**I'm crossposting this from another forum. I wanted to let y'all know why I won't be around as much for a while. I need to take some time off....**
I just got finished writing this thread only to have it tell me I wasn't logged in and I lost all of it.
Honestly, I'm too emotionally drained and I've got to go so I don't have time to rewrite all of what has happened this evening. But Marty asked me to post something, so I will.
Geez......I don't know if I can write this again..........
Miakoda's dead. My baby. My pride & joy. Cole's best friend.......is dead. All because of some irresponsible *******.
I'll got into more detail later, but what happened was the temp outside was nice, all the neighbors were out working the yards with their kids out playing, so I decided to load Cole up in the stroller and walk some dogs just up and down the street (it's a deadend street). Mia was the 3rd dog I walked. As we were making out way back to the house, the unimaginable happened: a 100 lb Lab mix came bolting out of his front door. The dog was charging, barking & growling, straight towards me & Cole as Mia was on the other side and she didn't even see him coming. Lord forgive me, I didn't know what else to do but to yank Mia onto the side of the dog in order to let her try and ward the dog off while I got Cole out of the way. I could only imagine what would have happened at that dog hit the stroller at full speed. Thus my nightmare began.
Several neighbors who witnessed what happened, ran over to try and help. My neighbor & friend, Leslie, grabbed Cole and rushed him inside her home. It was then I turned my attention to my 44 lb girl doing her best to protect us from a 100 lb beast. One of the larger men decided, along with myself, to try and get the dogs apart as Mia was fighting with all her heart but that dog had a huge advantage. When he hit her running, she was literally flung over onto her back. Since I trusted Mia, I had the guy try to get a hold of her while I dealt with the lab (yes, I'm stupid, but that was MY dog that dog was trying to kill). Now mind you, the other dog's owner still hadn't come out of his house despite all the yelling & screaming not just by the adults, but by the 7-8 children watching this take place. When we had a good chance, we both went in for the dog's collars to grab hold. That's when the Lab saw me coming & turned his attention onto my leg. He grabbed & shook, but the other guy missed grabbing Mia as she was able to jump up and she then got a firm grip on the dog's upper leg and chest area. She wouldn't let go. At this time, the Lab's owner came running out and he was literally beating the life out of Mia, but she wouldn't let go. I kept trying to get to him & yell at him that he was making her even more mad, but he wouldn't listen. I was desperately trying to get him to just find a way to put a leash on his dog then we could get them apart, but he was ignoring me. Finally some of the other guys were able to pull him away. But before I could even blink, he came out with a shotgun. And that's when he shot my Mia.......he shot my baby girl. He shot MY dog! He shot her in front of children!
I don't remember much after that except hearing her scream and then go limp. I remember the other guy trying to get a hold of his dog when the sheriff deputies pulled up. They then called in the state police and animal control.
They arrested the man for animal cruelty and for discharging a firearm in the close proximity of humans. They were nice & sympathetic and decided to not allow him to bail out tonight, but rather the s.o.b. will have to wait for the judge or whomever to see bail in the morning. The kicker was that when AC finally got the other dog loaded up, I told them bluntly that I wanted that dog dead by tonight & they could check for rabies the old fashioned way. And guess what I was told: That they were going to hold the dog for 10 days and then release it back into its home and that I would have to file a complaint otherwise. So here I am with a dead dog in the middle of the street and I'm hearing that this ******* & his just as crappy family will get their "beloved pet" back. There is absolutely NO justice! NONE!
I talked to a Lt. on the scene and he told me to file suit early in the week against the owner & the dog. He said the issue he could see is that I was bitten trying to break up a dog fight vs. just being bitten outright. (Yet, I had barely even touched the dog when it saw me & turned and grabbed me!)
I just got off the phone with my friend and lawyer, and she will have something worked up by the middle of this week so we can file. Over my dead body will that family get that mongrel back.
But what makes me the angriest and the saddest is that in less than a minute that guy ruined my life, but nothing I can do from here on out will cause him the same pain and anguish and torment and anger and frustration that he has caused me. Nothing.
I don't know what I'm going to do from here. A part of my heart died tonight with my girl. She was my baby. She was Cole's best friend. She was a clown just like her momma. A part of me is ready to just throw in the towel. I've done nothing but love these dogs and fight for them, and yet I've been through too much heartache. I honestly don't even have the desire to go deal with the dogs I've got left.....but I know I have to. I can't give up.....not now......not ever.
God I wish this was all a dream. I wish I could turn back time and decide to call it an evening and not walk the dogs. God....there are so many things I wish could've been done differently. But my baby's gone...........she's gone.........
I've got to go now as I was originally going to bury Mia with a neighbor's help, but my former boss has so graciously offered to open the clinic for me to bring her in for private cremation. One day I will spread her ashes out somewhere she would've loved to have roamed free.......and that day she will be free........never to be harmed through words or actions by the cruel and heartless people in this world. God help me......I don't know how I'm going to get through this.............
After I leave there, I'm headed to the hospital to get my leg looked at. I've got one really deep puncture and a lot of swelling now. My entire quad is throbbing and I have some tingling in my toes. I have included some pictures of my leg after I cleaned it up a bit--they are somewhat graphic, so look at your own risk. And mind you, I was wearing bluejean shorts at the time and the dog bit clear through the pantsleg.
