Good Dogs Canada

Krystle Morrow and Koby at home recovering. Photo by Christopher Pike thanks to the Ottawa Citizen

In February 2010, Krystle Morrow and her dog Koby were taking their normal walk along a snowmobile trail where they walked together daily in Casselman, Ontario. 

Koby, the Border Collie/Husky mix had been adopted by the Morrow family about three months earlier when his former family moved to Florida and felt that the Husky part of the dog wouldn’t do well in Florida’s climate. 

On this day, the 19 year old and her dog inadvertently got caught in a foothold trap that had been laid along the trail to catch coyotes.  These traps are easily concealed.  Krystle dragged the 55 kilogram birch log to which the traps were secured for about a kilometre through snow to get help.  Once she’d made it to her house, she was unable to navigate the hallway to reach the phone because of the log to which she was tied. 

Her father Kevin, a retired fire chief, found her sitting bloodied with her dog in the livingroom almost three hours later when he returned from work.  He said his daughter’s first concern was for her dog.  After he had freed her and called an ambulance, Kevin said there were  three foothold traps tied to the three metre-long log.  His daughter’s middle fingers had been cut almost to the bone. 

I talked to Krystle after her wounds had healed and Koby had recovered from his injuries which fortunately were minor.  “It could have been so much worse,” Krystle told me.  “Koby was really worried”.  She added that her adrenalin kicked in to help her calm her dog as they made their difficult way back home.  Krystle’s modesty and simple gratitude for prevailing through this ordeal was heartwarming to hear. I told her Good Dogs Canada is proud of her efforts.  See  http://www.ottawacitizen.com/story_print.html?id=2588868&sponsor=

Diane Day with Molly on her lap

Michael Day’s desire for another dog began very soon after the Leamington, Ontario couple’s Cockapoo, Pepper, died of a heart condition.  So restless was Michael for another canine companion that he secretly called a Brantford pet store and “drove like hell” after reserving a six week old Llasa Apso puppy.  He brought the puppy home and his wife, Diane, was immediately smitten.

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Vahlter

Anne Campeau who works for the Windsor Police Department sent me this photo of two- and- a- half year  old Vahlter, taken during one of his visits to the 911 Centre. 

The Belgian malinois was running through his daily training regimen at the Windsor Police Training Facility with his handler, Constable Paul Brothers, when he slammed into one of the obstacles on the course. 

According to the Windsor Star article written by Sarah Sacheli, it was one of those freak accidents.  The dog had performed the same exercise a thousand times, but this time he misjudged the distance.  He died of his injuries onTuesday, February 2, 2010 at the Walker Road Animal Hospital.

Good Dogs Canada extends condolences to the Brothers family with whom Vahlter lived.  The close bond between police dogs and their handlers is well known.  Vahlter was one out of five police dogs on the Windsor force.

The Windsor Star article goes on to quote Tecumseh veterinarian Catherine Thomson McGhie as saying that any blunt force trauma can be potentially lethal.

If your dog runs into something, take him/her to a vet.  Heads up if your dog is very active and will go to any length to catch that ball or leap that hurdle.

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