Take The Lead – The Mission Is Clear

By John Contoupe

Christmas day of 2016 started as an ordinary day in sunny Florida. Hot coffee, gifts opened and some relaxing down time on Facebook. Yet, on that morning, Facebook lit up with a post about an accident that was occurring right there and then in real time. In another state far away, a most horrific scenario, a breeder’s worst nightmare was quickly unfolding. Total strangers pulled in and moved heaven and earth to come to the aid of a fellow dog show person, her young son and her beloved Pharaoh hounds, including a day-old litter of two. The driver of the vehicle and her precious cargo were driving to visit friends and family on a rural section of the Oregon Highway and near Astoria in the very north- west tip of the state. Her son, three at that time and strapped in a rear-facing car seat, six crated dogs including a day old litter, and all of their luggage were violently tossed around when a truck passed on the left and cut over suddenly in front of her. Brakes and black ice don’t mix well and is a sure recipe for disaster. Control of the vehicle was lost as it spun and rolled three times before coming to rest on the side of a rocky cliff-face. Reality quickly changed for this young lady and her loved ones.

Two of her Pharaoh hounds died that day. A day-old puppy, the product of frozen semen in a planned and highly anticipated breeding complete with a C-section on Christmas Eve, succumbed to its injuries. An older, exquisite bitch owned by the victim’s best friend also perished. In such a small gene pool, both were hard felt losses and a huge blow to this breeder’s breeding program. The guilt of losing a friend’s dog is double the guilt and devastation of losing one of your own.

The new mother Pharaoh Hound escaped the scene of the wreck and was at large for most of the day. Strangers became friends and phone calls occurred in a matter of seconds and across many states and miles to activate first responders and animal rescue units as well as search teams. I was so surprised to see what a group of ded- icated dog lovers could do in a matter of seconds.

Short URL: https://caninechronicle.com/?p=139139

Posted by Alex on Feb 19 2018. Filed under Current Articles, Featured. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.