Welcome Home

I had a great trip to DC this last week.  I got to see good friends, the weather was great (crisp but not cold), the food was amazing and (surprisingly) the training was really useful.  But with all of that, the most interesting thing of the week happened on the way home from the airport.

Right after we passed Hattieville, we came across a van overturned on the side of the road.  There were several a half dozen children and several adults standing around.  They all looked American and it looked like people might be hurt, so I had the driver stop and I got out to help.  The driver had been coming down the road and swerved to miss a dog.  When he got onto the shoulder, he flipped the van onto his right side.

I made sure that the ambulance had been called.  Two of the kids had cuts that may have required stitches, but nothing serious.  Lots of scared parents and kids.  They had spent the past week on a family mission trip near Dangriga.  They were on their way to the airport to go home when the dog ran out in front of them.  As the police and ambulance arrived, I made sure they had contact information for the Embassy and the airlines (they were likely to miss their flight).

As I made my way back to the car, I saw something on the shoulder about 100 yards up the road.  When I got there, I saw the dog that had presumably run out in front.  She was hurt pretty badly.  He back legs were injured and she was trying to drag herself down the road.  When I got near she just laid down on her side.  I didn't know what to do - Belize doesn't have animal control.  The police officer laughed at me when I asked if they could do anything.  The dog wasn't dead, but she would die if I left her there.

I decided to load her into the back of the Embassy SUV (there was some cardboard in the back).  We brought her back to Belmopan and then I took her to a local vet.  He is going to keep her overnight for observation.  He said if she lasts the night, she will likely survive.  If she survives, I will either adopt her or find her a home.  I wasn't planning on getting another dog, but I couldn't just leave on the road.