So I poured water on her face to clean off the ants and that scared her. Once she was up I attempted to pick her up to get her off of the trail. But she just ran away from me. I thought I shouldn't pick her up because that would only stress out the animal further. So while she was standing I took my bamboo pole and GENTLY patted her butt (I was careful) trying to prod her to move down the trail. My goal was to get her off the trail. It didn't work. So I called the Humane Soceity who told me that its against government regulations for them to save an animal on any state lands. (The Manana Trail is owned by the state.)
The operator told me that he could forward me to the Dept of Land and Natural Resources and they will get someone up on the trail to save the puppy in 3 days. I thought "In 24 hours the red ants will eat the puppies eyeballs out of her skull and you want her to wait 3 days!!!!" So I didn't yell or cuss because my goal was to save the puppy. So they forwarded me onto the phone line of Dept of Land and Natural Resources. I let it ring 40 times before I hung up. That is beauracracy at its best.
I don't own a car or a mini dog kennel and the puppy was more like a teenager puppy so it could put up a good fight if I tried to pick it up again. So I went up the trail to use my femine wiles to convince the pig hunters if I could borrow one of their dog kennels to take the puppy off of the trail and onto public city property where the Humane Soceity had its jurisdiction. They pig hunters just laughed at me. Evidently I had flirted in vain. They told me that their pit bull hunting dogs would probably eat my sick puppy. I told that hunter not to eat the puppy.
Then I went up the trail and told every single family that there was a black lab puppy available to take home with them if they wanted it. The parents weren't thrilled but the kids were excited. Then I came across a woman hunter. I asked her if she had a dog kennel that I could borrow because I wanted to save the black lab puppy. She told me that they don't carry a dog kennel. (What is wrong with these pig hunters! They have 10 dogs hunting wild boars and they don't carry a doggy kennel for the dog that gets bit or spiked? What happens to the injured dogs on the mountain ridge?) The lady hunter did tell me that she would take a look at the puppy and ask her husband what to do.
So there was nothing I could for the mutt. I had asked everyone, I tried to pick it up, I called the Humane Soceity, I tried to coax the dog off the trails, NOTHING WORKED. So it bothered me alot but I went along my business on the trail.
On my way home I looked for the puppy and couldn't find it anywhere. I was still determined to help it somehow. So I got off the trail and halfway to the bus stop when I saw the poor thing laying on the sidewalk and totally out of it. So then I called the humane soceity immediately and gave them the address I found the puppy at. I guess one of the hunters picked up the dog and put her on the street like I had asked. I dont know who did it though. The humane society said that they would send someone but didn't know when.
I told him that I was waiting with the puppy and didn't want to spend the night on the sidewalk. So the operator got an officer (I guess dog catchers are called officers too?) to call me. The officer was in Kaneohe at the time and it would take him an hour to get to me. Well, that one hour turned into 2 hours.
I called a friend and asked him what I should do because the dog looked thirsty and starving and I had nothing to give her. So he told me to cutt up one of my water bottles and give her a little water. I was mad at myself for not thinking of that sooner. So I use my pruning clipper that I use to get cuttings and cutt up my water bottle to make a dish of water for the puppy. Then I poured the water in the dish. The puppy just lapped it up. She drank 1/2 a liter of water. Good thing that I brought 3 bottles of water with me today. She started getting her strength back and growled at me when I got too close. Which was a good sign. Before she got the water she barely made the effort to even look at me.
Then some neighbors who were walking their dogs came by and I stood in between the puppy and the dogs so that the neighborhood dogs wouldn't fight the weakened puppy. I was an odd site though. I had the jackson on top of my head just chilling and I was wearing a bright red raincoat, standing in front of a puppy with mangy fur. Kinda odd, but whatever. So I explained to the neighbors what happened and that their dogs should stay away because the puppy has mange. (Reverse psychology: I really didn't want the neighbors' dogs to hurt the puppy and that's why I stood in between them and the puppy so that they didn't get too close. But I told them it was for their own safety because of the mange. I figured that the selfish part of them would stay away since they wouldn't want to be near a sick animal.)
When the dog catcher came I was so relieved. The puppy actually liked the dog catcher more than me. GO FIGURE!!!! But when the dog catcher put the noose around her neck and pick her up she freaked out and threw up. The dog catcher said she was throwing up blood and that there was a possibility she had worms. Which is totally awesome (not) since I was attempting to handle the animal myself. At least I didnt get bit because a rabies shot would be more than what I could handle today.
But at least she made it to the shelter safe and sound. Hopefully the vets will be able to save her. She is a black lab and they are excellent watch dogs, friendly and intelligent and gentle with children. Plus, its a female which means she could have more black lab babies to protect property and children.
But it was just all so exhausting for me trying to convince people to help the dog. Alot of people on the trail just looked at me as if I was insane. It was just me and this hurting puppy and nobody seemed to want to have anything to do with us. They looked at me like I was crazy. What is so crazy about helping a hurting puppy? Seriously, I think those people are the crazy ones.
One of the neighbors was a little old Japanese lady who felt bad for the puppy. She came outside after the dog catcher had left with puppy food for the dog and cookies and 7-up for me. Which was really sweet. Then the lady who owned the house that the dog and I waited in the driveway for 2 hours came outside. I didn't even know anyone was home. She asked what happened and I explained. She told me I should have came and asked her for help. In the end she gave me a ride home and told me about stories of when she lived in Japan.
I just hope the puppy is okay.
