Sunday, July 12, 2009

Heroic Rescue Effort

Recently Teresa Cotton the Director of Indiana Sheltie Rescue wrote up the efforts of one of our volunteers. While all our rescues may not be so hallowing, we feel very rewarded to see a Sheltie find its way home or find a new forever home.

This morning started out fairly calm then came a phone call from volunteer Don Miller. Doreen is out of town for a few days but Don is home . Don told me he saw a loose sheltie on Interstate 69 and was trying to capture it . After a few phone calls I decided to go out and see if I could help . On the way I phone the humane society for any reports of lost shelties in the area . Immediately I was told that yes there was one . I was given the owner's phone number and called her immediately . She was in down town Indpls at work but was on the road while we were still on the phone . She also phoned her son who was nearby me at the time . When I arrived I find Don with his truck in the median of the Interstate with 4 lanes of 65 mph traffic speeding by us ! He said the sheltie was in the median ! We of course were not supposed to be in the median which is reserved for law enforcement ! The owner must have flown up because she arrived in about 5 minutes with her son not far behind her . To try and picture this area please know that it is the exit where Verizon Music Center is located along with a large shopping center ! Traffic was thick all directions and lots of police were on crowd control for the Verizon Music Center . I dont know how Don was doing it but he had been out there about 2 hours in the heat with no water or drinks . I had no KFC on hand - sorry everyone - but grabbed a package of ham from my house , a large crate and leashes . I decided that strangers trying to capture this sheltie under this circumstances was just too dangerous for all concerned . My rickety old truck did not belong running up and down the Interstate - it's take off is way too slow . So I got off the Interstate and went to business alongside and parked and walked along the ditch .

At one point Don was in the median walking waving his arms . I am certain that passersby probably called 911 because the Indiana State Police arrived along with the Fishers Police . LO and Behold the owner spots the sheltie again and is chasing it ! Believe it or not the police stopped the Interstate traffic . Several semis and car drivers got out to help ! The lady finally caught her sheltie Max ! Safe and sound and so was everyone else . Turns out Max had gotten out of his fenced in yard when they forgot to close the gate after cutting grass 5 days ago . He is petrified of fireworks and the owner thinks just kept running when they were set off . He had made it at least 5 miles from his home already ! The owner thanked us and said she would be calling to make a donation and she was literally bawling to have her sheltie safely back !

Teresa Cotton, Indiana Sheltie Rescue

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