SEATTLE — Two Seattle firefighters and some good Samaritans helped save the life of a veteran's service dog after she was struck by a car over the weekend.
Keith Gilbert was loading his dogs into his vehicle when "Mouse," a full-sized German Shepherd, slipped out and ran across the street. It all happened at the busy intersection of Renton Avenue S.
"I’m disabled and can’t chase after anything, so I was in a panic," said Gilbert.
Luckily, Natalie Luke and David Crump were traveling by when they saw Mouse get hit by the vehicle.
"It was every dog owner's worst nightmare... I pulled over quickly to help because I’m a dog lover," said Luke.
Luke and Gilbert's daughter, Denise, were concerned Mouse had a broken back because of the precarious position she was laying in. The two got creative and used a car windshield shade as a make-shift backboard and relied on a first aid kit to treat an open wound on her leg.
Then, Firefighters Aidan Casey and Bobby Foster from Seattle Fire Station 33 just so happened to be passing by moments after the accident and joined the rescue. The two gave kudos to the concerned citizens who didn't wait for help to do what they could to help save Mouse.
"They did a great job of immobilizing the dog and getting her safely out of the road," said Foster.
The firefighters helped treat Mouse's wounds until she was eventually taken to an emergency veterinarian where she was patched up. The dog is now on to a full recovery thanks to the community's effort.
Gilbert said he is not only a disabled veteran, but he's also battling cancer for the fifth time and can't imagine how challenging his life would be without his beloved service dog.
"I have the best neighbors I’ve ever had in my life… and I grew up in Beverly Hills!" said Gilbert, as emotions started to get the best of him.
Gilbert and Mouse made a visit to Fire Station 33 on Tuesday to meet Luke and the two firefighters who saved Mouse and thank them all for their help.