(I try not to use names or specific personal details in my “tails”,
however when given permission and in extraordinary circumstances, some people
deserve recognition.)
The behind the scenes shelter
staff, kennel attendants, veterinary technicians and veterinarians, are often
the unsung heroes. Because they are not as publicly known or recognized at the
more visible staff such as ACOs, adoption staff, or volunteers, their stories
often go untold. However, every day they make an incredible difference in the
lives of not just the shelter animals, but the animals and people in our
community.
I received a call from Sacramento
Metro Fire for assistance with a rescue they were on scene at. The Fire Captain
relayed to me that they had a small dog with his foot stuck in the drain of a
bathtub. They had been trying and trying to get this little guy out and the dog
was becoming increasingly agitated and was in pain. The Captain said they had
tried about 30 veterinary hospitals from the one side of the valley to the
other, including mobile equine vets and UC Davis. No one was able to come to
the scene to sedate the dog so that it wouldn’t be so stressed out while they
tried to get him out. The owner was willing to have the tub removed even, but
that still didn’t solve the problem of getting a very stressed out ,upset and
hurting little dog out of the drain.
I told the Captain I would see
what I could do. This was an unusual request. They were going to have the owner
keep the dog comfortable and clear the scene until we responded out. I made a
call to the med unit at the shelter. I figured I would at least ask the vet on
duty if I could come pick up a sedative to take to the scene and get the dog
immobilized to see if that would help relax him enough to get his foot
out. I spoke with Dr. Jean Rabinowitz,
our new addition to our wonderful vet staff. I explained to her what was going
on and my request. After a brief conversation, Dr. Rabinowitz volunteered to
meet me at the scene to ensure the safe administration of the sedative while
the dog was being rescued. And that would also save time by her meeting me
there.
When I arrived Dr. Rabinowitz was
already there. She had arrived only a few minutes ahead of me, and had already
administered the sedative. She had climbed in the tub and was working to try to
free the dog’s toes that were stuck between the cross bars of the drain catch. This
little guy’s toes were in tight. Even under sedation, there was no easy way to
get those toes unstuck.
We ended up calling Sacramento
Metro Fire crew back to the dog owner’s house. Time was becoming critical because
the dog would soon be waking up from the sedation and we would then be back to
square one.
The fire crew from Sacramento
Metro Fire Station 111 arrived and immediately began to work on the drain. At
one point we had a little dog stuck in a drain, along with one vet, four firefighters
and one ACO, me, in this tiny bathroom.
The dog’s owner was standing by
anxiously. She kept saying anything that had to be done to the tub to free her
baby could be done. Firefighters tried removing the drain, but the drain head
was screwed into the drainpipe. And there was no way to get it un-screwed with
the little dog attached to it. In these several minutes the dog was starting to
wake up. Dr. Rabinowitz continued to monitor the dog and continued to try to
free the toes. There was also no option to remove the toes. The drain cross
bars had to be removed to free the dog. This proved to be more difficult and
very precarious to do with little toes in the way.
The little dog was starting to
wake up more and more as each moment went by. The firefighters continued to try
to figure out how to get the drain removed and contemplated calling in the
Engine Truck, with all the “cool” tools. But there really wasn’t time. The dog
was waking up, in pain and surrounded by strangers.
The firefighters gave it one more
shot using a breaker bar and a sledge to carefully break each of the cross
bars. Those cross bars proved to be pretty resilient and made the task all that
much more difficult. Finally they were
able to break three of the crossbars allowing just enough room wiggle room to
get those toes out.
The little dog was pulled to
safety and checked over by Dr. Rabinowitz. After all that, all he had were a
couple swollen toes and a small cut. He was turned over to his anxious owner.
Dr. Jean Rabinowitz and the
firefighters from SacMetro Fire Station 111 in Rio Linda are heroes. They all
went above and beyond to save a little dog named Bailey, and his toes!
Dr. Rabinowitz also gets extra
hurrahs in my book for surviving the shampoo bottle that fell on her head, the
shower curtain and rod that came crashing down and when the waking up little
dog latched onto her wrist during this rescue. Nothing stood in her way to make
sure Bailey was rescued in one piece.
