himself out of the truck by opening the wing window that was latched, but he didn't run. He just waited for me on the front porch of the house I was in. The truck I have now does not have wing windows that open. I have trained him to stay back from the door until I call him, then he doesn't get near it until his lead is securely attached.
I think he understands this is for his safety. He watches for trucks now and stays out of their way. But I reinforce this by telling him, as I pull him toward me, "Look at that big truck!" And he does, then comes to where I need him to be.
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@AJs:
I think one of the reasons I posted this was to underscore the importance of keeping your fur-family safe. I have no idea why that Coonhound was on the freeway. Judging from the phone number on her collar, she was local, so I can assume (okay, okay) she escaped…and, like most hounds, found an interesting trail to follow.
There have been a few folks post about escaped B's and other dogs. A few have posted their dogs have escaped multiple times. This is one of the horrific results that can happen.
I'm not taking a superior stand on this. AJ has escaped twice...one time, I was right next to I-90 and he ran like the devil was on his heels right for the travel lanes. On that occasion, he slipped past me before I could get the lead attached to him. Luckily, at the last second, he pulled a 180 and ran into the woods. I had only had him for a few weeks at the time. The other time, he let himself out of the truck by opening the wing window that was latched, but he didn't run. He just waited for me on the front porch of the house I was in. The truck I have now does not have wing windows that open. I have trained him to stay back from the door until I call him, then he doesn't get near it until his lead is securely attached.
I think he understands this is for his safety. He watches for trucks now and stays out of their way. But I reinforce this by telling him, as I pull him toward me, "Look at that big truck!" And he does, then comes to where I need him to be.
My previous 3 Basenjis never ever ran off. I could not understand when I met another Basenji owner at the beach why they had theirs on a leash. Even if they got out of the yard when I was not home they would be sitting there in the front waiting for me when I got home. Now Buddy is a whole different ball game. He's young and he does not have much caution. He got out once and ended up 2 miles away in 25 minutes. Now I have to figure out how I'm going to handle it.
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One of my pet peaves is people who drive with the dogs unsecured in the back of the pickup trucks. My husband once witnessed a weimeraner get thrown out in a busy intersection. He was able to park and get her out of the road before she was hit. The owner had to go several blocks to get back to the scene and was very grateful.
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We had a discussion recently about securing dogs in vehicles. I had an ACD who loved riding in the back of the pickup…rain, shine, cold or hot...he just loved it. I attached 500-lb chain between the tie-downs directly behind the cab with eye bolts, tightened it with a turn buckle, and attached another chain to the center of the first one with a heavy-duty screw-together carabiner. The second chain was only long enough that Chauncey could look forward from behind the cab, but not long enough for him to stand with his front paws on the edge of the pickup bed. His collar was secured to the second chain with a two-ended dog chain clip, also heavy-duty. He would jump in the back and run to the front so I could attach the chain to him. Then he'd run back and forth all the way down the road barking at everything. My friends always knew three blocks before I got to their houses that I was on my way.
But I don't keep AJ in a pickup truck. In fact, before Halloween, the last time I saw my pickup was about three months previous. He lives with me in a Freightliner. The whole USA is his yard. AJ rides in the front of the pickup with me when we're in it. An ACD with a thick coat in the back is one thing...a Basenji with a basically bald belly is another.
