MOUNT VERNON- Knox County animal control officer Jim St. Clair relays a story of a puppy he rescued after the pup was apparently dumped along Feasel road earlier this month.
“The shelter received a call today regarding someone driving down Feasel Road yesterday, and saw where it appeared that some puppies were dumped along the roadside. They were sure they were dumped since they were very small and there were no houses within a half a mile or more. Needless to say, I didn’t waste time getting there. About the time I started down Feasel Road I met an Amish buggy coming at me. I stopped the lady and asked if she had seen any puppies along the road. She told me that someone picked them up yesterday and took them to a local bulk food store where they were given away.
I thought I would just go ahead and drive the rest of the road and make sure everything checked out. I was driving very slow watching the ditches for any pups and happened to look in my side mirror and to my surprise I spotted a small reddish colored puppy running for all he was worth, ears flopping, chasing me down, as if to be yelling “Wait, I’m right here, you passed me”. I immediately stopped the truck and bailed out calling to him. He picked up the pace and jumped right into my arms and began kissing my face all over.
Chase and Jim St. Clair
I held the puppy close to me and walked back in the direction the little guy came from looking closer for more puppies. I spent the next 20 minutes looking high and low but did not find his siblings.
I took the puppy back to the shelter, checked him from head to toe, gave him his vaccinations and de-wormer, made him a nice soft bed in one of the kennels and gave him some puppy food and water.”
If you could only put yourself in my shoes for a moment and just picture that beautiful little baby running for all he was worth trying to catch me, as if he knew I was his last chance. He is safe and warm now, with a full belly and I decided to name him “Chase”. It just seemed to fit. Its days like this when I know I’m where I’m supposed to be.
Chase was found to have a bacterial infection in his intestines. He is being treated with antibiotics and will be taken by a rescue organization to the Akron area for adoption. St. Clair says the Knox County animal shelter has plenty of other new puppies for adoption.
The county dog warden, Scott Smith, resigned last Friday and the county is searching for a replacement. For now, according to St. Clair, John Carhart is the interim dog warden.
