To the Editor:
First, I know it is my fault that our dog got hit on the Highway and I’m deeply sorry for my boy. We learned our part; therefore, we are in the process of fencing in our yard better. Second, I would do anything for my dogs because they are family. I’m absolutely not an aggressive person, but at this point I have no understanding nor a good thought left for people like the one who hit my Pax!
On March 27, about 6:45 p.m., my husband called our dogs home because he could not see them. He realized they went down to the highway. Usually they obey and stay around the house.
Everything happened in seconds: My husband called and in the same heartbeat he heard Pax, a five-year-old snow white Maremma sheepdog, howling and crying. I was in the kitchen as he yelled, “Quick, quick! something happened to Pax!” I ran as fast as I could to see what happened as I saw my boy limping toward me and then lying down, his eyes open wide in shock and pain.
Half an hour later, we were in the vet clinic to get Pax the care he needed. Dr. Emma and Melissa were so patient and helpful with dog and people, as we had a shock, too.
After the X-ray was done, you could see that the dog had a spinal fracture, and an open bone fracture between the knee and ankle. We could only guess what could have happened to him. We thought he could have been caught in a trap for coyotes or stuck between two tree trunks and twisted his leg or he got hit on the highway. But there were no other injuries like road rash to see.
But a week ago, my husband told a friend what happened and that our dog is in the clinic with a broken leg. He said, “I know what happened to your dog,” and gave my husband the phone number of a witness, so we could call him to hear the story ourselves.
The witness was driving home from Creston toward Yahk, as he saw a big white dog, standing in the middle of the Highway 3 near our property. The truck that was driving in front of him should have seen the dog as well. He drove fast, no braking light was flashing, and he made no shift to avoid the dog or stop after he hit him.
How disrespectful can a human be? Well, I would not call that person human!
It scares me a lot, knowing that those people live in my neighborhood. They scare me more than hungry bears in spring on our property. I just hope I never have to face them. It makes me sick, as I realized there is no way to make them stand up for acting like that.
I know it is my responsibility to have my dogs under control. Regardless, it is a shame that people can do such things and nobody can stop them — not even the police can help you, because there are no laws for such issues!
I’m a driver myself and I know how dangerous it is with animals or wildlife crossing the highway. I cannot avoid the fact that animals get killed on the road, but just showing a little respect for God’s critters would not hurt!
Ursula Thierwaechter
Kitchener