It Was a Sad Day At The LeBlanc Residence Today

It started out a day like most others then... Today, as I opened the door to call the kids in to get ready to go for groceries, Marty ran outside. He never did that before, he was getting really good at sitting and waiting till we had the leash and coming only when we were ready to clip it on him. He got really excited to go see the dog across the street. He made it there with no problem and Samuel went to get him. (It's a female dog...) In back of that house is a cow field and when he saw Samuel, he thought Samuel was playing with him so he started running. Samuel, who is 11 tried to get him but Marty is a fast runner. I was in the van, getting ready to go down the road where we can get to the end of the cow field when a grey van drove by. I was talking to the neighbour who was on the driver's side of my van and the grey van was going in that direction. In a bit of a distance, Marty jumped out of the ditch and the van hit him... Samuel saw it all happen, in detail. He screamed and we heard him from where we were. He, Samuel, just screamed a sound and ran over to Marty who was still alive. The grey van slowed down but never stopped. I sped behind him, going 140km/h I caught up to them. I drove in the middle of the road and kept my right hand on the horn, while I waved him to pull over from outside the window. He finally stopped and I went to the door. It was an older couple and the driver, man, was about to get out. I told him, "Why didn't you stop! You just hit my son's dog and he's there crying, completely devastated and you just drive off?! What's up with that!?" I was shaking like a leaf. He said, "I didn't realize I hit him. We were heading to the hospital." I wasn't sure if they were rushing there because of an accident or for an appointment. I told them that I wanted their phone number. They asked why. I told them, I would not bring them to court, nor call the police because they didn't stop. (at that point, I didn't realize technically, we were in fault) I told them that I wanted to be able to contact them for my son's sake. "He just witnessed his dog get hit by a van, that's traumatic for a child!" The man asked how old he was and I told him. They gave me there number and I left. I got to Samuel who was crying and helpless. Our neighbour was with him. Marty was just laying there with blood on his paw but otherwise seemed ok. I went to console Marty because every time a car or truck came by he started crying and was afraid. I would pet him and shhhhh him to help relax him. Our neighbour said we shouldn't touch him in case we hurt him and he lashes out; biting us. I couldn't hold back and neither could Samuel, so we slowly started to pet him and comfort him. He couldn't get up. I knew he needed to be brought to the vet but I also knew we couldn't even afford the appointment so I called my husband and he came home from work to see Marty. Poor Marty, when he saw my husband, he started wagging his tail but he still couldn't get up. My neighbour has the female dog and read that we should have a blanket and water for him, so she went to get a blanket for him and she put it near his head when he laid his head. Moe arrived shortly after that and once a women, who is a dog groomer, stopped on the side of the road to come see, she felt she recognized him. It's the groomer on Elmwood Dr. She suggested we bring him to the vet and we could follow her to a good one. The neighbour went to get her dogs muzzle so Marty wouldn't bite us out of pain. The first time they tried to lift him, while laying in the blanket. Moe couldn't alone, Marty was in too much pain. The woman helped Moe and so did our neighbour. I brought Samuel in the van, he couldn't handle hearing Marty cry from the pain. They finally got Marty in the van and my husband said he would call me, and that I was to go do all that I had previously planned to do. We parked on the side of the road and prayed. Samuel started by thanking God for allowing him to be able to have Marty, asking that He would help him but that he would not suffer. I then prayed that Moe would have wisdom in making the right decisions that He would give the vet wisdom and that it could maybe not cost too much. We then headed to town. We went to the bank, then to the library when Moe called me. I chose to only tell Samuel when we got back in the van because I knew he'd be devastated. Moe told me that Marty's shoulder was badly broken and his paw was hurt. They would usually put a cast on a dog but in this case, because Marty was a big dog, they would have to operate. The surgery would cost between 600$ and 2000$, with his heart in his throat and tears in his eyes he said he told the vet to put Marty to sleep... Samuel cried so much when I told him. His first question was, "Did it hurt Marty to be put to sleep?" Samuel loves Marty so much. We went to Costco and did the groceries we needed to do, then brought Christmas wish list to the aunts that requested it, to them and to my mom to drop off some stuff she asked for. My husband called to see how Samuel was doing. I told him that I could not be that strong if the same thing happen to me at his age, he was really being mature about it. We had talked on and off about it in the van, where most of our best discussions happen, God knew. Samuel said that he forgave "the couple who hit Marty, it was just an accident." Later he told me, just out of the blue, "I wish I would of closed my eyes." He could see it happening over and over. He told me several times how it happen from where he was standing. It makes me cry just to think of the pain he is experiencing and the visions he has in that little innocent mind of his, I wish I could take it away. We're home now, and the house seems so empty....We miss him so much already. Jacob, who is 7 said, "Oh well we won't have to worry about loosing his leash in the snow." Samuel feels awful for the previous owners who felt that God wanted us to have him and sacrificed much to allow us to have him! Samuel said, while driving in the van that he felt like he disappointed the previous owners, because they allowed us to have Marty, thinking we would take care of him but we didn't because he died. I spoke to the couple a little while ago and explained to them what happened at the vet. The lady was very sorry. I could tell in her voice she was remorseful. She explained to me that the reason they had to go to the hospital was because her husband was having an ultra sound to his heart (ecogram) "and it didn't go well..." My heart went out to her. We had lost a dog but she is loosing her husband. I told her that I was so sorry and that we are Christians, believing in forgiveness. We just wanted to put this behind us. She heart fully apologized again and asked that I relay that message to Samuel. I told her that Samuel forgave them and that although Marty is not replaceable, we can always someday have another dog, but if it were my child, it would not be the same. I was thankful that Samuel had not been hurt. I want to post some photographs of Marty, just in memory of him. He was a cuddly big baby. He loved to play and run away with stuff...LOL (I found my shoe under the stairs) He was not a human but we loved him just the same and we will miss him.