Since getting our little fur child, Scout, I’ve been to vet quite a bit. A new kitten needs shots and spaying and all kinds of things.
We have been INCREDIBLY fortunate that Scout has been healthy. At least until this week. She kept shaking and pawing at her ears, so we decided to take her in to see if she had an ear infection.
(Scout is fine. She has a bacterial infection in both ears, so we have medicine that she hates, but she is already perking up.)
Well, I am glad Mr. A came with me yesterday because the waiting room was awful. I’ve met giant iguanas and 8 week old puppies in the waiting room. It’s kind of interesting to see the different animals, especially the fluffy ones, but yesterday was not a day full of fluffy puppies and kittens.
As soon as we walked in, I noticed a woman sitting there with a dachshund. As I came around the corner, I realized that she had the dog in a shallow box, filled with towels and the dog was wrapped up as well. I then realized that the woman still had her sunglasses on and kept wiping her eyes.
That’s when I realized why she was there. She was having to put her loved dog down.
Seeing her try to calm down her dog whenever s/he tried to move or got scared by a noise just broke my heart for her. Her friend came in to be with her and she just lost it and it was just a painful scene to watch.
I think Mr. A was trying to distract me by talking, but I felt guilty talking about happy things while this woman, 10 feet away from me, was losing something so important to her. I started getting choked up and was have to work hard to not break down and cry for her.
Then, another woman came in with a collie. At first, all I could see was that the collie had a bandage on a front leg. But as she rounded the corner, I saw the full extent of the collies injuries.
She was wrapped in bandages from behind her shoulders, all the way back to her hips. Her entire midsection was wrapped, and as some of the bandages shifted, I could she that she was bald in the midsection and saw quite a few stitches.
As the woman sat next to us, I saw just how happy and friendly the dog was. She was just shaking and so happy to see new people. I let her lick my hand, but Scout hates the smell of dogs, and seeing as she was already anxious for being in the vet’s office, I encouraged her to go back to her owner.
The woman mentioned that the dog had nearly died, so Mr. A asked what had happened to her.
This incredibly sweet dog was viciously attacked by her neighbor’s pitt bull. They could hardly get the other dog off of hers and the pitt’s owner just stood there. This was apparently the third time the other dog had attacked her and her dog.
Even worse, the collie’s front leg was going to have to be amputated since the attack had destroyed all the nerve endings in it and she no long had full control over its movements.
Now, I know there are nice pitt bulls. I do. But I also have a fear of unknown dogs, and certain breeds I am just never comfortable around.
I hope the dog won’t be put down, but put with people that know how to train and work with dogs that tend to be mean, but since the owner wouldn’t claim it, it will be put up for adoption and I just hope they tell people what happened so it doesn’t end up in a house with a small child or attack someone else’s dog.
I was a ball of emotions by the time we were called back to a room for Scout. I was just upset for all the families involved. I was also upset to see the woman with the dachshund was STILL in the waiting room after we had been called back and seen by the vet. If nothing else, I felt they should have put her in a room to wait in private as she spent her last moments with her dog.
I might just need a xanax the next time I have to take Scout to the vet because I can’t handle another emotional rollercoaster like yesterday.