Puppy involved in horrific car accident just hours after being rehomed
Border collie Chase brought back from the brink by ‘outstanding’ teamwork in our Gateshead clinic
A dog owner has warned of the importance of pet insurance – after her puppy was involved in a car accident just hours after she’d taken him in.
Amanda Clinton, 43, from County Durham, was walking her new Border collie Chase in a field near her home when the sound of passing cars caused him to run off towards a main road.
Amanda said “We’d only just picked up Chase from a friend of my brothers, as he couldn’t take him anymore because he’s a bit of a handful. We took him for a walk in the fields near our house so he could get used to our other dog, Nemo, and as my husband, Stephen, bent down to put the lead on Chase, he shot off towards the road.
“Stephen tried to run after him but by the time he got to the road, Chase had already been run over.”
Amanda and Stephen rushed Chase to Vets Now in Gateshead to receive treatment – and it soon became apparent how severe his injuries were.
“He had lacerations on his lungs and his muzzle had come off his nose bone, but miraculously he didn’t have a single broken bone,” explained Amanda.
Chase was in a critical condition as Vets Now staff fought to stabilise him.
“He actually crashed at the clinic,” Amanda recalled, painfully. “But somehow they managed to resuscitate him. The team were fighting for Chase and he was fighting for them.”
Unfortunately for Amanda and Stephen, the accident occurred so soon after they’d picked Chase up that they hadn’t bought pet insurance.
Chase was re-homed after his previous owner struggled with his energetic nature
Amanda said: “It was really unlucky. We always make sure to insure our pets in case anything happens, and this is the perfect example of why everyone should.”
Sara Jackson, senior vet in Gateshead, and her colleague Lucy Crawford worked night and day to stabilise Chase.
Sara explained: “Chase came to us in June as an RTA. He had suffered significant trauma, had abdominal bleeding and was fighting for his life.
“We managed to stabilise him for two to three hours, but he crashed. Luckily, we got him back again. ”
Everyone in the team at Vets Now in Gateshead worked together to help Chase pull through.
Sara added: “The teamwork over the three nights Chase was in our care was phenomenal.
“Lucy, Helen and Richard went above and beyond and the support staff were also fantastic looking after us and our clients and patients while Chase got the attention he needed.”
Amanda Clinton was thankful for the team’s efforts, adding: “The entire team in Gateshead were amazing. They saved Chase and we can’t thank them enough. I don’t know how it’s possible to fall in love with a pet in only a couple of hours but we did, and Vets Now saved him.
“I cannot fault a single thing. We were informed of what was going on the entire time, they kept checking up on us and making us cups of tea to calm us down.”
Vets Now staff saved Chase's life and now he's happy to be home with his new owners
However, despite his miracle recovery, it seems Chase hasn’t learned his lesson as Amanda explained: “He still tries to chase cars. He’s aptly named Chase.”
Consumer champions Which? recommend taking out a pet insurance policy with at least £7000 of medical cover a year for pedigree dogs and £4000 for non-pedigrees. They advise: “Lower cover is worth considering only if it’s all you can afford.”
It’s one of 60 Vets Now clinics and pet emergency hospitals across the UK that are open through the night, seven-days-a-week, and day and night on weekends and bank holidays, to treat any pet emergencies that may occur.
All of Vets Now’s premises have a vet and vet nurse on site at all times.
Puppy involved in horrific car accident just hours after being rehomed
A dog owner has warned of the importance of pet insurance after her puppy was involved in a car accident just hours after she'd taken him in. Read more.
