She and her husband were driving to see his parents, and when they were in a little town just outside Hartwick, NY, she saw a dog by the side of the road. She ordered him to stop the car, and leaped out once it was stationary.
The dog she saw was emaciated. As in, shoulderblades, hip bones, and leg bones visible when the dog moved. The dog wasn't moving much, just kind of milling around I guess. Though it's been a bit cooler here, it was still a good 85 degrees and sunny. And the dog had a chain around her neck. No tags.
With some gentle, gentle coaxing, my coworker got the dog to approach her and received a lick on her hand for her trouble. The dog seemed terrified of just everything. They took a long, sloooow walk back to my coworker's car, the dog occasionally pausing to sniff my coworker's hand again, give her a lick, and start walking again. Once at the vehicle, they were able to coax her into the back seat, and had to give her a boost when she just wasn't able to get herself there.
They stopped at the next gas station they saw and bought a bottle of water, and asked the attendants about a non emergency police number, animal control, something. It turns out there was an animal clinic the next town up, Exeter Veterinary Clinic in Richfield Springs New York, and that's where they took her. The vet there is Pamela Lea.
The dog had no tags, no microchip, nothing. The vet estimated that she's older, maybe 11, partially deaf and with cataracts. They're going to keep her there and try to get some weight back on her. When my coworker called today, she was eating and drinking. They hadn't heard anything from or about an owner.
My coworker and her husband named the dog "McQueen", after Steve McQueen, specifically because of The Great Escape. She took a single picture, which told me I could share. If no owner is found, no charges brought, what have you, my coworker and her husband unfortunately can't take McQueen; they just moved to an apartment where literally every other house pet is allowed but dogs.
