How to save a (little) life...

I had just stepped out of the shower when I got a call from Joel today. "There's a dog dying near the pharmacy."

What? Oh nooo!

She looks exhausted

Joel said the dog was having convulsions and looked like it was about to die. After learning that it hadn't been hit by a car, I got dressed and called my friend, JP, who is a vet in Antigua. JP owns the clinic where I volunteer to walk dogs. Unfortunately, he is closed on Sunday and lives an hour away, but said one of his technicians would be at the clinic later. He said he'd call when his vet tech was at the clinic and if we could get the dog there, they could check her out and keep her overnight. So, I grabbed a bag of kibble, a bottle of water, and a bowl. I rushed out of the apartment, with wet hair dripping down my neck. I was in such a hurry, I had to double-check as I walked out the door that I had remember to put on a bra. (Yup.)

OMG! Chiiiicken! Nom-nom-nom...

I headed to the pharmacy and came upon Joel, standing with a group of people looking at a dog on the sidewalk. Luckily, she was in the shade. The sidewalk around her was wet -- people had obviously been trying to give her water. Her tongue was hanging out. She was breathing heavy. She looked miserable. I pulled out the bowl, filled it with water and set it on the sidewalk by her face. She lifted her head and immediately started drinking. She must've sat there for three solid minutes, just drinking and drinking. The poor girl was majorly dehydrated.

As she drank, I opened the bag of food and sprinkled some near the bowl. She stopped drinking and sniffed at the food. "That's all we have on the menu today," I explained to her. She decided, ok, this crappy kibble is better than starving to death, so she started eating. And she ate. And ate. And ate. As the kibble disappeared, I added more to the pile. A very nice family offered to add their leftover fried chicken bits to our pile of kibble. Sooo nice of them. Oh boy, she went craaaazy over that chicken! After killing off the chicken (and realizing more would not magically appear) she went back to eating the crappy kibble.

People were passing by saying things like "Pobrecita!" ("Poor thing!") or commenting on how nice it was for her to have food and water. Several people asked if she was dying. (Hopefully not.) Others asked if she was my dog. (No.) Many just asked what was wrong with her. (She is very hungry and thirsty.) We began to wonder if she was pregnant because she was panting so hard. Oh, craaaap... What would we do if she started pushing out puppies, right there on the sidewalk? I had no clue.

People tending to street dogs is not only
a rarity, it is a spectator sport. 

After eating and drinking, she stood up, walked over to me, and leaned her head on my leg. Now, I don't want to sound all crunchy granola and uber-freaky-cosmic-moon-beam-space-cadet on you, but I swear she was saying "Thank you." I rubbed her head and she was totally cool with being petted. Not skittish or scared. So I petted her more and she eventually laid back down in the shade. I noticed right away that she had a "tick" -- her mouth seemed to move involuntarily, as did one of her legs. Uh-ohhhh...

Sooooo...now what? One nice lady tried calling a friend of hers who was a vet in a nearby town. (They weren't open.) She looked very apologetic as she walked away but I thanked her for making an effort. About 15 minutes later, a very nice young woman named Anna Paula and her mom approached us. The mother asked me if we were planning to do anything. I said we'd like to take her to a clinic, but we didn't have a car. Her daughter went into immediate action, checking the dog's teeth, ears, legs, and prodding on her stomach. Come to find out, she was getting her degree as a vet! YESSS! She assured us the dog was not pregnant (HALLELUJAH -- no sidewalk births today!) but said her stomach felt very bloated. She said the strange ticks could be a neurological problem (I immediately thought of distemper) or there was a chance the dog had been poisoned, which, unfortunately is what they do to get rid of street dogs here. (I hate that.) Anna Paula and her mother went to get milk, explaining that if it was poison, the milk would help coat the dog's stomach and possibly keep her from getting even sicker.

Anna Paula getting the first shot ready.
Yes, guys, she is lovely AND kind. 

When they returned, we dumped out the water and put milk in the bowl. The dog went totally cray-cray over the milk. She drank and drank and drank. I'm pretty sure she even smiled. I told Joel (who was just about to leave) it was probably the first time she'd had milk since being a puppy.

Then Anna Paula and her mom did something amazing. They went to the pharmacy to buy medicine for the dog. Who does that? NICE PEOPLE, that's who. They returned with three vials of medicine to inject into our furry friend. (Who, by the way, was acting muuuuuch happier after getting food, water, and milk. And petting. The petting was especially therapeutic, I am sure.) 

Anna Paula's mom and I held the dog down while Anna Paula cleaned the area with alcohol and injected the first shot. The dog flinched, but did not try to bite. Shot #2 went in without a hitch. However, Anna Paula warned us that shot #3 would be the most painful and to hold on tight.

The third -- and final -- shot

Yyyyep, she was right! Our dog friend did NOT like the third shot. She grumbled and jumped up and gave us a look that said, "Hey! I was ok with the first two, but what the hell was that all about?"

And with that, she wagged her tail, gave a little curtsey, and moseyed on down the street. As the crowd dispersed, I stood and spoke with Anna Paula and her mom (and her dad and boyfriend were there, too!) and thanked them profusely for showing up and lending a hand. I gave them money to help pay for the cost of the shots and hugged them and then I, too, moseyed on down the street.

As I was walking home, guess who I came across, sitting in the shade, chowing down on someone's leftover chicken? You guessed it! She looked up as I stood there and gave a little wag. And then went right back to her chicken.

And that, my friends, is how you save (or at least help save)

Chicken TWICE in one day?
This is the BEST DAY EVER!

a little animal's life here in Antigua.

Until we meet again, stay thirsty and do nice things, my friends!