A very sad thing happened yesterday. As I stepped out of the bus outside my village, I saw a dog lying on the side of the stop. It seemed to be in trouble, but before I could do anything, a woman I know from the village came running and said she knew the dog and that it had run away from its owner earlier. She asked me to stay with the dog while she went to get the owner.
A few minutes later the owner arrived, but the dog did not show any reaction to her name being called or owner patting her head. I then realised that the dog must have been hit by a car and suffered internal injuries, because no wounds were visible. I urged the owner to take the dog to a vet asap and produced my mobile where I have stored the number for a 24-hrs veterinary clinic. The owners did not know how to transport the dog and the husband left, trying to find transportation.
At that time I noticed the dog’s breathing was getting slower and more difficult and I told the owner we have to go NOW, no time to wait and I stopped the first passing taxi. Thankfully the driver listened to my “please help!†and accepted the dog into the car, but sadly when we got to the clinic, it was too late. Kitty had passed away. She was just 6 years old and her last hour on this side of the Rainbow Bridge was not an easy one.
I want to urge all pet owners and animal lovers to check and be aware of the nearest veterinarian and a vet clinic that offers 24-hrs emergency care. Check to make sure you know where the location is and store their telephone number in your phone. If you have a pet at home, keep emergency cash at hand to pay for taxi and emergency care. When an accident happens, valuable minutes will be wasted when you are trying to locate a clinic or have to stop on the way at an ATM.
Please also make sure your home is safe and secure. Don’t leave open windows from which curious cats can fall out; or install strong nets into windows. Pay special attention when leaving and entering your house so that the escape artist cannot slip out of the door. Stuff your washing machine carefully and get a visual confirmation your cat is outside the machine before turning it on. Learn which human foods and decorative plants are poisonous to pets.
I feel so bad that we could not help Kitty in time, RIP darling dog, and I pray that owners will be careful and do everything to ensure their pets safety and react really fast if an accident happens.