Bad, bad.. horrible night!

[Budnicks]

Looks like he's doing ok! They're a tough breed and damned determined to survive.

Man if this doesn't bring back memories of a yellow lab we used to have. Her name was Samantha Sprigs, last name after her grandfather. She was acquired as a six week old pup to be able to grow up with our five year old son.

She was about 18 months old and we had her in a kennel that was attached to the rear of the house. I came home from work and the side door was open and she was nowhere to be found. I frantically went from house to house asking if anyone had seen her. Finally I knocked on the right door and the lady told me what she knew.

Apparently these two young boys let her out of the kennel, led her down to the busy road that ran in front of our house and called her across the road right in front of a car. The car hit her and drug her about twenty yards. I saw where this happened when the lady pointed to the spot. There was blood all over the road. I asked where she was.

The lady's husband heard the tires squealing and ran outside. He picked her up and placed her up on the bank so no other cars would run over her again. She was not responsive and as far as he knew she was dead. The driver did stop and was told to travel on. He came back to his house and called the local Humane Society. When they came out, miraculously she was sitting up and looking around. So they loaded her up and took her to a veterinary hospital.

I thanked the lady, ran back home and called the veterinary hospital. They said the Humane Society had her. I'm like what the heck? They had ex-rayed her and there was no broken bones. So they shot her up with antibiotics and had the Humane Society pick her back up. This was too much to believe especially after seeing all of that blood. I called them and they said they would bring her back if I was going to be home.

Twenty minutes later they pulled into the driveway. Opened up the back doors of their van and there she laid on a stretcher, all covered in blood. When she heard my voice she tried her best to wag her tail. We carried her into the house and laid her on a makeshift bed. There she laid for the first two weeks. I had to force feed her and coax her to drink water. It was three weeks before she could stand and try to walk again.

Several weeks later she was back to her old self again for the exception of a sideways gate when she was just trotting. Walking or full out running you would have never known what she had been through.

A little history on this yellow lab known as Samantha Sprigs. She was the only one out of a litter of eight that lived. All of her siblings died from poisoned milk that her mom was producing.

As the story I just told goes, she was ran over by a car and left for dead.

She developed cancer and had to have one of her mammary glands removed. Another long recovery to go through.

She was struck by lightning! I was there when it happened and it completely knocked her out. But she was ok, just a little slow walking a couple of days afterwards.

Samantha lived to be seventeen years old. One of the best friends a man can have the pleasure of knowing.

Damn, she was a tough girl...
Samantha RIP

---------------------------------------------------------

Yeah my old dog Lord Budnicks (RIP) got hit
by a old 90's Dodge Ram 2500 4x4, this was like 2005-ish
right after I bought the house up here
he'd have been like 7-8 y/o
I was outside on the side yard doing fencing,
moving a gate & chainlink fence
Buddy would be with me everywhere always, by my side...
Then a lady/husband we know, was walking their dog across the street
he was just going out to greet the lady & her dog
labs are highly social dogs, especially women
I didn't notice, they were there or I'd ordered him to stay

We were new to the area,
he wasn't use to the new house or street or any traffic
we hardly have any traffic, maybe 4 cars/trucks all day long
when he was running across the see/great them
that truck was going up the hill,
people always pick up speed it's at the base of a hill too,
to get up the hill easily...

Buddy ran into the truck more than the truck hitting him
at like 40mph
he ran smack into the front bumper, I heard/saw it too
I don't think he went under the tire or truck,
it all happened so fast & I just saw my dog hit the truck
I heard him yelp/scream sort of, god awful noise
I ran out there & yelled for the guy to stop
he did & got out & saw the dog & was all apologetic
(it wasn't really his fault, he was going too fast thou & I let him know it)

I ran to Buddy, he was knocked unconscious & just laying there
in the middle of the road, looking lifeless...
It didn't look like he was breathing & I thought he was dead for sure...
he had what looked like road rash too,
blood everywhere from the gash above his eye,
dirt all down one side...

