Tuesday, March 15, 2011

A Very Bad Day...

Seven words you don't ever want to hear...

"I think I just killed your dog."

Followed by...

"He might still be alive, but he's in pretty bad shape." 

I stood on the steps and cried and couldn't move.  I think I scared the guy who thought he'd just killed my dog.   At the thought that he was dying in the road, alone and hurt I was able to go to him.  If he was going to die, I wanted him to know what a good boy he was and how much I loved him.  He wasn't dead.  He was in pretty bad shape.  There was a lot of blood.  He thought he'd done something wrong and he put his head down and looked up at me with those eyes and my heart broke into a million tiny pieces and I'm still not sure I gathered every little one up, there may still be some lying out there amongst the melting snow. 

I picked up his broken body and rushed him to the vet.  They all looked at me with those eyes and handed me tissues and asked what my financial limit was because it didn't look good.  He was in pretty bad shape.  And I sat down on the floor of the examining room and put his head on my lap and cried because I wasn't going to be able to save him.  Money's tight right now, stupid money was going to kill my dog. 

I gave them my financial limit and they nodded and asked me to sign a DNR slip.  I went home and disinfected my kitchen.  I washed the windows with vinegar and old newspaper.  I finished the laundry, called and checked on my taxes, swept the back hallway.  I called my best friend and she cried with me.  I kept opening the back door to check on him.  The top step looks huge with no black and white dog on it. 

At 2:00 the vet called and asked how I was doing.  I said ok.  And then there was a pause.  I don't know if they teach the pause in veterinary school.  I don't know if it works either way, for good news and bad news but it kind of sucks.  Just so you know, if you are in the veterinary profession, the pause sucks.  She told me he was going to be ok too.  No broken bones, no internal injuries.  Just a cut on his nose, a lacerated tongue and an abrasion on his leg.  He had been knocked unconsious and was severely bruised but he is going to be ok. 

We are installing a run in the backyard for when we can't be outside with him...oh and my children may not be able to go to college, but Jake is ok.  That is good.  Very, very good. 

9 comments:

  1. Oh Lisa-I was worried sick when reading this post-my prayers to you-thank goodness he's going to be ok. It's such a hard thing to go through when someone you love is in danger or hurt. May things look better.-Rain

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  2. OMG! I would be a wreck! That is the fear I always had in my head. So I had the underground fence installed. I can't afford that either, but at the time I was snowplowing with my husband and I was able to get the cost down by plowing the guys driveway for the season. It's the best move I ever made!
    I am so glad your baby is ok! 8>)

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  3. Oh.My.Gosh. This is like my worst nightmare! (They guy who hit him didn't offer to pay for it?!) I am so glad he's going to be okay... so glad. Poor fellow. :(

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  4. SO glad your bubbie is going to be okay...I started to cry as I read the post....that is one of my greatest fears...the car! Give him an extra hug from down South.

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  5. O.M.G. I am crying just thinking about this and I am a goat! I talk a lot about Quinn and Cabra, but we would just perish if anything happened to either one. We are SO relieved that he will be okay. And hopefully, once burned, twice shy. Oh, THANK goatness he is okay!

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  6. Lisa, I'm so glad he is going to be okay. What a wonderful surprise. We are installing fences this spring so Lucy and Emma can't get out. I agree with you about the run.

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  7. Oh Lisa thank God he is going to be okay. My eyes were welling up reading this even though I know he's fine now, this was always my worst nightmare when our Bo was still alive. He was hit once too right in front of our house when he was young, but very similar, no broken bones, no internal bleeding just cuts and bruises. He went on to live for 14 years. Long live your sweet (and lucky) Jake. ~Lili

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  8. Good God! What a horrible thing to go through. I can't believe after all that he had so few injuries.

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  9. frig college, a family member is more important. every day!

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