I am heartbroken

by Curt
(Monterey, California)

I ran over my 11 year old Basset Hound (and my best friend) Jack. I have been crying constantly ever since. I was getting ready for a party and racing to town to get more food and I forgot that Jack went out, came back in...... and possibly went out the opened garage door again (he did). I'm guessing that he ran to the car from the side (he loves to go to town) but I never saw him. As I turned and started to go forward I felt a thud and crunch and wonder what that was....I thought to myself that maybe someone left a toy in the road. Then I heard the howling over the radio and stopped immediately. When I opened my car door, I heard a loud howling of my basset hound and I ran back to the terrible nightmare. I leaned down to assess him, holding his face and he bit my hand. It was a large laceration to one leg and his legs were split flaccid. I scooped Jack and ran to the car, put my emergency blinks on and raced to the emergency animal hospital as fast as I could. When I arrived, Jack was very shocky. They started an IV, gave Jack pain medication, IV fluids and packed the laceration. I then raced Jack to the animal trauma center about 30 miles away where he spent 3 days in the doggie ICU. He is now home and this is day 7. He's eating (but it takes encouragement), he's drinking and had several small stool. He can stand (Thank you God) but he is still weak and wobbly and prefers not to walk at this time. This is tearing me up because he is such a vibrant happy dog. Jack eats voraciously then usually gulps a lot of water....then runs outside to pee several times and poops (I know his routine). Jack is my baby and I love him so much......I am soooo stupid for allowing this to happen. I have spared no expense in his care and have taken him back to the clinic many times for pain shots....or what ever he needs. Jack sustained 2 pelvic fractures (but I was told not in weight bearing area) and a complete sacral fracture.....so I'm watching bowl and bladder control as well as his ability to walk. Jack's once extremely energetic tail is now floppy. I know that I am very very lucky that Jack is alive and I still have extreme anxiety when I think about that horrible night.......When I thought that I killed my baby and he was going to die right in front of me. Please help me with helpful, encouraging stories, thoughts and prayers.

Curt@redshift.com