Lady of I-80...Don’t Look Away!
by Teresa L Shively
In July 2021 a couple was traveling across the great state of Wyoming along Interstate 80. Wyoming is over 400 miles from east border to west border, so it can be a long drive. They decided to take a stretch break, pulling off the interstate between Rawlins and Rock Springs at the Tipton exit, which is about at the halfway mark of a 100 mile stretch between towns. While walking around they noticed a small brown dog, ambling down the onramp onto I-80. Looking around there were no cars or humans in sight and the nearest town was 50 miles away. These Good Samaritans acted quickly and scooped up this tiny red Dachshund and took her on into Rock Springs. As they drove along, they wondered how this little dog ended up in the middle of nowhere. They had no answers. They kept her safe with them overnight in Rock Springs and turned her into Rock Springs Animal Control the next morning. They made a report of where they found the tiny red dog, and continued on their journey across Wyoming.
Animal Control’s job is to keep lost dogs safe for 5 days, with the hope that their guardian will come forward and claim their pet. This tiny dog had a huge swelling on her snout and she did not see well, and also had a large mass under her tail. Rock Springs Animal Control assessed her on intake and realized she was quite elderly. They knew if her guardians didn’t come for her, based on her age and condition she would be unadoptable. The ACO immediately called the local Dachshund Rescue and informed them of the dog and her condition. The director of Second Chance to Dance Dachshund Rescue didn’t hesitate to say “Yes!” they would take her. But they had to wait out the 5-day stray hold, and during that period no one came for her. After 5 days were up the director picked her up and headed for home.
This Little Red Dog landed in a big soft spot at the director’s home; she landed in a big soft bed, and a big soft heart. Little Red Dog went to the veterinarian the next day for a full health exam. Estimated age was 18 years; she had matching surgical scars on both legs indicating someone had once cared enough to pay for expensive surgeries for her. Bloodwork was good and the nose lump might be an abscessed tooth; the lump under the tail was suspicious and she was almost completely blind. A biopsy was done and the tail lump was a lemon-sized cancerous tumor…inoperable. Little Red Dog was sent home with antibiotics for the nose; if it shrunk it was a bad tooth, if it didn’t it was most likely nasal bone cancer. The director left the office with Little Red Dog, with the word ‘inoperable’ ringing through her head and heart. They stopped for a plain cheeseburger and drove home. As the director watched Little Red Dog scarf down her cheeseburger, the name ‘Lady of I-80’ came to mind, and became the name of this little girl. The director knew in her soul, Lady of I-80 was dumped 50 miles from town because they knew she was sick. She was thrown away like a cheeseburger wrapper, along I-80, to fend for herself. Wyoming Coalition for Animal Protection Fall/Winter 2021 newsletter v 1.4 SPOTLIGHT
Lady of I-80’s story was told through the internet and a few days later a young couple offered to foster her. The director went to work processing their application. In the meantime, a “Name that Pupper” contest was started and the winning name was Angel. It seemed fitting for this tiny blind red dog. When the director visited with the possible foster home, she explained that Angel would most likely end up being a hospice case. The foster mom didn’t hesitate. “That is all I want to do; be a hospice home; I want to help a little dog that desperately needs love the rest of her days.” The director scheduled a home visit to complete the application, and let the tears fall as she hung up the phone.
On August 15, 2021, Angel was placed in her hospice foster home where she would have the love of a mom, a dad, and 3 senior dogs, one of them another little red Dachshund. Angel quickly discovered the yard, full of luscious green grass and spent the rest of the summer patrolling the yard, rolling in the grass, and napping on the couch or her little bed. Her foster mom fed her scrambled eggs, hot dogs, canned food, and cheeseburgers. Angel ate 5-6 meals a day and loved it. When she was hungry, she would grab her little dish and scoot it across the floor, demanding her next meal. As she got used to her new home, her personality shined, and she soon became Dory to her beloved foster Mom. Lady of I-80 Angel Dory was home.
Although the Good Samaritan, Animal Control Officer, veterinarian, hospice foster home, nor Second Chance to Dance Dachshund Rescue will ever know how she ended up by herself 50 miles from town along an interstate in a sparsely populated state, the director knows in her heart that she at one time had a great owner, who herself might have become elderly and might have passed on. And a family member/friend might not have known what to do. But dumping a blind, sick, elderly dog there was not the right thing to do. There are animal shelters, humane societies, veterinarians and rescue groups that can be called on to help. Those groups will get her the care she needs, or in worse case situations end her suffering kindly, compassionately, and with love.
Lady of I-80 Angel Dory was lucky that day, as a whole community came together, to make sure her last day wasn’t being run over by one of the thousands of semi-trucks that pass that spot every day, but that her last days are filled with kindness, safety, lots of food, and lots of love. Dory is HOME.
Footnote:
I have told Dory’s story because I want folks of the great State of Wyoming to know that helpless companion animals are dumped in Wyoming all the time. Dory is just one of those true stories, that luckily ended happily. For many others it ends alone, in fear, starving, and without love and compassion. If you would like to help, please continue to educate, teach, and save companion animals. Thank you for caring and helping dogs like Lady of I-80 Angel Dory.
Won’t you please consider a donation? To Donate to Second Chance to Dance Dachshund Rescue, PayPal via sc2ddr@gmail.com
Teresa Shively spent more than 20 years doing Dachshund Rescue in Colorado before moving to Wyoming eleven years ago. She volunteered for years at the Red Desert Humane Society in Rock Springs. Eight years ago she founded the non-profit Second Chance to Dance Dachshund Rescue and has since fostered and rehomed over 2000 little long dogs. Teresa just retired from her working career so she could spend more time helping Dachshunds. She also runs Petunia’s Pet Pantry and has distributed over 10,000 pounds of kibble this year. She volunteers with Rocky Mountain Great Dane Rescue—Great Danes are her second love—and recently became a certified Pet Detective! She and her significant other, Robert, have volunteered as Santa and Mrs. Clause for ten years, to ring in Christmas for the Cities of Rock Springs, Green River and Farson-Eden. She loves giving joy to little children.
Her favorite quote: “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, "Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.”― Fred Rogers Her free time is spent gardening, quilting, canning and living with a rare disease called Systemic Scleroderma. Though slowing her down considerably, her beloved Dachshunds give her a reason to get out of bed on the hard days.
