OHP Troopers Rescue Dog Hit By Car

A dog rescued by Oklahoma Highway Patrol troopers after getting hit by a vehicle had his first surgery and was recovering at an animal hospital.

Major Brent Sugg said he responded to I-40 and Peebly Road in Oklahoma County Monday morning after getting several calls that two dogs had been hit. Sugg said when he arrived, he saw a Great Pyrenees lying in the highway median under the cable barrier. He was alive, but could not move his hind legs. A female Great Pyrenees that accompanied him was dead.

"It would have been difficult for anybody to see those dogs during that type of weather," Sugg said.

Trooper Eric Stacy then called him and asked what type of dogs were hit. Stacy mentioned there were a few dogs wandering around that area on Sunday and Stacy had tried to catch them. Sugg sent Stacy a photo of the surviving dog and Stacy confirmed those were the dogs he was trying to catch the previous day.

Stacy, a Great Pyrenees owner himself, then arrived at the scene with hot dogs to feed the surviving Great Pyrenees. Stacy also called Deer Creek Animal Hospital in Harrah, which sent Manager LaWana Cooper to the scene to scan the dog for a microchip. The dog was not chipped. 

"He wasn't crying. He was shivering. It was very cold," Cooper recalled. "He has open wounds as well from being hit."

Cooper said she got blankets from her car and wrapped the dog. Stacy and another trooper, Lt. Matt White, then loaded the dog into White's patrol car and followed Cooper to Deer Creek Animal Hospital.

Once the dog arrived at the hospital, he received pain medication. The next day, he took more pain medicine and got started on antibiotics. The staff also sewed up his wounds. X-rays showed the dog had broken tibias in both hind legs, with the right leg suffering the worst injuries.

On Wednesday, he underwent surgery on his right hind leg. The veterinarians used a plate and screws to repair the shattered tibia. The dog was expected to receive surgery on his left leg a few days later.

"I named him Polar Bear because he looks like a giant polar bear," Cooper said. "And it was freezing cold outside."

Polar Bear will need months to heal. But fortunately, John and Brent Link, the veterinarians at the animal hospital, told Cooper they anticipated him to make a full recovery.

"He likes attention for sure," Cooper said of Polar Bear, who was constantly putting his paws on Cooper as she sat next to him. "But they are really nice dogs."

To help cover the cost of Polar Bear's medical expenses, which will likely reach thousands of dollars, Cooper said Deer Creek Animal Hospital has set up an account for him. Anyone wanting to donate can call the hospital at 405-391-6220. Cooper said the hospital accepts checks too.

If no owner comes forward, Stacy hopes to adopt Polar Bear.

"Trooper Stacy and his wife have been regular visitors to Polar Bear and they were actually the first ones to get him to eat," said Cooper.

Sugg added that Stacy and White did an exceptional job helping the dog.

"It's not just about issuing citations or working collisions or taking people to jail," said Sugg. "There's a very human component that goes along with these people. They have families. They have pets. And they were very eager to help that day."