Owner Of Oscar The Dog Can't Afford Care After Car Hits Him & Drives Away
LAKEWOOD, Colo., (CBS4) - A search and rescue dog in-training may need a miracle after being hit by a car on Thursday. The owner tells CBS4 she can't afford its care.
Usually friendly and energetic, Oscar the one-year-old greyhound is quite the opposite now. On Saturday, he laid by his owner, Christy Avila, with a cast over his fractured leg. Heavy medication was the only thing masking his pain.
"He cries all night," Avila said. "He's just, limping everywhere. He's trying really hard to just be OK. "
Avila said it all started Thursday night at the dog-run near her apartment. While training Oscar in search-and-rescue techniques, she said he went slightly into the street.
At that time, Avila said a car sped by and hit Oscar.
"He didn't just run over Oscar, he drove over him and took him," She described. "He just kind of tumbled with the tire."
While Oscar laid injured and terrified, Avila said the driver stopped and offered to pay.
"He said he was just going to leave, go get his wallet, and come right back," Avila said. "I should have known better, because he left and we don't know where he is."
Lakewood Police confirm they're looking for the driver involved. A spokesperson told CBS4 that investigators have a person of interest in case but have not taken anyone into custody yet but have seized the car they believe was involved.
Avila said she told officers the man smelled like alcohol. On Saturday, LPD confirmed to CBS4 that officers found an open bottle of whiskey inside the car.
"I have complete confidence that Lakewood Police will find them," Avila said.
Two days later, Oscar is back home, but not because he's better. According to Avila, he needs costly care and surgery she can't afford it.
After the accident, Oscar spent the night at a Vet clinic, but Avila took him home when she couldn't afford the down-payment for surgery.
Avila said Oscar has bone fragments in his leg that need to be removed. If they aren't, the leg could get infected.
"At this point we're just kind of waiting," she said. "Hoping that the infection doesn't sit, and just crossing our fingers that we'll have what we need."
Avila told CBS4 she's applied for loans and started a Gofundme for Oscar. She's also looking for a vet clinic willing to allow a payment plan.
LINK: Save Oscar GoFundMe