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In the News: Tails of Marin Inspiring Others to Be Kind To Animals
I had just finished presenting at a Public Policy conference in Sacramento when it started to rain. Shortly after, the hail started. I reached my car and began the 90 minute drive to Novato. As I was getting close to the Sutter Causeway, just West of Sacramento, I hit bumper-to-bumper traffic. Thinking it was an accident, I settled in for a long drive home. After inching along for a mile or so, I spotted a large black dog darting in and out of traffic on Highway 80. I pulled over and jumped out of the car, running toward the dog who was clearly distressed. As soon as I got close to him, he’d dart into another lane of traffic. By now, a second man, also from Novato, stopped to assist. As I halted traffic, trying desperately to save the dog, I realized I had left the car running with my purse in the front seat. But there was no time for going back if I intended to catch this dog. Soon I was running at an all out sprint, in my business attire, trying to get in front of the dog. Cars continued to honk at me and the dog. Some drivers did not appear concerned about hitting a dog on the highway. When the dog finally became exhausted from all the commotion, he ran to the center lane and darted under an SUV that had stopped. The driver let me put my blazer and leash (which I had grabbed from my car) on her front seat before I went under the car to try to coax him out. A tow truck driver stopped and also tried to assist. When the local Animal Control arrived, the officer tried to get a noose around the dog’s neck. Needing assistance to maneuver the noose over the dog’s head, I crawled under the car, secured the noose around his neck and helped the officer get the dog to safety. Though wet, dirty and tired from my sprint on I-80, I relished in my feeling of relief that we had saved the dog. After the dog was in the animal control vehicle, I walked back to my car which was still running, and started my trip home. Within a few minutes, my hand and arm started to hurt. I realized I had burnt my arm and hand under the vehicle while I was securing the noose around the dog’s neck. It was a small price to pay. A few months later, I finally tracked down the owner of the dog I rescued, Sherman, a 9 year-old Chow and Newfoundland rescue dog. The hail storm caused Sherman great stress. He broke out of a locked house and fenced yard and traveled 10 miles from Davis to I-80, near Sacramento. His mom told me that one other time, six years ago, Sherman was spooked by gunshots. He ended up 20 miles from home. This story has a happy ending. Many do not because we are inpatient and want to get where we are going right away. Next time you see a deer, a dog or any other creature in the road, please slow down or better yet stop with your hazard lights on until the animal is out of harms way. Animals are a vital part of our lives and it’s worth the effort to save them. Mary Stompe is a volunteer for the Marin Humane Society, which contributes Tails of Marin articles. Write to Tails of Marin, 171 Bel Marin Keys Blvd. Novato, CA 94949. For more information, call 883-4621. . |
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171 Bel Marin Keys Blvd., Novato, CA 94949 USA
