As typical for me, this took back burner when second semester senior things began piling up en mass. I actually wrote this about a month ago, but never posted it. With spring break coming up, there may be some more time to do a little work here.
February 18, 2011:
This week has been a constant mess to get get caught up since a medical absence on Monday. After spending the weekend in West Virginia, I was returning with a friend late Sunday night and came into an unfortunate set of circumstances. About the moment I was going to alert the driver of a dog running across the road ahead of us, we saw it's body flailing in our headlights. The driver, however, did not stop, though I suspect a suspiciously leering SUV that came by later may have been the guilty party.
The animal was clearly injured, but thankfully not acting aggressively or even really in much visible pain. However, as cars accumulated on the side of the road, an Amish wedding party clopped by (I assume that is the only reason they would cover a carriage with paper and white ribbons) and calls were made to the local authorities, the animal's condition deteriorated. It was a cold night, injured and laying on the wet ground, he began to quake quite noticeably and it was obvious something had to be done. Unfortunately, in Millheim, Pa, there is no animal shelter, animal control, or even police that would offer any assistance. The numbers on the collar led nowhere at the time, leaving very few options.
Obviously, anyone who stopped was concerned with the well-being of the animal, but its difficult to be the ones to actually do something. In the end, it became obvious the dog had to be moved into a vehicle and off the pavement, or we would just be standing my watching him die of hypothermia or shock. In retrospect, the blanket should have been my first choice, but it didn't occur to me until after that fact, something which might have saved a large amount of stress later in the week. That said, having a decent grip on the uninjured parts of the animal and the head secure, I almost lifted him up. Unfortunately, between a well meaning bystander grabbing the injured back and the fact he could contort in an unnatural way due to what turned out to be a broken back, he managed to nip at the left side of my chin. Ultimately, he was rolled onto a blanket and hoisted into the back of the Jeep.
It shouldn't have been anything, the aftermath was barely a scratch, but the nip broke the skin and that was all it took. Long and sad story short, a trip to the emergency clinic in State College (once we finally found it), putting money down on a problem that wasn't really ours to take, and a long drive home till after midnight, we were back at Bucknell. The next day was an adventure all of its own.
Medical protocol requires vaccination within 48 hours of an unknown animal bite, because of the risk of rabies. But just my luck, because rabies travels via the nervous system, rather than blood or aerially, in the event of a facial wound, the time horizon is only 12 hours to vaccinate. 14 hours later, I was on my way to the Evangelical Hospital ER, only to get one of the best calls I will probably ever get from a doctor. They had found the owner, identified the vaccination record, and I didn't need the shots!
Sadly, the story didn't end so well for the poor black and white Border Collie named Ricky who was struck and left to die on the side of Rt. 45. Because of the extent of his injuries, his owners choose to have him put down. Not the happy ending we would all like, but such is life. However, I cannot personally accept that because this happens all the time (which I know it does), the correct course of action is to move on and let it be. Sometimes, the circumstances force to you act, even if it is not the most convenient to you. Additionally, I believe people should take responsibility for their actions, even if it is inconvenient or undesirable. Personally, I would have had more respect for the driver of the car who hit Ricky if they had stopped, evaluated the situation, and chosen to dispatch him there (as the collar was of little help), than just to drive off and pretend as if nothing happened.
Posted from: Bertrand Library, Lewisburg, PA, USA
Update: A month or so later I received a card from Ricky's owners, thanking Angela and I for helping our their dear friend, along with a picture which I will post if I ever have it with me+a scanner.
Posted from: Grigiškės, Lithuania (June 4, 2011)
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