She Didn't Know Me My husband and I were traveling on I20, in Texas on July 6th 1997. We were between Canton and Lindale when I spotted a Golden Retriever in the middle grass between the east and west bound lanes. She was lying on her belly, head up, panting. Her eyes met mine as I traveled east. I told my husband, Tim, what I had seen. For the next 5 miles we debated, was she ok? Was she just lying there resting or had she been hit by a car? Should we go back and get her? What about the fishing trip we had planned to go on tomorrow? How would picking her up interfere with it? We finally agreed, this dog needed our help. We turned the car around and headed West. As we drove, we decided we would cancel our trip. My husband works in Ft. Worth during the week and me and my daughter live in a rural area in far East Texas. After school was released I moved to Ft. Worth to be with my husband for the summer. On this fateful trip west we also decided I would stay at home and take care of this dog. I would take her to the vet, become her friend, let her know that someone did care. We made lots of plans in those long five miles. As we neared the place I thought she was, I became nervous. Cars were slamming on their brakes and for a moment I thought the dog had decided to go ahead and cross the west bound lane, and may have been run over. To my relief the dog was not in the road. I slowed down where I thought she was and I saw her. She was no longer sitting up. My heart skipped a beat as I realized that she had indeed been run over. She had been run over before I ever saw her the first time. Just 10 or 15 minutes before I had driven by her she must have been alive and well. She must have been standing on the side of that highway trying to cross. I drove on by her with such a sense of dread. I turned the car around and started heading east. Mine and Tim’s conversation took a different tone. Now, we were angry that it was a Sunday and a vet would be so hard to find. We were wondering out loud if she was even alive, how bad was she hurt? We didn’t care how much money it would cost or how many trips might be missed, we were concerned for her. We reached the spot where she lay. I waited for traffic to temporarily subside so, I could run across. She was lying on her right side, eyes opened, breathing labored, blood on her mouth. I spoke soothingly to her, but got no response. I touched her nose gently and rubbed it for a moment. I knew she was dying and felt so helpless. I ran back over to the car, and got in. I told Tim the horrible situation. We sat there for about 5 minutes. Again, we were trying to decide what to do. Was she just in shock? Could we find a vet in Lindale? We had our cell phone with us but, couldn’t dial 911, after all it was just a dog. I told Tim I needed to go see how she was doing. I got back out of the car and ran over to her. Her condition had deteriorated. Her head was pulled back as if the muscles on the back of her neck were being pulled taut. Her eyes had rolled back into her head and she was no longer breathing, but her lungs were involuntarily trying to pull in air. She died then, in someone’s presence she never knew. A stranger that she would never know cared about her. I reluctantly left her there on the side of the road. One of the many canine corpses that line Texas’ roads and highways. My husband and I both cried most of the two hours left in the trip, as I’m crying now. I kept wondering what I could have done that may have saved her. What if I’d stopped when I first saw her? Could the fifteen minutes have saved her? I’ll never know. Tim and I did discuss what we could do in the future. Here in East Texas I’ve stopped at various houses to tell the owner their dog is in the road. Most act like, well stupid dog. In my mind I think "Well, stupid people." Too many Texans are irresponsible pet owners. I’ve lived and/or traveled every state in the West and most in the east, and every time I get back to Texas I’m amazed and saddened at all the dead animals, mostly dogs on the side of the roads and highways. Tim and I have eight terrific dogs. We know how difficult being a responsible pet owner can be. But, they are just like our children. We keep them safe and they are well cared for and loved. None of our dogs will ever have the fate of dying in the presence of a stranger. They will die with dignity and in the arms of people who love them. After I left that dog, I thought, I didn’t even know if she was a girl or boy. She died nameless and sexless on the side of a busy highway with a stranger she didn’t know. This is dedicated to her and all like her. July 9,1997. We were so tormented by thoughts of leaving that poor dog on the side of the road, that we had a friend go pick her up and bury her. She deserved better. "She Didn't Know Me" Has an Impact I received two email messages on Sept. 9, 1998 from Jeanna. 1st email They messages start "I just wanted to let you know that the your telling the story of the golden retriever that died on the road may have saved another ones life." Click here to read the messages. Another Time, Another Place, Same Story I received another email on Jan. 9, 1999 from Susan, Dusty, Samantha and Jenna. It started with "The same type thing happened to me on December 31, 1998." Click here to read the rest of the message. Main Page Site Index Hosted by GeoCities. Get your free page