Then he all of a sudden took a big breath & started to
cry/whine/whimper more like...
He was scared obviously in pain...
I was just petting him & trying to keep him calm...
He was trying to get up...
I kept him down...
I felt all around to see if anything was broken,
I could NOT feel anything broken'
he did have a huge deep gash above his left eye
he couldn't stand, like a boxer that just got his bell rung...

I picked him up & my dad drove US down to the local vet
(dad old vet) me holding a 95+# lab in my lap
"that was a cluster ****, they were just getting ready to close
making excuses"
I was pissed
I made such a fuss they had no choice but to take him in & treat him
I was pissed like you can't believe,
here's a dog that just got hit by a car, open wound & bleeding
& you're worried about customers before him
in there for vaccinations etc.

anyway,
He just had a concussion rang his bell bad
knocked him out, he got like 12 (IIRC) stitches above his left eye
they said no neurological damage but wanted to keep him overnight
just in case, several hundred $$'s later,
I didn't care he was alive & OK

when I went to get him the next day
it was like nothing ever happened
all happy & acting goofy like normal

Ol' Lord Budnicks was a tough old SOB, he lived to 16 years 4 months
I still miss him today, even now having Elvis another chocolate lab,
going to be 6 in June, I love labs

Elvis at 3

 

[khryslerkid]

The dog will get better, I hope. The guilt is hard to deal with. I used to let our first Newfoundland out to use the bathroom at about 12:00 midnight. She went over by the road and I heard a car coming. Sure enough, she got hit and dragged for about 50 yards. These black dogs are almost impossible to see in the dark. I saw the sparks on the street coming from her metal collar. The girl didn't stop but it was really my fault for letting Little Bear out. (Little Bear is a 160 pound Newfoundland.) She got better eventually but I still can't get over the guilt.


Now on a lighter side let me tell you about owning such a big dog.

If they step on your barefoot you're going to have a paw-shaped bruise.

Just two of them will take up a king-sized bed leaving me about 10" left for my legs.

They are too big to go up steps naturally. Their body is too big. They have to zig-zag constantly making the steps further apart for their long bodies.

With their double coat, the shedding is unreal. They are happiest at 40 degrees or lower rolling in the snow.

You are not strong enough to keep them out of any water (or mud) they see.





When they shake their head you can get slimed.

50 pounds a week of dry dog food.

They are gentle giants with people but if another dog gets aggressive they are dangerous. They might mistake really small dogs as rabbits. The problem is other dogs freak out when they see a dog that large so then the big dog thinks the fight is on.

They look and sound like bears.




I really hope your dog gets well soon!!!! I love Labs.


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View attachment 1100427

That would have to be like having a bear in your house! Such a beautiful dog

Damn, she was a tough girl...
Samantha RIP

---------------------------------------------------------

Yeah my old dog Lord Budnicks (RIP) got hit
by a old 90's Dodge Ram 2500 4x4, this was like 2005-ish
right after I bought the house up here
he'd have been like 7-8 y/o
I was outside on the side yard doing fencing,
moving a gate & chainlink fence
Buddy would be with me everywhere always, by my side...
Then a lady/husband we know, was walking their dog across the street
he was just going out to greet the lady & her dog
labs are highly social dogs, especially women
I didn't notice, they were there or I'd ordered him to stay

We were new to the area,
he wasn't use to the new house or street or any traffic
we hardly have any traffic, maybe 4 cars/trucks all day long
when he was running across the see/great them
that truck was going up the hill,
people always pick up speed it's at the base of a hill too,
to get up the hill easily...

