Camping and a Close Call

I had a few days off at the start of this week so we loaded up our camping things and headed out to our favorite spot. Heather's family were coming out to join us so we started out by finding a couple of nice sites in the nearly empty campground.

There was a deer at the end of our campsite but once it started to walk away I turned my back on it to talk to Heather and didn't realize that Orco's leash wasn't locked. The next thing I heard was the loud sound of hooves hitting the ground and Heather screaming. I turned around to see the deer stomping our little dog! Orco had walked under the picnic bench and approached the deer to say hi.

I pulled Orco back to me and he slid over on his side with his legs stuck striaght out and his neck arched backwards. He seemed paralysed and was drooling and making a scary noise in his throat. He also had a lump above his ear which seemed to be puffy with fluid. The family was gathered around him and crying and I was certain that he was dying. I apologized and said that it was my fault for not watching him properly and the kids, through their tears, tried to tell me not to blame myself.

I set the timer on my watch and we left Heather and Ella at the campsite while us boys jumped in the van and headed to the city and the closest open vet clinic. One of my officer coaches once gave me the advice, "Don't drive your personal vehicle like you drive a police car; but also don't drive a police car like you drive your personal vehicle". I admit that I may have broken that council, but we got Orco to the vet in record time and staff took him into the back room.

The waiting was difficult but it gave us a chance to offer a few more prayers. After the xrays, the Dr. gave us the almost impossible news: Orco had sustained a small skull fracture and a scrape to his toe, but had no other broken bones or injuries. He stayed at the clinic overnight and was well enough the following evening to come home with us. Eveyone is overjoyed that this little yellow dog survived and I am so relieved that I didn't have to break the news to the kids that their dog had died.

Orco is still taking some pain medication but is almost back to 100% of his old self. Everyone is spoiling him and he has been getting salmon for supper with his medication, is sleeping in our bed at night, and Heather is even using baby-talk when she speaks to him, something that prompted Deacon to say, "I like it when you talk to Orco like that." I feel that Orco is our family's once-in-a-lifetime-dog that we'll never be able to replace. I am glad that we didn't lose him after only two years.

After we knew that Orco was going to be alright, we had an awesome camping trip with Heather's parents (never thought I'd say that), and her sister and her daughters.

We only had time for one camping trip this year but it was an emotional experience that brought us closer together and showed us the power of prayer. But the biggest effect it had on us was to remind us that if we could feel this way for a fraggle of a dog, how much more important it is to keep each other safe.

C