Most of you know that Finn will, on occasion, nip at me. Some have been kind of serious, some just plain ol' nips.
When we all got up Monday morning, he seemed to not be feeling well. He was hesitant to jump, which is not like him at all. I reached down to pet him, and he bit into and shook my right hand so badly, I wound up in the Emergency Room.
I have no feeling in my index and middle fingers, and only a little bit in my thumb. Obviously, you can't see the punctures --- there are about 10 of them altogether.
By law, I was made to fill out a form to let the County Health Department know that I had been bitten by a dog, and that that dog was not up-to-date on his rabies shots. I've been out of work 4 1/2 years --- of course he wasn't up-to-date. Neither are the other animals who live here. Inside, 24 hours a day.
I called our vet, to see if there were some way to get him looked at. Back injury? Something with the hips? She told me that she, also by law, had to report the bite to Animal Control. He would have to be quarantined for 10 days, to see if there were any signs of rabies. They could do it at the vets' offices, but she didn't feel comfortable putting her employees in a situation where they might be in danger. I understood, and continue to understand, completely. Animal Control had the equipment and training to deal with him.
I surrendered Finn to AC yesterday. The officer had to use a rabies pole to get him in the truck. Horrible, horrible sight --- I'll never get it out of my head. And now he's sitting in Quarantine, which makes the heartbreak even worse. Having him put down yesterday would have been so much easier than living with knowing he's still here, at the shelter, all by himself.