For a dog that received a religious blessing, Sye had a rough week.
Then again, he's lucky to be alive after being hit by a vehicle on the freeway.
"I think if he wasn't blessed that day, he wouldn't have made it," said Sue Garcia, who took the 9-month-old hound mix to the Brady Street Pet Parade on Sunday.
The dog belongs to Sue's daughter, Jennifer Barron, who did not come along Sunday. Sye got to spend some quality time, in Jennifer's words, with grandma.
Sye was among the pets blessed on Sunday afternoon by Father Mike Hammer of Three Holy Women Parish. You might think this infusion of holiness would have ushered in a peaceful day for pet and owner alike.
But a short time later, someone in the crowd blew a trumpet. That spooked Sye and caused him to wriggle out of his harness and run.
"It happened so fast. The next thing I knew he was gone," said Sue.
She yelled, "Somebody stop that dog. Help me!"
Half a dozen other people and their pets joined in the chase, but Sye disappeared into the crowd. People pointed in the direction the dog had run. Sue started giving her phone number to everyone in case they saw the dog later.
She kept thinking how difficult it would be to explain to Jennifer that her dog was gone. She blamed herself.
During the chase, she called MADACC, the Milwaukee Area Domestic Animal Control Commission, and explained the situation. Minutes later, someone from MADACC called her back and said the dog had been found.
That's great news, Sue thought. But then the person explained the dog had been hit on I-43 near North Ave., and the Milwaukee County sheriff's office was bringing it in.
Sue was able to speak later to the deputy involved. He told her he was getting ready to go off duty when he got a call about a dog running loose on the freeway. He spotted the animal lying in a traffic lane and thought it was dead. Then he saw Sye raise his head.
The deputy stopped, jumped over a median barrier, and picked up the wounded dog. He put him in his squad and sped to MADACC at 38th and Burnham.
The deputy told Sue that the driver who hit Sye apparently kept on going. It's not considered criminal hit and run when it's an animal, he told her. Still, though, it's not very nice.
Sue, Jennifer and Jennifer's fiancé also rushed to MADACC and took Sye to the Milwaukee Emergency Center for Animals in Greenfield.
"I love you. I'm sorry, Sye," Sue called out to the dog when she saw him on a stretcher and covered with a blanket.
Sye was pretty banged up. He had trauma to his chest and head, and had lost a lot of blood. He was given a transfusion. The dog also had a shattered pelvis and broken leg, said the veterinarian and hospital owner, Marla Lichtenberger.
Sye is now out of danger, and on Friday he is scheduled for surgery on his leg and pelvis. He could go home by the weekend.
The cost of all this care is running near $8,000, at least twice what the dog owners could afford. So a charitable group, Animal Fairy Charities, stepped in and began raising money to help out. Debra Lopez of Franklin, founder of the organization, said small donations from all over the country — news travels fast on social media — have reached $3,500.
If you want to help, go to the group's website, animalfairycharities.org, and click on AFC Emergency Fund.
Sue expressed thanks to MADACC, the sheriff's office, the hospital and everyone who helped out.
Even the vet was saying the dog perhaps was more blessed than lucky, except for the part about being run over.
"You've kind of got to think," Lichtenberger said, "that somebody was looking down on this dog."
Call Jim Stingl at (414) 224-2017 or email at jstingl@jrn.com
via www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/dog-lucky-to-be-alive-following-car-accident-after-blessing-b99117754z1-227323261.html
Then again, he's lucky to be alive after being hit by a vehicle on the freeway.
"I think if he wasn't blessed that day, he wouldn't have made it," said Sue Garcia, who took the 9-month-old hound mix to the Brady Street Pet Parade on Sunday.
The dog belongs to Sue's daughter, Jennifer Barron, who did not come along Sunday. Sye got to spend some quality time, in Jennifer's words, with grandma.
Sye was among the pets blessed on Sunday afternoon by Father Mike Hammer of Three Holy Women Parish. You might think this infusion of holiness would have ushered in a peaceful day for pet and owner alike.
But a short time later, someone in the crowd blew a trumpet. That spooked Sye and caused him to wriggle out of his harness and run.
"It happened so fast. The next thing I knew he was gone," said Sue.
She yelled, "Somebody stop that dog. Help me!"
Half a dozen other people and their pets joined in the chase, but Sye disappeared into the crowd. People pointed in the direction the dog had run. Sue started giving her phone number to everyone in case they saw the dog later.
She kept thinking how difficult it would be to explain to Jennifer that her dog was gone. She blamed herself.
During the chase, she called MADACC, the Milwaukee Area Domestic Animal Control Commission, and explained the situation. Minutes later, someone from MADACC called her back and said the dog had been found.
That's great news, Sue thought. But then the person explained the dog had been hit on I-43 near North Ave., and the Milwaukee County sheriff's office was bringing it in.
Sue was able to speak later to the deputy involved. He told her he was getting ready to go off duty when he got a call about a dog running loose on the freeway. He spotted the animal lying in a traffic lane and thought it was dead. Then he saw Sye raise his head.
The deputy stopped, jumped over a median barrier, and picked up the wounded dog. He put him in his squad and sped to MADACC at 38th and Burnham.
The deputy told Sue that the driver who hit Sye apparently kept on going. It's not considered criminal hit and run when it's an animal, he told her. Still, though, it's not very nice.
Sue, Jennifer and Jennifer's fiancé also rushed to MADACC and took Sye to the Milwaukee Emergency Center for Animals in Greenfield.
"I love you. I'm sorry, Sye," Sue called out to the dog when she saw him on a stretcher and covered with a blanket.
Sye was pretty banged up. He had trauma to his chest and head, and had lost a lot of blood. He was given a transfusion. The dog also had a shattered pelvis and broken leg, said the veterinarian and hospital owner, Marla Lichtenberger.
Sye is now out of danger, and on Friday he is scheduled for surgery on his leg and pelvis. He could go home by the weekend.
The cost of all this care is running near $8,000, at least twice what the dog owners could afford. So a charitable group, Animal Fairy Charities, stepped in and began raising money to help out. Debra Lopez of Franklin, founder of the organization, said small donations from all over the country — news travels fast on social media — have reached $3,500.
If you want to help, go to the group's website, animalfairycharities.org, and click on AFC Emergency Fund.
Sue expressed thanks to MADACC, the sheriff's office, the hospital and everyone who helped out.
Even the vet was saying the dog perhaps was more blessed than lucky, except for the part about being run over.
"You've kind of got to think," Lichtenberger said, "that somebody was looking down on this dog."
Call Jim Stingl at (414) 224-2017 or email at jstingl@jrn.com
via www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/dog-lucky-to-be-alive-following-car-accident-after-blessing-b99117754z1-227323261.html
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