Rosie: The Dog Determined To Live (Part III)

/

Rosie standing for the first time with some assistanceLeah was going to try to save Rosie, but there was no guarantee Rosie would live. As my vet had predicted, Rosie was in a self-induced coma from the trauma. Amazingly, there were no major internal injuries or broken bones. The biggest fear was brain damage. Even if she woke up, they weren't sure if she'd be able to walk or respond to others. 

But Rosie fought all the odds. She woke up and ate some food on her own. Eventually, a week or so after the accident, she was able to stand with some assistance. 

Rosie being transported home

Read More

Rosie: The Dog Determined To Live (Part II)

/

Rosie's pup, Eden, happy and healthy after the river rescueTo recap, Rosie and her pup were abandoned on a river near Eden, NC and rescued by a woman named Leah Mabry and friends. Leah had Rosie for about 2 weeks before Rosie escaped from the backyard of Leah's aunt. They were frantic to find her. Unfortunately, the way they found her was a phone call from my vet, advising them their dog had been hit by a van and was in critical condition. 

When I rushed Rosie into my vet, the front desk receptionist immediately used the rabies tag Rosie was wearing to track down her owners. Even over the phone, we could hear the panic in their voices as they asked about her condition. 

Rosie's injuries were so severe, there was nothing my vet could do. She needed an animal hospital. The problem was Leah and her family were in downtown Greensboro and we were 45 minutes away in Madison. I agreed to put Rosie back in my car and drive her to Oak Ridge, a small town in between our two locations. From there, Leah would rush the dog to the animal hospital my vet was calling to give them a heads up on the case that was coming in. 

 

Read More

Rosie: The Dog Determined To Live (Part I)

/

On Saturday, March 10th, I was driving home after a run when, about 10 miles from my house, out on Highway 220, I saw a small dog in the median, tail wagging. It had already made it across two lanes of traffic and had two more to go. 

"No, no, no, stay put," I mentally willed the dog as I looked for a place to turn around. 

Too late. I looked in my rear view mirror and watched the dog dart into traffic. She was hit by a van doing about 60 mph and did a rolling flip-flop underneath it, coming to rest to in the middle of the road.

The vans and the cars around the van kept driving. 

Read More

Open Up! It's The Police

/

It is 10:16 pm on Sunday night. The events I'm about to relay happened approximately 8 minutes ago. 

---------

Blair and I were in bed. Blair was asleep but I'd been reading and had only just turned out the light. (Side note: I didn't realize Blair was asleep as he'd grasped my hand underneath the pillow once I lay down, a small gesture I found touching until--as I was soon to realize--it was purely reflexive or, perhaps knowing me and my personality, unconsciously defensive on his part.) 

I was drifting off to dreamland when BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM. Pounding on our door jerked my head up off the pillow. I didn't even have time to form the mental question of "Who is that?" before our doorbell started ringing. 

Read More