October 5, 2006
By Kristopher Hanson, Staff writer
Long Beach Press-Telegram
BELLFLOWER - Was it the ambulance sirens, a canine's internal instinct or just plain luck?
Authorities are scratching their heads today after a mutt named Buddy somehow dragged himself into a local hospital for treatment of a broken leg after being struck by a car.
Photo: Vicki Hernandez, SEAACA kennel supervisor, and Animal Control Officer Wendy Alexander examine Buddy, a lost German Shepard mix who turned up with an injured leg in the emergency room at Kaiser Permanente in Bellflower Wednesday. (Southeast Area Animal Control Authority)
The 6-year-old German Shepherd mix limped through the emergency room doors of Kaiser Permanente Hospital in Bellflower about 2 p.m. Wednesday and lay on the floor of the waiting room until doctors arrived.
The friendly dog, who ran away from home about two weeks ago, was later picked up and treated by veterinarians at the Southeast Area Animal Control Authority's (SEAACA) facility in Downey.
"It's a big mystery," SEAACA Capt. Aaron Reyes said of Buddy's surprise visit to the emergency room. "Nobody can figure out how he ended up at the hospital, but the good thing is he wound up getting treatment ... and he doesn't even have insurance."
Vets figure Buddy, due to his sweet nature, was able to lure scraps from friendly locals while on the run.
He slipped out of the American Rental yard, where he lives with another dog that escaped the same day after fencing work was completed in September, Reyes said.
Buddy's owner, Fabian Ortega, works at American Rental, which sits on Rosecrans Avenue a block from the hospital at 9400 E. Rosecrans Ave.
As for Buddy's prognosis, vets believe he'll make a full recovery from the broken leg.
"Dr. Brunskill, SEACCA's veterinarian, stated that Buddy looked alert and in good spirits, but that his rear leg may be dislocated or fractured due to being hit by a car," Reyes said.
The other dog, also a German Shepherd mix, remains missing, Reyes said.
Anyone with information on the dog's whereabouts can call SEACCA at (562) 803-3301.
Kristopher Hanson can be reached at kristopher.hanson@presstelegram.com or (562) 499-1466.
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