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I know that this site is for Great Pyrenees, but this story is so very moving and bears repeating~~Perhaps it will save a life~~
"free to roam" can also mean "license to Die"~~~~~~~~
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re-printed with permission ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ His name was Brutus. His person was a tall intelligent caring guy named Chris. Chris had gone to some trouble to find a decent breeder of a good line of labradors. Chris did the right things to keep Brutus's hips safe while he was a puppy, no jumping, no exercise on hard ground, a good diet. Brutus turned into a wonderful, joyful, slightly long eared - low set, bundle of sweetness, energy and love. Brutus was a labrador ambassador of light and love, to everyone within a few blocks of his home - if they let him. Brutus was free to roam. He was neutered and gentle. To his credit he made it to seven, clean teeth, good weight, great hips and elbows. Friday he didn't come home. Friday night Chris called us, "have you seen Brutus?" We hadn't seen him. Saturday Chris and Laura searched the surrounding 300 acres of forest, Chris walked the nearby roads. Last night a nearby farmer pulled into our driveway, "did we have a labrador retriever because there's one in a ditch, near the road on his property." My heart plummeted. I grabbed a leash and went out in my sweats and got in Leggins car. I didn't have a car, didn't know what I was going to do. I was hoping I could get the dog up and get it home until Laura came home. Maybe it wasn't Brutus, maybe it was - it didn't matter much, there was a dog in a ditch in the pouring rain. Leggins then told me the dog had been there. lying there in that ditch since some time Sunday night. Shudder. We got there and I hustled into the rain and down the fence line to the dog lying there calling, "Brutus, is that you? Brutus? The dog tried to get up with it's front end but the back end didn't move. Oh no. I thought it was Brutus, but couldn't remember his collar color and there was no tag other than a rabies tag. The dog was soaked and cold, but his lungs seemed clear, his gums though slightly pale were not white. He spent some time kissing my face as I examined him. I couldn't find rear leg fractures but the way he was handling his back end made me think of a pelvic fracture. His tail wagged at me slowly. I tried to get him up. No go, his rear legs were not under his control. Despite my hurting him, he wagged and kissed me once again. Leggins offered to drive the dog up to my house and brought a truck around. By the time he'd gotten there I knew we needed to get the dog to the emergency vets. I thanked him and asked for a cell phone. He brought me one. In the growing dark and pouring rain, I called Laura. Get here fast, I think I found Brutus. Laura's work is 45 minutes away. I sat with Brutus, petting him and reassuring him. Somebody knows you, somebody loves you, you're not going to die alone in this ditch, in the rain. Laura got there and we all got Brutus onto a blanket and then up into our pick up. We went home to get Chris's number and to see if he was home yet. Thankfully he was home and came rushing down to meet us and see if it was Brutus. It was. I sat there holding wet dog who was over joyed to see his human once again. He cried, tried to get up. Rather than trying to transfer him again we said we would take him and follow Chris to the emergency vet. Soaked and in pain Brutus didn't whine, though he cried out a few times as we were shifted around in the back of a pickup racing to the vet. I held him and tried to sooth him. Noble and sweet he never tried to bite though we transfered and moved him three more times. Finally they gave him some pain meds/sedation to do xrays. Brutus had a compression and subluxation of what I think is L1- the first lumbar vertebrate above the sacrum (sp). He could feel pain in his legs but not move them much and he couldn't void his bladder. Brutus was not going to get better. I sat in the rain, in a ditch, with a cold lonely, miserable dog who'd been there in pain for a day. Free to roam works until it doesn't. He was seven. Sitting in the vet's office, soaked to the skin, with my hair plastered down to my head, I was grateful. Grateful that I knew exactly where my dogs were. Grateful that they were safe and warm and happy. I get a little choked up thinking of the misery of Brutus's last two days. A little choked up remembering how desperate he got when I had to leave him - 50 ft, to flag down Laura. Choked up thinking about his kisses, and the moment when he knew he was safe and started to throw calming signals. "Free to roam" sucks hot rocks out loud. "You become responsible forever, for what you have tamed" Antoine de Saint Exupery Restraint is not training, well restrained is not well trained..... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |