Animal Ambulance

There are too many stray dogs in Phoenix. But there are many kind hearted people who want to help them. The Humane Society runs an Animal Ambulance every day of the week to pick up sick and injured animals and bring them to their hospital for care.

I went for a walk this morning - the first since my surgery. I made a stop in Coronado Park because I needed some shade to view text message. After reading my message, I looked up and found this little guy laying in the mud under a tree. He growled when I first approached, but after I talked to him a bit, he liked being petted and showed me his belly. He was clearly ill with barely any energy to lift his head or react to his surroundings. I moved him out of the mud and on to the grass while I looked up the humane society number and called for the ambulance. I was so impressed by the technician who picked him up. She safely put a leash on him and muzzled him to do a thorough physical exam before picking him up. She then wrapped him in a towel and found him a spot in her truck. He did not seem too sure about being in a cage. But we were glad to see him more alert. The humane society has a policy that one cannot call to check on the status of a patient because there are so many. But I can watch their adoption website to see if he appears once he is better, provided that he did not have an owner.

I thanked her so much for taking care of the dog. She thanked me so much for stopping to check on the dog and for calling the humane society. I am sure James is quite thankful that I didn't come home with him. My practice is telemedicine, so I don't have the resources to care for a sick dog at home, as much as I would like to. I am very grateful for the Humane Society's work caring for so many animals in need.