Only a few miles from her house, she saw an animal lying on the side of the road. She flinched and gripped the steering wheel, willing herself not to look. The soft spot in her heart for animals would break if the dog was dead. But if it was alive, and she could help it, then she had to.
She slowed down, relieved to see a faint rise and fall of the dog’s chest. Putting on her four-way blinkers, she pulled onto the shoulder. Her headlights illuminated the area, and she carefully got out of her car.
The beautiful yellow lab was a female and yelped out in pain. Alexis did a quick visual examination of the dog and saw blood on the back leg. The bones of the left leg were oddly shaped, a clear sign a bone had broken.
Time was of the essence. There could be more injuries internally that were not visible from the outside. She ran to her car and grabbed a blanket from the trunk, thankful for her parents’ insistence that she keep one in case of winter emergencies.
She tucked the blanket around the dog, and lifted her carefully, a difficult task when the dog weight in the seventy-pound range. When the pup cried out in pain, Alexis almost cried. Moving the dog caused more pain, but it was a necessary evil. Somehow, she managed to open her backseat car door and lay the dog down.
When she climbed into her seat, she grabbed her phone and googled the nearest emergency vet. There was a twenty-four-hour clinic only five miles away. She called ahead and told them what happened.
“It’s not my dog,” she explained, “But she’s in pain, and I’m worried she could have unseen injuries.”
“Bring her in. I’ll have one of our techs meet you outside to carry her in,” the receptionist said. “We’ll get her pain under control, and then attempt to locate the owner before making any further decisions.”
“Thank you.” Alexis ended the call, but she had questions.
What if the owner couldn’t be found? She couldn’t take on the financial strain of a dog right now, but would the vet still help if there was no one to pay the bill? If it came to the dog’s life, she knew she’d find a way, even if it meant delaying her upgrade to a newer car.
Her only thought had been for the dog’s safety, and she hadn’t thought to look for a tag. She glanced in the rearview mirror, adjusted it until she could see the dog. There wasn’t a collar, but she could spot an indent in the dog’s natural coat where a collar had been.
That, and the fact the dog appeared well taken care of gave her hope this wasn’t a stray, that the dog had gotten loose and lost its collar in the process. She prayed the owner could be found. Not only that, but that they’d come to their dog’s rescue. It seemed an obvious act to her, but she saw too many sad posts on social media about dogs being abandoned when they faced serious medical issues. It broke her heart.
She swung into the parking lot and parked right in front of the door. A tall man wearing scrubs met her.
“I’m Andy, the tech on duty,” he introduced himself. “Are you Alexis?”
“Yes. The dog’s cries are getting weaker. I’m worried.”
“The pain is probably getting to her. I’ll carry her in and get her meds to help comfort her.” He opened the back door, after Alexis showed him that’s where the dog was. “She’s a beauty.”
“Isn’t she? I don’t think she’s a stray.” She exited the car, unsure of the next step of procedures since she wasn’t the owner.
“Me either. With any luck, she’ll have a chip. If not, we’ll post on our pages and make calls in the morning.”
Alexis followed Andy and held the door open for him to carry the dog through. “What if you can’t find the owner?”
“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.” He pointed with his chin to a waiting area. “You can have a seat there if you want to wait. We’ll give her a pill to ease the pain, then scan for a chip and hopefully call the owner. I can let you know what we find out.”
“If you can’t, do whatever you need to keep her comfortable until the morning. I’ll cover the costs,” she told him before she could second guess her decision.
Understanding showed in his soft brown eyes. “She’s lucky a caring soul found her.”
Without wasting more time, Alex disappeared into the exam side of the side office.
The receptionist, Kyra, called Alexis to the desk. “Would you mind filling out this? It’s for our records so we know who brought her in.”
“No problem.” She strolled to the desk and read through the paper before writing the applicable information and signing.
“It’s late, but you’re welcome to a cup of coffee.”
“I’m fine, but thanks.”
“If you change your mind, you’re welcome to it. Have a seat, and we’ll let you know as soon as we find out anything.” A bittersweet smile pulled at Kyra’s mouth. “Thank you for taking the time to bring her in. You likely saved her life.”
“I’d like to think anybody would have.”
“In an ideal world.” A happier smile pushed away the sadness in Kyra’s eyes. “Dr. Lia is on duty tonight. The pup is in great hands with her.”
