Out of the Wilderness

Obviously you can guess watching your dog get hit by a car is not something preferable. All the emotions you’d suspect to feel are there. To define the initial reaction, shock. I didn’t even have time for fear beforehand, because even though the pieces were falling in place for the scary incident to happen, it’s true what they say, “You don’t think it will happen to you.” I remember not breathing. I remember the shock. What I didn’t expect was how fast it all happened and how I’d feel minutes, hours, and days later.

A dog park buddy and I were taking his dog and my dogs from a fenced-in dog park to another one close by. His beagle was off the leash and my puppy Asia was as well. They both took off like young dogs do and they ran farther than either of us expected. They crossed a nearby street. When they tried to cross back over, the accident happened. His dog sat in the street, howling. Asia popped up, running around stunned at what just happened. Like a deer that is struck, I thought Asia was in pain and didn’t know how to react. The beagle was injured. The owner scooped her up and carted her away to his car. I haven’t seen them since. I think about that beagle every day and pray she is fine. Once Asia was corralled in, I thoroughly checked her from nose to tail. She didn’t appear to have a scratch on her. Nothing broken. No bleeding. Only startled. She and I both.

Since then, not much has changed. I’ve gone to work. I’ve taken them back to the dog park. Asia is completely fine and I’m wondering if she even remembers the accident at all. I love that dog. Even more now, somehow. And the word hero comes to mind when I think of the people that helped me that day. Immediately after the accident, Asia was running around wildly. She would not come to me but there were people who came out of the dog park to help coax her in. They could have staying inside the fenced-in park and watched, but they came out to help. Even though it’s a small non-newsworthy story, they are heroes to me. In a tiny way, it restores my faith in humanity.

For whatever reason, it wasn’t part of God’s plan for her to suffer an injury that day. Now I feel grateful. Extremely thankful. More connected. Appreciating both of my dogs and the time we spend together. That day I didn’t expect anything major to happen and while I’ll never be glad that it did, I’m thankful for a new perspective. I’m thankful for Asia and Piper. I’m thankful for the connection I have with them. I’m thankful for a revived conversation with God. I don’t know how the other beagle is, but I hope she’s chasing rabbits again soon.