Dog Eat Dog

This weekend I had one of the scariest and most traumatic experiences of my life. My dog Pancake was attacked by a Doberman Pinscher. It is one thing to be injured or attacked yourself, it is a whole new ballgame when it happens to someone (or some dog) whom you love and are responsible for.

Saturday morning, Pancake and I were going for a nice leisurely stroll down Franklin Ave. Pancake is a very friendly dog and I normally let her meet and sniff other small dogs we encounter. However, when we see dogs who are large and or angry looking, we tend to steer clear. We were prancing along right outside Brooklyn Label, our local coffee shop, when suddenly I spied a large and fierce (not like ferocia coutura) Doberman Pinscher that had its eyes on my poor little baby. This dog was on a leash that was being held by a small girl who looked to be no older than 6 years old. Pancake and I were trying to get away from this scary creature when I heard the girl say, "No Ana, no!" Ana the Doberman broke free of her young holder and went straight for Pancake. Ana grabbed Pancake in her large mouth and tossed her to the ground, biting and shaking her. If you have ever met Pancake, you will know that she is the number one sweetest dog, would never harm a fly, and hasn't the slightest clue about how to defend herself.

It was right around this time that my surge of adrenalin/motherly instinct kicked in. I reached down and ripped my pup out of Ana's mouth. I had no thought about what danger I might be putting myself in, I just knew I needed to help my best doggy friend. I was screaming and crying a little bit, but then managed to calm down and use my brain. After I had stopped screaming, I heard screaming coming from someone else. I looked in my arms and realized it was Pancake screaming. It sounded like a human scream and was undoubtedly the most terrifying thing I have ever heard in my life, hands down.

Suddenly, a woman emerged from the coffee shop. It was the mother of the girl/owner of the other dog. She grabbed Ana and had her daughter come over to me to tell me a message. "My mommy said she will pay for the pills that your doggy will have to take," she said shakily. It was a nice gesture, and if I weren't in such a panic, I might have said ,"Cool, thanks kid." But I think I just screamed or something. I ended up getting the lady's email address and she agreed to cover the vet bill. She also agreed not to leave her dog unattended with her small child ever again.

Moments later, we rushed Pancake to our local vet for an emergency visit. She was obviously in a lot of pain and had some big bite marks on her sides, although her skin was not punctured. She was shaking like a leaf the whole time in the emergency room but she was very brave and even managed to wag her little tail while we comforted her. I on the other hand, was a complete wreck. I was sobbing and hyperventilating. I couldn't help but think "what if I had just seen the dog earlier so we could cross the street faster" or "what if we had gone on a shorter walk, then none of this would have happened." Yes, what if. I was sure Pancake had broken her leg and that they were going to have to amputate it, leaving her with a nub.

Once the vet got a look at her, she determined Pancake was not broken, just messed up. Her muscles were spasming from the shock and so she got a doggy acupuncture treatment to soothe her pain. She was also given some muscle relaxers and pain killers. She is sorta sad and sorta scared, and we can't pick her up without her yelping, but she is going to be ok. That is the most important thing.

My poor dog has been through so much, and it's really not fair because she honestly is the sweetest little creature I have ever encountered. She is recovering on my couch if you would care to send her balloons or treats.