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On the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year, an excited message floats in from the evening glow at the Chase City YMCA. “There’s a puppy outside!”
The Butler Farm Electric Transmission Project Team is wrapping up an Open House for the community in Chase City, Va. on June 21, 2022, at the YMCA in town. Team members Blair Parks, Melissa Stephens, and James Young swiftly follow the summons outside to discover a pitiful situation.
A driver abruptly stopped in the street by the YMCA, shoving a mother lab and two of her puppies onto the sidewalk, speeding off and abandoning them in town. The mother and one of the puppies ran down the main street with other good Samaritans in pursuit trying to rescue them. A black puppy who cowered alone by the YMCA was scooped into the arms of Melissa Stephens, a Rights-of-Way Management Representative. Fleas crawled over the puppy, but her eyes, nose, and ears were clear, and her fur shined softly in the evening glow. Blair Parks, a Siting & Permitting Specialist, arrived outside and instinctively gravitated to the black lab.
Melissa Stephens and Blair Parks with lucky puppies rescued in Chase City, Virginia
“At first, my only motive was to get the puppy off the streets and into a good home,” Blair recalls. “With local animal shelters closed for the night, it made sense to bring her home with me and I'd sort out the details later.”
The black puppy stretched up to Blair like a child, resting its small face on her shoulder. Now empty-handed, Melissa began searching for the other puppy and returned victorious a few minutes later with the caramel sister in arms.
Melissa explains, “I couldn’t bear to leave without ensuring both puppies were safely located and would go home with someone to be cared for.”
Unfortunately, the mother could not be caught and was aggressive after nursing at least two surviving puppies. The team focused on solving the puppy predicament in the dwindling light.
James and Monica Young, contractors with the Dominion Energy Environmental Services Group, volunteered to take the caramel puppy home for the night, and Blair agreed to care for the black puppy with her husband. Both committed to taking the dogs to veterinarians the following morning. Melissa offered to remain on stand-by to take either puppy if a hand-off needed to occur during the week.
Blair says, “[The black lab] needed medical attention. She was covered in fleas and ticks, and the veterinarian discovered worms. However, each day she is showing a little more of her spunky personality, and she is getting along well with my four-year-old black lab Ivy.” The black puppy, named “Pepper” for her salt-and-pepper paws, is officially a family member now. Although Pepper needed surgery to correct a broken leg, she continued to remain in good health under Blair’s care.
The caramel puppy, however, was diagnosed with canine parvovirus, a serious and highly contagious disease afflicting dogs that is fatal if untreated. Affectionately dubbed “Clover” for the Clover to Butler Farm routing options presented at the Open House, caramel Clover remained under the diligent attention of James and Monica Young, who are ensuring Clover receives care to combat her parvo diagnosis.
James shares, “When you pick up an abandoned animal there is always a risk there could be unknown ailments. Our primary care veterinarian identified that she was anemic due to the flea infestation, had stomach ring worms, and the big surprise - positive for parvo. We decided to kick start her recovery at a 24-hour emergency medical facility. Then we transitioned her to outpatient care, which we did at home with specific directions from our vet. This included a regimen of medications as well as subcutaneous fluids. This was neither Clover’s nor our favorite task to do. After three days of outpatient care, Clover is starting to feel better and act like a puppy again. There is still a way to go before she is in the clear, but the progress is tracking in the positive direction. It is exciting to see the change in her.”
Thanks to the genuine concern and careful action by several Dominion Energy team members, these precious puppies have a brighter and happier future markedly different from the ones abandoned on the sidewalk in the Chase City sunset.
Safety Moment: If you encounter abandoned pets in the field, first attempt to contact the local Animal Control office to report the animals, and never approach if they present aggressive or fearful behavior. If you decide to bring the pet home, always quarantine the animal from any others in your family until a veterinarian gives the all-clear.
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