MOOSE
Moose was brought in to the emergency hospital by a Sacramento Animal Control Officer, who had found him in the early hours of the morning lying by the side of busy Power Inn Road. The officer was unsure if the big dog was even alive, he was so cold, and unresponsive, having been lying in the cold rain possibly for hours. On exam, we discovered that he was alive, but in severe shock, with a belly full of blood from a fractured spleen. He also had a collar, a microchip, and was neutered. We felt certain that this boy would be missed by someone. As we attempted to resuscitate him, he showed signs of leaving this world. The vet reached for the euthanasia solution, apologizing to the tech and officer who had been working on him with her. Just before administering the drug, and letting him slip peacefully away, she stopped. "No. This one is going to make it," she told the tech and officer who had been helping with him. And he did. After a few hours, a plasma transfusion, pain medication, slow warming, his spleen bleed clotted, and he regained consciousness. Over the next two days, he seemed to unfurl himself slowly, sore, and hobbled at first, then gaining mobility, as well as confidence. Soon, the whole hospital had fallen in love with him. We were surprised when the shelter notified us that no owner had been found, as their contact information had not been updated in the system, and that they found him unadoptable due to behavior. We knew better, and were happy to take him back. When one of the hospital's favorite clients, having recently lost a dear pit bull to cancer let us know that she was ready to adopt another dog, we knew she would be the perfect match for Moose. We arranged a meeting, with her son, and her other dog. Moose walked into the room, made a bee line for the son, and seemed to levitate into his arms, hanging onto him in a gentle embrace. They were, indeed, the perfect match. We hear from them frequently how they could not imagine their life with out Moose.
