MADISON — Will has found a home in Madison.
Will, a young liver-and-white English setter, was struck by a hit-and-run driver on March 20 on Highway 99.
A driver following behind saw the incident and stopped to help the injured dog, estimated between 7 and 9 months of age.
The driver, who asked to remain anonymous, took Will to Madison Animal Control Officer Danita Schimmelpfenig, who took the dog to Dr. Richard Mendoza at Emporia Veterinary Hospital.
Mendoza re-assembled the dog’s broken lower jaw, wired it together, and tended to other injuries and health problems, including parasites.
“He had no tags and he was covered with fleas and ticks, full of worms. He had not been taken care of well at all,” Schimmelpfenig said at the time.
After spending the weekend in the clinic, Schimmelpfenig took him to her home to recuperate. She began a drive to find a real home for Will and to raise funds to pay for his medical bills.
Both efforts were successful.
“Will has found his forever home right here in Madison,” Schimmelpfenig said. “... We did a week trial adoption, which is pretty standard. It was love at first sight.”
Will’s new home is with Darl and Amie May and their two retrievers, Cassie and Buddy.
Amie May said this morning that she and her husband had been watching to see whether Will had been adopted. The Mays had seen a photo of the dog and read his story in the Madison News.
“That picture was just so stinkin’ cute, I said, ‘What do you think? Do you want to adopt him?’” she said.
Darl May suggested waiting a bit before taking the next step.
“He said, ‘Let’s give it a while. Maybe somebody needs him more than we do,’” Amie May said.
She checked in with Schimmelpfenig the evening of Monday, April 6, and found that Will still was living with the animal control officer.
“So I went home and told my husband Darl and he said, “Get in the car. We’re getting him right now, no ifs, ands or buts,’” Amie May said. “We saw him and immediately fell in love.”
Will seems to be fitting in well with his new family, including the two retrievers. He has made himself at home on own pillow and has claimed a few favorites from the dogs’ basket of chew toys.
“We spoil our dogs rotten, but they’re pretty much our kids,” May said. “He’s just gone in there and claimed whatever he wants (from the chew-toy basket) and has made a little circle around his pillow. ... It’s like a little fortress in there. It’s hilarious.”
Schimmelpfenig was delighted with Will’s happy outcomes.
“I’m just so totally elated at how many people gave and called to see if he was doing okay. It was very fantastic. And there was enough extra money to have him neutered,” Schimmelpfenig said.
She thanked those who donated money to pay for Will’s surgery.
“This truly was a community stepping forward to help an animal in need.”
May took Will to Mendoza for surgery this morning and plans to pick him up Tuesday morning.
“Dr. Mendoza said he’s going to also get the wires removed from his jaws today as well,” she said.
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Posted by madpoet (anonymous) on April 14, 2009 at 10:54 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I'm glad there was a happy ending to this story. We live in the country and see dogs and cats dumped all the time. So often they die of starvation or are killed by cars. Our last dog we found eating roadkill on the Americus Road. She was a bag of bones but we got her back to health and she was a wonderful pet for many years. I always want to find the people who dump animals and take them out in the middle of nowhere, take their shoes and kick them out to find their way home.
God bless the people who have helped this dog!
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