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DEUCE'S STORY
Several years ago when we were operating a little rescue shelter, I received a phone call, the voice at the other end was panicky. It was a beautiful early Saturday afternoon...
She was calling from the side of the road, Tallapoosa Street (a busy 4 lane highway with a median between). Two smallish dogs were running loose. Well, one wasn't running because he had been hit by a car, but he was still able to escape her attempts to capture him. The other, a Pit Bull mix perhaps, was uninjured but apparently staying close to the side of his wounded buddy.
She had called everyone she could think of, including BIRMINGHAM JEFFERSON COUNTY ANIMAL CONTROL (BJC), but could find no one to help. BJC is legally and by their own declaration, responsible for providing emergency services in these situations,around the clock - so where the heck were they??
I jumped into my car and headed to the scene as fast as I could go.The dogs were in a shallow ditch across a side street. I used a little "towel trick" I learned for handling smaller sized dogs and cats that were frightened, or showing fear aggression, (or for whatever reason resistant to handling). We approached the pair slowly, gently, quietly, until I was close enough to place a bath towel over the injured one, completely covering his head in such a way that if he tried to bite, he would bite the towel. He didn't resist. I carefully picked him up, towel and all,and carried him to the car. The young caller (God bless her) took the other dog, still a puppy, home with her, hoping to find the owner. Or not.....
Once home, I reached into the car to pick him up. He looked at me with the sweetest eyes and wagged his tail. He knew. He knew we came to help him.
His hair was terribly matted and filthy. His little body was covered in fleas. There were no visible wounds, except that it was evident that two of his legs were broken - one front, one back.
He was alert, responsive, except that he just cocked his head and looked at me when I questioned him to test his mental status (reality check). You know, like they ask you in the hospital - "What day is it?" "Where are you?" (and my favorite, because I don't always get this one right away) "Who is the president?". But then it occurred to me, dogs don't normally pay attention to that stuff anyway.
But I was very concerned when I checked his gums - they were white. This could be a sign of significant internal bleeding, which would require immediate emergency attention. But there were other things to consider. Fleas-I have seen my share of cats and dogs that were severely anemic simply due to chronic severe flea infestations.
Pain, and fear can often blanch the gums. Shock, well there are different kinds of shock. But he was quite alert, tail wagging... just didn't seem to go along with severe bleeding. So I offered him a little water, he drank it. Yea! Then I offered him a small amount of canned dog food. He gobbled it up. Another yea! So I hedged my bets, decided just to keep a close eye on him through the night, which of course meant he slept in the bed between us, dirt, fleas and all.
The next morning I took him to Dr. Branch at Oporto Justo Animal Clinic. (Thanks Janie, Dr. Branch!) for a good cleaning-up, shave down, and check up. Dr. Branch concurred with me, he found no problems that I missed (thank goodness). So we then scheduled his surgery for repair of the broken limbs.
Long story short, Deuce made a full recovery. And now he has a real mom and dad, and "brothers and sisters" to play with. You know how people always talk about their animals that they either took in as homeless strays, or adopted from a shelter or rescue, that it seems they KNOW, they know you have saved their life, and they seem to have a special love for you, something about them that seems to say "I love you extra special, because I know what you saved me from....", and they never forget. They don't forget. It seems that this is so with Deuce....
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