After being badly injured by a coyote on Monday, Tina the dog is recovering with her family at home in Magnolia. The vet released Tina to her owner, LaQuita Fenton, late Tuesday. Fenton says that Tina still has a long recovery ahead but she is doing well.
(Jim Bates/The Seattle Times)
Two anonymous donors paid the initial vet bill so that Fenton could bring Tina home. Fenton says she is very grateful for the support because she is not able to afford the expenses associated with Tina’s recovery. If you would like to help with the ongoing costs of Tina’s care, call Fenton at 206-283-2411.
Following the attack, the first vet that saw Tina said there was no hope for her survival. Fenton then took the dog to the Seattle Animal Shelter on 15th Avenue West and the surgery that saved Tina’s life was performed at the Animal Critical Care & Emergency Services (ACCES) in Lake City, a 24-hour emergency veterinary center.
(Jim Bates/The Seattle Times)
Fenton tells us she is currently unemployed and recovering from an industrial accident and she is thankful to the two individuals who paid the $932 vet bill after seeing reports about the attack. Fenton also says that in the future Tina will be on a leash whenever she goes outside. (Photos used with the permission of our media partners at The Seattle Times.)
Meanwhile, the Magnolia coyotes are still being seen in the neighborhood. Readers tell us they saw a coyote at 29th and Ruffner on Tuesday night. Sheri writes in the forum that her husband saw a coyote while running in Discovery Park.
4 responses so far ↓
1 Deborah // Jan 13, 2010 at 10:57 pm
I am a volunteer at the Seattle Animal Shelter, and I present Monday evening when Ms. Fenton and the Seattle Police Officer brought Tina in to be euthanized. I have to say, first, that the police officer (I wish I knew his name) was heroically caring and sensitive to the situation and the needs of Tina and Ms. Fenton. Secondly, the real story that needs to be told is that the dispatch officer, a wonderful young woman (I also wish I knew her name) is the real heroine here. She made the decision to save Tina's life, and then went to the trouble to make it “official” by having Ms. Fenton surrender the dog to the shelter, etc. If it were not for her, the dog would have been euthanized point-blank on the spot at her request at the shelter. Afterward, the wonderful anonymous sources came forward to pay for the vet bills–much appreciated–but that was after the fact that this dispatch officer took on Tina's cause. Please pursue the real story here. Thanks.
2 SeattleRio // Jan 14, 2010 at 12:34 am
Deborah… thanks for taking a moment to share this bit of info with everyone. I truly hope Magnolia Voice or the Times will recognize and honour to the dispatch and attending officers who were involved in helping Tina get a second chance.
Many thanks to the anonymous donours who graciously covered the veterinary expenses as well as the ACCES clinic who were instrumental to perform the needed surgery to save Tina and you for volunteering at SAS.
3 badoodie // Jan 15, 2010 at 3:04 am
Deborah, I'm confused. How does it work that surrendering the dog to the shelter saved it from being euthanized?
On an unrelated note, what happened to the dog cam?
4 amagnoliaguy // Jan 17, 2010 at 9:46 pm
Will the donations be used to buy a leash, which I believe is required in the City of Seattle if a dog is off an owner's property.? If the law was being followed, this dog would not have been able to present itself to a coyote as possible meal.
When will this on-line publication drop all the coyote coverage. Isn't there actual news or human interest items for you to cover?
Leave a Comment (read our comment rules)