'Miracle puppies' survive adoption day rollover crash (36!)

The Santa Fe New Mexican ^ | December 15, 2008 | Ben Swan

[CedarDave]

Hanging upside down from her seat belt, Nina Chiotasso knew she had to act quickly. Her dog, Lill, had flown through the windshield after the van Chiotasso was driving hit a patch of ice on U.S. 285/84 [outside Santa Fe] Saturday morning. The van rolled, landing upside down on the guardrail ... of the busy road. In the back, were 36 puppies, fate unknown.

Chiotasso unlatched herself ... and crawled through the busted windshield, desperately hoping to stop Lill from wandering into traffic.

That's when the first of many miracles happened. The first person to come upon the accident was a veterinarian. She wanted to help Lill, but Chiotasso directed her to the back of the van. Chiotasso still doesn't know the veterinarian's name.

"I told her I could get Lill, but that there were 36 puppies in the back," Chiotasso said. "You could just see that look on her face — her eyes just opened wide, and she said, 'OK.' "

Chiotasso raced after her dog, calling her to sit and stay. The pit bull complied, sitting and waiting for her in the highway median. And then came the second miracle: None of the puppies were injured, and Lill had come through the accident unscathed.

Chiotasso, who handles community relations for the Española Valley Humane Society, had been up since 4 a.m. getting the puppies ready to take to the Watermelon Mountain Ranch Home for an adoption event in Albuquerque. The day before, Chiotasso had driven adult dogs and cats to the major event, which features more than 400 homeless animals from seven animal-rescue groups.

With all the animals accounted for, Chiotasso placed desperate calls to volunteers and board members. ... I had to get those puppies to Albuquerque. I knew it was their best chance to find homes."

[Mr. Lucky]

Oh isn’t that clever. 21st Century America can’t distinguish the love of an adoptive parent for his child from an owner for his dog and that’s somehow the parent’s weakness.

[Fawn]

No, i don’t hate dogs...would love to have another shepard....but cats always take a bad rap and I am their advocate. LOL

[HighlyOpinionated]

Dogs are adopted by people who will keep them until their natural deaths. Buying a dog makes it too easy to sell it, give it away, turn it loose in the “woods” or otherwise dispense of it as you would something you bought.

We who adopt our pets are “forever families” to them. I have a blue heelerXcocker female, a collieXrhodesianXlabXgoldenXetc mix female and a tuxedo cat who thinks he’s a dog. I can’t imagine life without them. And I would not sell them or give them away for any reason. Even to get into a “Senior” apartment.

[freekitty]

Thank you and she has one of the best temperaments I have ever seen. The breeder has exceptional shepherds. We have a white from her and his temperament is just as good.

[freekitty]

Thanks. LOL My hubby got to name her.

[papasmurf]

Domestic animals, especially dogs, fill many roles in our lives. For sure, in most all cases, a well treated and raised dog provides true affection, otherwise known as love.

In my case, I've raised two children, who now have children of their. Their growing up and going off on their life adventures, has left a void in mine. As well, my current wife of over 16 years, has never been able to bear children, so our dogs help to soften her emotional pain.

Our dogs are loving and caring and they provide a measure of protection as an added bonus.

Weird, it is, that a four legged animal, covered with messy hair, sometimes very smelly, with no ability to even comprehensively speak to us, or clean up after itself, can make us feel so...human!

Have Grrrrreat day, FRiend!

Looook eeento my eyes. You weeel luf me, you WEEEL luf me!

[papasmurf]

What a beautiful dog!

Oh, the kid’s not bad, either. LOL

[LongElegantLegs]

Aw, thank you!
He accepts his role as children’s furniture quite gracefully,I think. :-)
You’ve got an adorable big eared pup yourself,I see!

[papasmurf]

"....but cats always take a bad rap and I am their advocate. LOL"

Well, I love my dogs, very, very much. But, I also love my cat, too. He's a Maine Coon, and he lives up to their reputation, as you can see here. He's always bring his trappings in the house, though!



Rabbit for supper, anyone?

[papasmurf]

Thanks. But, she has a twin Sister...



