Injured puppy turns nice ride into a disappointing experience

[RPS]

On the way back from a solo 40-mile easy ride – still about 13 miles from home and out in the middle of nowhere – I heard over my right shoulder what sounded like a puppy whining. Figuring it was probably an abandoned young stray looking for a home, I immediately stopped. To my surprise it was a badly injured black lab puppy about 15-feet from the roadway -- maybe about 2-months old.

He wasn’t moving much at all, but once he made eye contact he wagged his tail as in appreciation that I had stopped; or maybe asking for help. Not knowing how long he’d been there in the sweltering heat I immediately gave him water which he took eagerly by lifting his head as far as he could. I also tried cooling him a little by pouring a little water over his head and parts of his fur that wasn’t injured.

I called my wife -- who loves dogs more than I -- and explained the situation, so she dropped what she was doing and headed towards us. In the process she called the vet and asked that they wait for us, that we’d be there as soon as possible.

The half-hour or so wait seemed like an eternity. Not because of having to wait, but it’s hard to see a puppy suffering and not being able to do much for him. A couple of cyclists stopped to ask me if I was OK and when I told them it was an injured puppy most asked if I had a phone to call for help, and continued on when I said help was on the way. One man stopped to take a closer look as did a couple a few minutes later. Since there wasn’t much they could do and the sight was heartbreaking they continued. And who can blame them at that point?

When my wife arrived she was overcome with emotion over the helpless animal and his condition. We carefully lifted him onto towels and placed him on the front floorboard of the car where she could keep an eye on him and keep him from moving as the car was traveling. During the drive to the vet he continued to make eye contact with the sweetest look I’ve seen in a puppy in years – in spite of the pain he must have been in. By this point there was no doubt I would keep him if he would only survive.

The vet said that his left front leg -- badly mangled -- had received nerve damage and would have to be amputated. A back leg was also broken and his hips were dislocated or injured. In her opinion, the only humane thing to do was to euthanize the little guy. Reluctantly my wife and I agreed, and requested to stay with him to the end. Our vet tried to give him an intravenous injection which was difficult because he was so dehydrated and in shock. The entire time he kept looking at all of us in the room with an incredible expression and soulful eyes. It saddens me that we couldn’t do more.

What started to be a nice easy ride to beat the heat ended up in disappointment. I know we did the right thing, but it sure doesn’t feel like it. Although I don’t need another dog, I wish he could have survived so we could have given him a great home.


I’m just venting, not really asking a question. It’s hard for me to accept that humans can abandon puppies out in the country with so little regard for what will happen to them. Or that others will run over them and keep going without taking them for help. Adds a dark perspective to life, and humans.

[Matt-H]

Very sad. Honestly, the best thing that puppy most likely ever had was your caring, compassion and comfort when he needed it the most. That had to be very difficult. Take care.

[fourflys]

RPS,
I know what you had to endure was very tough, but you did the right thing and more than a lot of people would do. It's people like you that make this world a little easier to deal with...
Chris

[1centaur]

+1. You did well, life is hard, we spend much of ours turned away from the pain of others as a coping mechanism.

[Karin Kirk]

That's heartbreaking, but it's great that you stopped and that you took action to help the little guy. You certainly did the right thing, even though that must've been rough.

[Dekonick]

Well done.

A tough situation that you mitigated as best anyone can.

Still sad.

[Louis]

RPS, you did the best you could.

Seeing all the road-kill is definitely the worst part of cycling. I always stop to move the turtles and most of the time even stop to move the road-kill (if they haven't been mashed to much) to save them the further indignity of being ground up by the cars.

Louis

[thwart]

Thanks for sharing the story. I'd like to believe that folks like you vastly outnumber the idiots that would hit a dog and continue on uncaringly.

Makes all the bike stuff look just a little inconsequential, doesn't it...

[Smiley]

Thanks for sharing the story. I'd like to believe that folks like you vastly outnumber the idiots that would hit a dog and continue on uncaringly.

Makes all the bike stuff look just a little inconsequential, doesn't it...


My third dog got hit by a car who drove off and another driver who saw the whole thing called it in, the humane society came and got our Joy who by then was dead in a ditch off the road. I can relate and think in the end you did the right thing. Good on you RPS.

[RABikes2]

Thanks for writing this RPS. Reading your story and the fact that I experienced the same situation on Easter Sunday, has helped me. I haven't been able to talk very much about what had happened without crying.

On Easter Sunday, I went out for a bike ride around 12:30. I was out in the country approximately 9.5 miles into the ride and saw a dog on the side of the road. At first, I was cautious, not knowing if she would run out at me, but then I realized watching her that something wasn't right. I circled back and stopped, first talking to her. She didn't get up, but just laid there, looking and panting.

Holding my bike, I slowly approached talking softly to her. I was a foot or two away trying to visually check her over. Her eyes were so sad and there were obvious medical problems in one of them. She was young, had already had pups, and her ribs were showing. Blowflies were all over her hindquarters and I could see a few large ticks. No idea how long she had been there suffering like this.

Her hindquarters were broken and it was obvious she had been hit by a car. I wanted to give her some food, but didn't have any. Easily bending down and still talking to her, I poured water from my water bottle into my hand and held it out, but she didn't want any. It took everything for me to keep myself together as I cried talking to her. I softly touched her outstretched front paws and within seconds I was able to pet her body, head, and ears. It was heartwrenching, I was sobbing trying to tell her I wouldn't leave her to die alone. She laid down and seemed to fall asleep as I continued to pet and talk to her.

