Tag - Not the Game, A Rescue Story with a Happy Ending

I have been doing breed rescue for 13 years. The one thing I have learned is that you never know where you are going to be when you need to help an animal in need. I have been walking my own dogs on my block and had stray dogs run up to us, saying “help me”. My dogs have gotten used to this! I always have a lead or two in the car and extra collars. Sadly enough, there are always crates too! And paper towels, cleaner and pick up bags!

This summer I was working in the new Cherrybrook location in Washington. I came driving home one evening south on Route 31. There was heavy rush hour traffic. When the van in front of me came an abrupt halt, I realized that a small white blur had just tried to cross this busy road. Oncoming traffic stopped. On the other side of the road was a small black and white Parson’s Jack Russell looking very bewildered. The van pulled over and so did I. My first thoughts when I saw the dog run were that I can’t escape this rescue thing that I so believe in……..and then I jumped out into traffic and put up my hand for cars to stop. And they ALL did!

I called the frightened dog to me, back across the highway. He came happily. He was soaking wet and had clearly been swimming nearby. The gentleman in the van came running over and asked if I needed help. Imagine that! I opened my van and told him I do dog rescue and that I must have that invisible sign on my car that reads “home of the homeless”. (Personal note: There is one of those signs on my house too!). The gentleman saw the crates and laughed and knew the dog would be fine.

Most important of all, the little dog had TAGS on him. The first was from a vet clinic in South Carolina. My next thoughts……Can I reach them at this hour of the night ? Or am I going to have to take this dog home?

The second tag on the dog had his name and a phone number! Good thinking on the owners’ part. And better yet, it was a local number. I called the number on my cell phone. Until that week, I never felt the need for a cell and refused to have one! When I was unable to reach the owners, I pulled in to a nearby Veterinary Clinic and thought the office personnel might know the dog’s owners and could keep him locally. Taking him to my home two counties away would not have been a good idea.

I tried the number again and reach a young girl. When I told her that I found “Noah”, she yelled to the other family members that Noah was found. I told the dad where I was parked and they came immediately. They lived nearby and Noah had darted into the woods and had not returned. He had been missing for over an hour!

I stressed to the family that they needed to keep Noah on a leash, it was just luck that he was not killed on the highway.

BUT, the BEST thing they ever did, was put Noah’s name on his tag and a phone number. That’s why he was going home with them.

Before the family left, the young girl asked if she could give me a hug for saving her dog. That was the icing on the cake! And the reason for rescue!

written by Pat Crew