March 30 - Today was an emotional day from hell and I still can't believe what happened. It started when I woke up and got a call from Stephanie, that our friend Kim found a hurt dog down the road near the shelter. I threw on some clothes, grabbed some supplies and rushed out the door.
I will admit I was a bad driver but I was prepared to tell a cop that I was on my way to help an animal. I will take the ticket, it would be worth it.
I arrived at the site and saw Kim with her daughter on the side of the road and something covered in blankets. My first question was "Is he still alive?" I jumped over the muddy ditch with a rope in my hand, ready to make a muzzle so he couldn't bite. I used my skills from a pet first aid and CPR class from the Red Cross years ago. I was able to tie the muzzle on him and we started brainstorming how to move him to the car. Stephanie soon arrived and we we able to move him from the cold and muddy ground, to the back of Kim's car, and they headed to the emergency vet. There was nothing much I could do, so I headed home to start my 2 hour bike ride. This ride turned into a 2 and a half hour ride because of a tailwind that took me too far out and then I fought the wind the whole way back. I thought about the dog and wondered how he was doing.
I checked my phone at one point and saw the awful news: the dog's pelvis was shattered. There were more than 24 bone shards and unknown organ damage. He was put on pain medication and the race was on to find his owner. We posted all over Facebook and hoped to find a lead. The vet said they would hold him for 3 hours to see if we could locate his family so they could say goodbye. Unfortunately we couldn't find them. Four of us: myself, Stephanie, Kim, and Paige sat down on the floor with the dog in the middle of us. We rubbed his head, paws, and tail. We told him that he was a good boy and that we were sorry we couldn't find his family. After about 30 minutes the vet came in and it was time. I had never witnessed a euthanasia but I was about to. I didn't want to and I wanted to leave, but I did it for him. I rubbed his paws and tail until the very end. Others rubbed his side and his face. It was surreal. I have a lump in my throat as I write this...
We found his family 3 hours later. Three hours... We felt such guilt that we missed them by such a short amount of time. The woman was very understanding and said she was thankful we were able to step in for her and that she would have done the same thing. It was heartbreaking.
His name was Jasper and he was a rescue from we believe the Pitt County Animal Shelter. The whole time I was with him I couldn't help but feel like I knew him.
Okay, I can't write anymore. My heart and head feel so much pain. I'm so sorry Jasper. I wish we could have helped out.
My workout is irrelevant. But if you're wondering, I rode 33.3 miles in about 2.5 hours.
Workout Summary:
Total Distance: 33.3 Miles
Total Time: 2:32:37
Average Pace: 13.1 mph
Top Speed: 25.0 mph
Today's Mantra: Time heals.
I will admit I was a bad driver but I was prepared to tell a cop that I was on my way to help an animal. I will take the ticket, it would be worth it.
I arrived at the site and saw Kim with her daughter on the side of the road and something covered in blankets. My first question was "Is he still alive?" I jumped over the muddy ditch with a rope in my hand, ready to make a muzzle so he couldn't bite. I used my skills from a pet first aid and CPR class from the Red Cross years ago. I was able to tie the muzzle on him and we started brainstorming how to move him to the car. Stephanie soon arrived and we we able to move him from the cold and muddy ground, to the back of Kim's car, and they headed to the emergency vet. There was nothing much I could do, so I headed home to start my 2 hour bike ride. This ride turned into a 2 and a half hour ride because of a tailwind that took me too far out and then I fought the wind the whole way back. I thought about the dog and wondered how he was doing.
I checked my phone at one point and saw the awful news: the dog's pelvis was shattered. There were more than 24 bone shards and unknown organ damage. He was put on pain medication and the race was on to find his owner. We posted all over Facebook and hoped to find a lead. The vet said they would hold him for 3 hours to see if we could locate his family so they could say goodbye. Unfortunately we couldn't find them. Four of us: myself, Stephanie, Kim, and Paige sat down on the floor with the dog in the middle of us. We rubbed his head, paws, and tail. We told him that he was a good boy and that we were sorry we couldn't find his family. After about 30 minutes the vet came in and it was time. I had never witnessed a euthanasia but I was about to. I didn't want to and I wanted to leave, but I did it for him. I rubbed his paws and tail until the very end. Others rubbed his side and his face. It was surreal. I have a lump in my throat as I write this...
We found his family 3 hours later. Three hours... We felt such guilt that we missed them by such a short amount of time. The woman was very understanding and said she was thankful we were able to step in for her and that she would have done the same thing. It was heartbreaking.
His name was Jasper and he was a rescue from we believe the Pitt County Animal Shelter. The whole time I was with him I couldn't help but feel like I knew him.
Okay, I can't write anymore. My heart and head feel so much pain. I'm so sorry Jasper. I wish we could have helped out.
My workout is irrelevant. But if you're wondering, I rode 33.3 miles in about 2.5 hours.
Workout Summary:
Total Distance: 33.3 Miles
Total Time: 2:32:37
Average Pace: 13.1 mph
Top Speed: 25.0 mph
Today's Mantra: Time heals.
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