An older man pulled his pickup truck into a driveway about 15' from us and approached asking about her. There was nothing either of us could do. I just tried to keep her comfortable by talking and stroking her softly.

The man had a phone book in his truck and I called a neighbor/friend of mine who lives 1.5 miles from my place. I left a message on Nancy's answering service. She is a large animal vet and cyclist. Within 10 minutes, Nancy called me back and asked what I needed. I told her the situation and without hesitation she said she'd be right out. Nancy knew the route I was on, was there shortly, and checked the dog over. Her hind quarters were pretty badly broken and she hadn't been well cared for. Nancy tried to comfort me with the words that I had been kind to the dog when nobody else ever had been in her short lifetime. This only made me cry more.

It was obvious after Nancy's examination, even though I didn't want it to be, that the dog needed to be euthanized. She had too many injuries we could see and most likely more we didn't know about. I held her as Nancy administered the drugs. I petted and talked to her as she gently went to sleep.

The man that had stopped offered to help with burying her. The driveway he had stopped in was a friend of his who let him have a large garden out on some of the acreage. We loaded her into the back of his truck and went out to a beautiful place on the property past his garden. He dug a hole with the backhoe and we buried her there. I cried the rest of my ride home and hugged my two dogs more than I usually do for days after. I wished there would have been something else I could have done for the poor thing.

I wasn't able to go out that route for quite awhile and even now when I ride that way, I still tell her, "she was so sweet".

I feel for you and your wife. Thank you again RPS.

RA

[PCR]

RPS,

I have been on many calls with my next door neighbor (a large anaimal vet), let me tell you, a pup, a labrdor to boot, is the most loving animal on earth. They live to please (my Brie is a yellow lab). You brought comfort, peace and security to the little pup in his time of need. We can debate euthinization for ever but now he is in no pain. Very hard situation to be in, you did your best, YOU were there for him. My heart goes out to you and your wife and the pup.

[Louis]

An animal story with a happier ending:

Last week my mother and sister were in town for a visit. They've seem many of the touristy things around, but not all. I decided to take the to the Cahokia Mounds (http://www.cahokiamounds.com/) just across the river in Illinois. It's the site of what was probably the most sophisticated Native American city in North America. We climbed to the top of Monks Mound (see picture below) and as we came down some other visitors were looking at something in the grass at the foot of the stairs. Turns out that is was a turtle, but not just any turtle, a snapping turtle. He was not in a very good spot, because to the north was the steep slope of the mound and just 15 feet to the south a road with a fair amount of traffic. I carefully tried to pick him up a few times to carry him to safety, but he went bananas, snapping and trying to bite me. I finally put him down and we went back to the "Interpretive Center."

As we were leaving about 30 minutes later we drove by the mound and there he was, right by the side of the road, getting ready to cross. Given the amount of traffic, the speed of the cars and the time it would take him to cross this was not going to have a happy ending. I decided to try again, so I pulled over and parked right next to him. Once again I tried to pick him up by the shell but again he was unhappy. I then tried to pick him up by the tail and surprisingly he was much quieter. I put him in the trunk of the car and we drove back to the Interpretive Center where I put him in a marshy spot where he would be much safer. He seemed to like that quite a bit and went right into to water (where he will presumably terrorize the area).

http://www.cahokiamounds.com/img/headers/explore_archaeology.jpg

[gearguywb]

These stories are bringing tears to my eyes....I thank both of you for taking the time to do the right thing.

On a happier note; we have some friends in the Atlanta rea who found a puppy, just a couple of weeks old, flea covered, with dead littermates around him on a ride. Long story short, 5 years later he is the most pampered, spoiled dog around (and he knows it). This couple does not have children so you can imagine how he is treated.

[Climb01742]

RPS, thank you for caring and for acting. you did everything you could. you made the puppy's last hours far better and you spared greater suffering. your wife and you have huge, great, wonderful hearts. as a dog lover, i say thank you very very much. being kind is a supreme act of humanity.

[Rapid Tourist]

RPS, this story haunts me. On behalf of the world,thank you for stopping and doing your best, and thanks for helping that pup leave the world with dignity and in the company of someone who cared. You can tell a lot about a person by how they treat other living things who can't do anything for them (like kids and animals) and you are made of the very best stuff. Thanks.

[Jason E]

This is my first time back on the forum in about a year, and this is the first thread that popped up. Now I feel ill.

I'm sorry you had to go through that, at least you did what you could to make it humane for the little guy. You did the right thing.

[Sandy]

RPS (and wife), and RA,

In out present day society, life proceeds at a rapid pace with a myriad of personal demands. It takes a special selfless person to simply stop, quickly ascertain the needs of an animal, and act, with sole focus on the animal, placing your needs, time, and interests on hold, until you are sure that you have done whatever possible for the animal.

Your devotion and concern for a dog that you just met is remarkable. Very fortunately, you were there for the dog during its most needy time. Without you there would have been additional suffering. Although the dog, in both instances needed to be euthanized, and the experience was difficult and quite emotional for you, the dog received the love and care that too many never do.

You 3 are special people.


Sandy

[Skrawny]

“Not to hurt our humble brethren is our first duty to them, but to stop there is not enough. We have a higher mission—to be of service to them wherever they require it.”

—Francis of Assisi

[jghall]

So sad.

This little guy had two broken legs and I'm sure in a great deal of pain, and along comes a complete stranger, and what does he do, he wags his tail like he just saw his best friend in life. A great example of dogs.

RPS, thank you for being there to help make this puppy's life a bit more pleasant and feel loved.