The Dove
I was afraid I'd get bitten, but I tried to pry the dog's mouth off Tigs' throat anyway. I stayed calm. The other dog's owner was screaming and it wasn't getting us anywhere. The dogs rolled and snapped and held onto each other's loose fleshy parts. Eventually I got a hold of Tigs and called to the screaming man to remove his animal from my dog's neck. The man was sweating and the dogs were panting. I told him I knew it wasn't personal and Tigs and I walked home.
Once inside, I was able to examine Tigs' body. There was blood deep in his ear and he wasn't acting right. Then I noticed his ear was detached from his head, at the base in back. I could see all the way through.
I put Tigs in the car; we drove to the emergency vet. Once they got a look at him, they decided they needed to shave his head to get a better handle on the injuries. They sedated him, stapled his ear back on, closed another puncture wound, and we went to the waiting room for our bill.
Tigs doesn't take to strangers, especially ones wearing big coats. He barked as a woman approached the vet door in her Ugg boots and puffy jacket. She entered exclaiming she'd called about the mourning dove she held in a cat carrier by her side. Its eye was falling out, she said, it needed help. The staff took the carrying case as the woman explained she was a vegan animal rescuer. I guess she didn't know her boots are made from sheep. She noticed Tigs and asked if he was a rescue; I said yes and he reluctantly sniffed her hand. The doctor returned and told the woman there was nothing they could do; the wild bird was badly hurt and had a broken wing. The woman's cell phone rang. She told the doctor as she answered that she needed to be with the bird. The doctor told her they'd already given it its fatal shot. This upset the woman greatly so she hung up her phone. She insisted on seeing the dove before it died. They brought the withering thing into the waiting room and the woman cradled it to her chest. She whispered to it and I looked at Tigs head.
I felt that bird leave its body and had to fight every urge to cry. Sometimes I think I breathed that little doves soul right into my heart.
Once inside, I was able to examine Tigs' body. There was blood deep in his ear and he wasn't acting right. Then I noticed his ear was detached from his head, at the base in back. I could see all the way through.
I put Tigs in the car; we drove to the emergency vet. Once they got a look at him, they decided they needed to shave his head to get a better handle on the injuries. They sedated him, stapled his ear back on, closed another puncture wound, and we went to the waiting room for our bill.
Tigs doesn't take to strangers, especially ones wearing big coats. He barked as a woman approached the vet door in her Ugg boots and puffy jacket. She entered exclaiming she'd called about the mourning dove she held in a cat carrier by her side. Its eye was falling out, she said, it needed help. The staff took the carrying case as the woman explained she was a vegan animal rescuer. I guess she didn't know her boots are made from sheep. She noticed Tigs and asked if he was a rescue; I said yes and he reluctantly sniffed her hand. The doctor returned and told the woman there was nothing they could do; the wild bird was badly hurt and had a broken wing. The woman's cell phone rang. She told the doctor as she answered that she needed to be with the bird. The doctor told her they'd already given it its fatal shot. This upset the woman greatly so she hung up her phone. She insisted on seeing the dove before it died. They brought the withering thing into the waiting room and the woman cradled it to her chest. She whispered to it and I looked at Tigs head.
I felt that bird leave its body and had to fight every urge to cry. Sometimes I think I breathed that little doves soul right into my heart.
posted by adnicul at 2:26 PM
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