LOL

[Fawn]

Bad kitty! Poor bunny. He’s a beautiful cat though. My cat brought me a lizard the other day...it was still alive and I was able to retrieve it and get it back outside....

[HighlyOpinionated]

Oh isn’t that clever. 21st Century America can’t distinguish the love of an adoptive parent for his child from an owner for his dog and that’s somehow the parent’s weakness.

Ohhhhhhhhhhhh, you hit two soft spots. An adopted child may have a personality different from his adopting parents. This can cause family strife and cause the child to act out. I know because my firstborn grandson was adopted out to a very loving family. In his late teen years he was sent to live with his adoptive grandparents because of the strife he caused in the home (he has three adopted siblings). Why the strife? Since reconnecting with my daughter it became clear to him why he felt "different" from his parents. He is like his birth mother and not his adoptive parents or siblings. His adoptive parents had promised to locate his birth mom when they adopted him (private adoption), if he asked. They lied to him when he did and told him his birth mother did not want contact. So he lashed out at them.

An adopted dog only has personality problems if its bred into him or he's trained to be vicious. Even "mean" dogs who are scared of humans can come around to being sweet lap type dogs if given time and human companionship. I know from first hand experience with a dog who was tied out in the yard the first six months of her life. When she was adopted by a friend with a kennel, 2 years ago, she wouldn't allow ANY human contact. Gradually she's become the sweetest lab mix and will "grin" on command. She loves to be brushed, too.

If a person adopts a child to be that child's forever family it is not much different from a person adopting a dog (or cat) and promising to be that pet's forever family.

[LucyJo]

Many of us who have rural property can relate to those awful stories. I can’t tell you the number of dogs and cats that have been dumped on our property over the years. It is heartbreaking.

The dumping has happened at our place in town as well. I was drawn to my back door by puppy whimperings late one very cold winter night. We had a young puppy at the time, but she was safe inside the house. Someone had dropped a little puppy over the fence. It was shivering and whimpering at my back door.

It was an inconvenience to us to have to find it a home, but I was thankful that they did try to leave it somewhere they knew it would be taken care of, rather than put the little thing in jeopardy. Ironically, these folks sometimes think they are doing a good deed by dumping them on someone that will handle the problem.

[LucyJo]

Sad that you had to explain it, but, good job, nonetheless.

[papasmurf]

Thanks. Mine really likes to bring in squirrels, rabbits, and snakes. Of course, he gets lizards, frogs, and birds, too.

The rabbits and the birds, if I’m not in the immediate area, he’ll rip apart and eat, making a huge mess, but the others he just likes to “play” with, then kill them and leave them for us to remove. LOL

Something I’ve never noticed before, but his hunting habits change as he ages, he’s almost 10 now. He used run up a tree and get birds, but, the other day I saw him laying on his back next to the woods, and for some reason the birds were attracted to him, then he sprang up, catching a beautiful red Cardinal, which he ate.

Isn’t nature wonderful? LOL

[LucyJo]

He did a great job. : )

[CedarDave]

It was an inconvenience to us to have to find it a home, but I was thankful that they did try to leave it somewhere they knew it would be taken care of, rather than put the little thing in jeopardy. Ironically, these folks sometimes think they are doing a good deed by dumping them on someone that will handle the problem.

Around here, with an 80% kill rate at the local shelter, the chances may be better with "dumping." And I'm only being partially sarcastic here.

[NordP]

Your post was spectacular.

When I think of all Fawn is missing out on...I feel sad.

[Fawn]

That’s sad. My ferals don’t even kill the birds.....but i feed them 24-7. They will look at the birds (which I feed too) and act like their interested and sometimes will get up and lunge at them playfully.....but i’ve never seen any of them work at catching a bird. But they have left me 2 beheaded rats. My indoor cats will get any bugs or lizards that sneak in the house. Maybe you should put a bell on that cat...he’s a big heavy guy right? I’m surprised he can catch a bird....

[Fawn]

Huh? What am I missing out on? I wish I would miss the constant barking of my neighbors hyper terrier who is not allowed in the dog babysitting cafes due to it’s hyperness. I feel bad you never got to relly know a cat....now that’s missing out.