Shena loves admiring the vast blueberry fields that surround the highway as she travels to work. Closer to the road, she frequently sees garbage bags, and occasionally she sees coyotes roving the neighborhood.
But one day, Shena, who asked that her last name not be used, saw what she subsequently described as a “black bag of rubbish” that seemed very strange.
Her instincts prompted her to turn around just as she was about to continue driving. She came upon a giant black dog hiding amid the blueberry bushes while strolling down the busy road. The dog was all by himself.
“I was shocked,” Shena told The Dodo. “Her eyes opened, and a wave of pure relief washed over me.”
Shena approached very slowly, trying not to startle the skittish dog. She called out to the pup, but it was hard to hear anything over the din of highway traffic. Shena noticed the dog was injured — one of her legs appeared to be dangling at a strange angle. She knew she needed to find help as soon as possible, but the nervous dog, untrusting of people, started to run away.
“At one point I lost sight of her and I became very concerned and started panicking,” Shena said. “I was worried I lost her and she would be left to suffer alone and scared. I started jogging along the side of the blueberry field, looking down each row.”
After what seemed like forever, Shena spotted her again. She grabbed a fanny pack from her car and fashioned the strap into a leash. Cautiously, she approached the dog and was able to coax her into it.
“My heart exploded with joy,” Shena said. “I was so over-the-moon excited that I was going to be able to help her.”
Shena drove the pup to RAPS Animal Hospital, where veterinarians got to work healing the broken leg. Pretty soon, it became clear that Shena could never part with her new friend, and she named the dog Blueberry in honor of where they met.
These days, Blueberry, who once cowered in the presence of any stranger, is a cuddly comedian with a new lease on life.
“She is also an absolute ham and can be very hilarious,” Shena said. “She makes ridiculously funny gremlin noises when she is excited. She is eager to please. She also does everything at a thousand percent.”
Blueberry enjoys going to pet-friendly retailers like PetSmart and Home Depot as well as discovering new trails and parks with her mother.
Shena is very happy she decided to give up driving that day since it allowed her to help save a life and make a new best friend.
When treated with love, kindness, respect, and compassion, dogs (and other animals) can be incredibly amazing, loving, forgiving, and trustworthy, Shena remarked. I’m really glad we ran into each other.
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