Thaden Family Blog

This morning was nothing unusual for us, we lazily got up and then started walking the dog. Margaret picked the path that we were going to walk this morning and on the way back towards the house is when it happened.

There’s this one dog that’s usually tied up in the front yard while it’s owners are doing yard work and it wasn’t tied up this morning. It was running down it’s driveway towards us. Mind you, we were on the other side of the street, so it would have had to cross the street to reach us, but he never made it. He was so focused on us that he ran into a passing elderly care van. The dog clipped the front of the vehicle and then basically wrapped itself around the rear tire until it fell off and the van stopped.

The poor animal let out a painful cry and I took off up the owner’s driveway. Margaret told me that the dog whimpered for a couple of seconds while doing light spasms and then all was silent. The poor animal died. All the while I’m up ringing the doorbell thinking the animal might be alive.

The female owner came out and I told her that her dog got hit by the van that was stopped on the road and she was confused. Who wouldn’t be? A stranger, ringing your doorbell telling you that you’re dog got hit and might be alive? She asked me about the color and I confirmed it and you could see the grave look overcome her face. She then saw her dog lying in the road and we started up the driveway. I kept telling her that we heard if cry and hopefully it’s just hurt and is okay. She said that the dog has chewed through some of their leashes and was afraid something like this was going to happen. I’m assuming she was hoping what I was hoping and that’s the dog was hurt and alive.

When we reached the animal she knelt down and started crying immediately touching the animal saying, “corgi? are you breathing? are you alive? Corgi?” Broke our hearts. Lucas didn’t know what was going on. Margaret said he wanted to go near the dog, but she didn’t allow it, because he wouldn’t understand. The lady then asked me if I’d carry her dog up to her house, which I did. I felt bad that the dogs head was just lying limp off my arms, because I was carrying it with my left arm under it’s legs and my right arm holding it’s hind quarters. There was no blood and guts, just a shell of an animal. When we reached the house the lady told me that she wanted me to set it somewhere; I couldn’t make out what she was saying; and she said she was going to open the garage. At that point I knelt down and rested the dogs head on my knee while I held it, because I didn’t want to show any kinds of disrespect to the owners or the animal. I talked to the dog a bit and did a short prayer. I don’t remember what all I said, but I knew I asked for God to comfort the dog and the family. She opened the side door to her garage and had a blanket laid out for me to lay her dog down on. She was so torn up that it broke my heart.

I shook her hand apologizing that we had to meet under these types of circumstances and that I was terribly sorry for her loss. I told her our address and let her know that if she needed anything that she could stop by any time and that we didn’t have a local phone number to reach us. I felt like I should’ve done something more, but I was helpless to do anything. Honestly though, what can you do other than try to comfort the other person? She asked me for my name and I gave it to her, doubt she will remember it, but that’s okay. I’m gonna get some flowers, so Margaret and I can give to the family for the loss.

I honestly don’t know what’s worse, sitting there watching the animal die or going to tell the owners. Margaret said she couldn’t have done what I did and it was easier for her to do what she did. I feel the same, I couldn’t have watched the animal die, because that image would be stuck in my mind forever.

The howl it let out, man, I will never forget that sound. Poor guy, he was just wanting to say hello to another fellow hound.

Well, that’s how our morning began. Very tragic and sad. We walked home, said a prayer together, and then got ready for work.

*Small Prayer*
God, please rest the soul of the poor pup that died this morning and please give comfort to the family that owned him. I pray that out of the grief, they’ll remember the good times they had with their dog and will celebrate the life it had. I know you’ll work the miracles that you always do and will open a door for the family in an unlikely place for them to find happiness once again. Amen.

Tags: pets