IF CATS HAVE NINE LIVES, WHAT ABOUT DOGS?

Dog struck by car, stuck in grille on ride from Massachusetts to Rhode Island, survives ordeal

This pooch has to have more than one life.

LUCKY DOG GETS WILD RIDE THROUGH TAUNTON
Hit by car in Taunton, pooch is lodged in car grille for 10 miles

By Gerry Tuoti

Taunton Gazette
October 2, 2012

TAUNTON, Mass. — The East Providence Animal Control Center is looking for the owner of a dog that survived being inadvertently transported about 11 miles from the Taunton area in the grille of a Toyota sedan.

According to William Muggle, animal control supervisor in East Providence, the driver of the Toyota was traveling about 50 mph on Route 44 near Segregansett Country Club on Sept. 20 when the dog — a white female, believed to be a poodle-mix — ran into the road.

Muggle said the driver then hit the brakes, and after not seeing the dog anywhere in the roadway, continued along Route 44 into Rhode Island believing he had not struck the dog with his vehicle.

Upon coming to a stoplight in East Providence, the driver was alerted to the dog being wedged in the front of his car by another driver on the road.

Muggle said the driver of the Toyota then immediately drove to the East Providence Police Department, where officers and animal control personnel removed the dog and transported her to East Bay Animal Hospital, where she was stabilized.

The dog was later transported to Bay State Emergency Clinic, where she was held overnight.

“We took (the dog) to an emergency clinic, and now she’s actually doing fine, crazy enough,” Muggle said.

Muggle said the dog suffered a concussion and possibly a minor rupture of the bladder, which has since healed.

“She’s a good dog,” he added.

Muggle also said his department has contacted the Taunton Police Department to try to locate the owner, but the police do not know of any resident missing a dog matching the description.

“We’ve been searching for the owner since,” Muggle said.

The dog was wearing a collar when struck by the vehicle, but Muggle withheld a description of the collar in order to use it to help verify the proper owner of the dog.