Buddy ran into the truck more than the truck hitting him
at like 40mph
he ran smack into the front bumper, I heard/saw it too
I don't think he went under the tire or truck,
it all happened so fast & I just saw my dog hit the truck
I heard him yelp/scream sort of, god awful noise
I ran out there & yelled for the guy to stop
he did & got out & saw the dog & was all apologetic
(it wasn't really his fault, he was going too fast thou & I let him know it)

I ran to Buddy, he was knocked unconscious & just laying there
in the middle of the road, looking lifeless...
It didn't look like he was breathing & I thought he was dead for sure...
he had what looked like road rash too,
blood everywhere from the gash above his eye,
dirt all down one side...

Then he all of a sudden took a big breath & started to
cry/whine/whimper more like...
He was scared obviously in pain...
I was just petting him & trying to keep him calm...
He was trying to get up...
I kept him down...
I felt all around to see if anything was broken,
I could NOT feel anything broken'
he did have a huge deep gash above his left eye
he couldn't stand, like a boxer that just got his bell rung...

I picked him up & my dad drove US down to the local vet
(dad old vet) me holding a 95+# lab in my lap
"that was a cluster ****, they were just getting ready to close
making excuses"
I was pissed
I made such a fuss they had no choice but to take him in & treat him
I was pissed like you can't believe,
here's a dog that just got hit by a car, open wound & bleeding
& you're worried about customers before him
in there for vaccinations etc.

anyway,
He just had a concussion rang his bell bad
knocked him out, he got like 12 (IIRC) stitches above his left eye
they said no neurological damage but wanted to keep him overnight
just in case, several hundred $$'s later,
I didn't care he was alive & OK

when I went to get him the next day
it was like nothing ever happened
all happy & acting goofy like normal

Ol' Lord Budnicks was a tough old SOB, he lived to 16 years 4 months
I still miss him today, even now having Elvis another chocolate lab,
going to be 6 in June, I love labs
View attachment 1100857

View attachment 1100837

Elvis at 3
View attachment 1100841

I've had the pleasure to own three Labs now and they are the most attentive, intelligent, sympathetic towards your feelings, dog I've ever seen. They can be a real ham at times too.

One day I came home with a 25lb bag of dry dog food and left it outside by the back door. A couple of hours later I went back out and saw the empty bag laying in the yard. I couldn't believe it, Sam had eaten the whole contents! I found her on the front porch, as big as a cow, all swollen and just laying there with this funny looking grin. Wagging her tail and looking at me like "I think I did something wrong" look. I called the vet and he said she'll probably be ok just keep an eye on her. Don't give her a lot of water but give her some. Crazy dog was like a bottomless pit when it came to eating. I guess she met her match (had her fill).

 

[Builderguy]

Dogs are man's best friend, but you Sir, are Bennie's best friend. Glad he is on the mend!

 

[coronet68mx]

Thank God he have you to take care of him, dogs can handled a lot but he need a good and compassionate owner to get him trough, and you are that owner, a few months ago a car hit the dog that llives in the condo, she barely made it, took her to the vet, a really bad cut in one arm pit a lot of scratches but nothing broken, although it was expensive and am short on money right now am not letting her down, she fully recovered, and now she barely leaves the condo, a lot of neighbors ask me about "Gorda " and even some want to tip in, I refuse because I didn't do this for money, I love this dog.

 

[70runner]

Happy ending given the circumstances, well done Bennie and Bennie owner. As a Boxer breeder/owner for 40yrs, they are all precious family members.

 

[Wile E]

It just was not his time and glad for you my friend. Its one of the hardest things to lose a good bud like him!

 

[Budnicks]

Thank God he have you to take care of him, dogs can handled a lot but he need a good and compassionate owner to get him trough, and you are that owner, a few months ago a car hit the dog that llives in the condo, she barely made it, took her to the vet, a really bad cut in one arm pit a lot of scratches but nothing broken, although it was expensive and am short on money right now am not letting her down, she fully recovered, and now she barely leaves the condo, a lot of neighbors ask me about "Gorda " and even some want to tip in, I refuse because I didn't do this for money, I love this dog.

View attachment 1100963

she's in great hands too