POULSBO, Wash. — A dog hit by a truck and abandoned at the vet now has a new family in Kitsap County.
Michael Taylor has put hundreds of tattoos on people at his Poulsbo parlor, but they're nothing compared to the mark now left on his heart.
"Dogs are family," he said. "You do everything you can for them because they look to you when they're in distress. They comfort you when you're in distress."
One particular dog left a lasting impact just days ago and it's already indelible.
On Sunday, Bailey, believed to be just 1 year old, was hit by a truck in Poulsbo. Taylor stopped to help, blocking traffic with his car to keep her from being hit again.
"You saw the whimpering and a just a look asking for help," he said.
Taylor rushed Bailey to the nearby Animal Emergency and Trauma Center where she was seen immediately.
Taylor had one thought.
"Don't die! Let's see what we can do for you."
Bailey was badly banged up, but it was pretty clear she was going to survive. A witness found her collar in the road with an identification tag.
They called the injured dog's owner and what happened next changed her life forever.
"The owner pretty much just said to euthanize her," said Taylor. "That he wasn't that attached to her anyway, and he couldn't spend all that money on her care."
Staff at the animal hospital confirmed Taylor's story.
Taylor said when the owner arrived to sign some paperwork he offered to adopt Bailey on the spot. With her, he adopted the $3,300 vet bill.
And he says he'd do it all over again.
"It's not like I'm that rich of a person," said Taylor. "I had to use a credit card to do it, but to me, it was saving a life, and actually saving her twice that day."
A GoFundMe account was created to help the tattoo artist pay that bill. Until she heals, Bailey spends her days resting in the back room of Taylor's parlor so he can keep an eye on her.
She isn't allowed inside for sanitary reasons, but she's able to watch what's going on through a halfway open door.
Bailey is a reminder of another indelible mark on Taylor's heart.
A tattoo on his right arm portrays "Bandit," Michael's beloved husky and best friend of 13 years who passed away a few years ago.
One life gone, another saved.
"It was a life and Bailey needed every chance. Especially since she's so young," said Taylor. "It would've been a shame to put a dog with so much life down."