This blogger is reminding dog owners in Israel – and, of course, anywhere – to be responsible in order to prevent potential tragedy and needless suffering.
We dog owners love our four-legged furry pets. And as pet owners we know we have a responsibility to our pets:
-vaccinations
-medical care
-healthy food
-safe environment
-walking with a leash
We also have a responsibility to our neighbors and neighborhood:
-cleaning up after our dog
-not allowing our dog to run free
-not allowing our dog to jump and bite.
So why am I posting this blog? Most dog owners know their responsibility and are very responsible.
Last week, early in the morning, I went to take our Jack A Bee dog Patches for her morning walk. Patches always walks with a leash.
We were 5 steps from our house when a neighbor’s Belgian Shepherd ran from his yard and dashed down the street directly to us at full speed.
I started to scream, Patches pulled and jumped. The shepherd flew at her, banging into me. I lost my balance, fell down on the street and the dog pinned Patches flat on the street.
Patches did not have a chance to defend herself. Patches weighs around 20 kilos, the shepherd was double her size.
Fortunately, because we were outside my house, my husband heard me screaming and came running. Patches wears a harness and the Shepherd was holding onto the harness so tight that my husband could not pull her paws off the harness to release Patches.
Finally the dog’s owner came to help. It took the two men to release the dog’s paws and free Patches.
He took his dog home, and Avraham and a neighbor who came out to see why I was screaming, helped me stand up.
My heart was beating so fast. Truthfully, I don’t remember how I walked the few steps into my house.
Avraham went to examine Patches and my son led me to a chair. When I couldn’t sit down easily, I knew I was in trouble.
Our Injuries:
Patches: Avraham examined her from head to toe and found no scratches or bites.
Me: I wasn’t so fortunate. My knees were swollen and one knee was bleeding profusely. [It didn’t stop bleeding until the hospital treated it] My legs were also swollen and very bruised. Four knuckles on one hand had been scraped on the pavement and were painful to move.
When I tried to stand up, I couldn’t put any weight on my legs. I thought they were broken. But my biggest concern was my heart.
While sitting on the chair, I had a hard time breathing and became very dizzy.
Many of you know, I had a major heart attack last April and although I’m doing well, I’m still recovering.
My husband called a taxi and we went to Clalit [medical center]. [My son told me that Patches sat in the window and cried all the time I was gone]
The nurse saw me immediately. And after checking my blood pressure she called the doctor.
He ordered an electrocardiogram, and when he read the results, he said there were some changes that he didn’t like and told the nurse to call an ambulance for the hospital.
MDA [the paramedics] were wonderful. They hooked me up just in case I had a heart attack in the ambulance. They were ready for any emergency.
Soroka Medical Center in Beer Sheva is a very busy hospital. Their emergency room is always packed.
When I arrived at the emergency, I was attended to immediately. Since I didn’t have any chest pains, they sent me to the orthopedic section first.
Within 5 minutes, a nurse came, took my vitals and said the doctor would be in shortly. Two minutes later, 2 doctors came to see me.
They examined my legs, and sent me for x-rays. The results were good..no broken bones.
In the meantime, the cardiologist was examining my EKG and reviewing my chart from the heart attack. He said, my heart was okay, and that the changes that my doctor saw were the result of fear and anxiety.
The nurse dressed my bleeding knee and wrapped an elastic bandage around my very swollen right leg and I was discharged.
All I wanted was my bed. Patchy, my loyal friend, parked herself beside me and didn’t move.