On Sunday April 5th I got up early before church and started doing some house work. Steven had to play both services at church so I decided that I would go to the second service. I was washing clothes and cleaning up a little and was a little proud of myself for being so productive. I let my dogs out to go potty and as I was in that process realized that I could also use a little potty break. Now our dogs have been bad and jumping out of our fence. So I knew that I shouldn't have left them in the backyard unattended, but nature called and I silenced reason for reaction. As I was walking out of natures closet I heard the wooden fence on the side of the house shaking and there were my dogs running away. "Crap!" I went and got shoes on and got in the car to go after them. I drove around and around and I couldn't find them. So I called Steven and he said to wait and they would come back. Well about and hour later I saw a strange vehicle pull up outside. The first thing I thought was great one of my dogs has ate this ladies child and I am going to jail. :-) She inquired whether the white dog staking my fence outside was mine. I said yes and asked if she had seen the other one. Then my stomach quivered as she said "I think it was hit by a car". Now this shocked me, but I knew that it had happened. I had been looking for them and had a little picture flash before me that Dakota had been hit and Nia came home.
So I jumped in my car and followed her to the place that she last saw them. Obviously Dakota was still mobile because she wasn't there anymore. I drove around a little and then found her hiding behind someones little shed. As I pulled up she came hobbling to the car. I knew something was wrong. I felt of her leg and it was a definite break. I took her home and basically went into hysterics. I called my husband and my parents. I called some vet. clinics and animal emergency rooms to see what I was looking at. Steven was saying that we would have to put her down due to the financial side. My dad was crushed that his little girl was hysterical and told me that he would drive the 4 hours to help me do whatever and he would pay. I was just ridiculous. He finally told me point blank take her to the vet and at least get her checked out. So off Steven and I went.
They checked her out and came back with a diagnostic estimate of $500. I choked. We said that we couldn't do that and they came back with $160 to give her pain meds and send her home. I was desperately grabbing at straws and decided to call a friend in Arkansas that is a vet and ask what to do. We called him and through a few phone calls he told us that he would fix her for $400 and give us the medications. The clincher... I would have to drive her the 4 1/2 hours to see him in Arkansas. It was a tough decision and we certainly don't have that type of money. After hashing through the situation and my emotional state, Steven consented to it. We had the dog E.R give her a pain shot and with in and hour I was on the road with a doped up dog, heading to AR. He met me at his clinic and gave her an epidural for the pain in her spine that would last through the next 72 hours. Then Monday morning he did the surgery to fix her leg. Nothing else was wrong with her and the break was pretty clean and enclosed. He used his power drill and put in 6 large pins and applied a plaster molding over them to secure the leg. She will have that in for 6-8 weeks. She is on antibiotics and an anti-inflamitory. Dr. Carl kept her for 24 hours to monitor her and I drove home on Tuesday morning. I got home around 1:15pm and was at work by 3pm.
There you have it. I am one of "those people" who spend money on their animals as if they were their children. I never would have done such a thing a year ago. I grew up in the country and can't tell you how many dogs we found, raised and buried at our house. If they got sick they took a walk in the woods with dad. The only one who would return from those walks was dad. Now if there had been more wrong I wouldn't have done it, but it was just her leg and I couldn't just shoot her. I just attribute it to my gratefulness to Dakota my dog. She has been a great help for me in emotionally grieving the loss of my ideal family. When you are little you think your life will turn out like "this" and you'll have this many kids. Well it didn't happen like that and Dakota has been sort of a replacement idea. She hangs out with me when Steven travels and keeps me company when I have been lonely. I am glad that I had her fixed up and can't wait to see our children growing up with her as the family pet. I think I will be glad that I became one of "those people" in the end.
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