Dogs truly are man’s best friend. Those wagging tails and unconditional love give humans priceless emotional support. Some pups even go the extra mile and undergo training to become service animals. Guide dogs can act as a visually impaired person’s eyes and help them lead independent lives.
One such dog, Patch, recently went through a traumatic experience. On Wednesday, March 22, 2023, Patch and his human, a 50-year-old blind woman, were out walking when she was killed in a hit-and-run accident. Patch, ever dutiful, walked himself home. Police are now trying to locate his extended family.
Patch is a mixed breed dog. The tragic incident took place in Nashville, Tennessee. The investigation into the hit-and-run is still ongoing, but authorities believe the car in question was a Ford 150 pickup truck. Patch’s human was rushed to Skyline Medical Center but was pronounced dead.
Patch was found uninjured at the front door of a neighbor after the incident. Perhaps he was trying to get help. He is now being cared for by Metro Animal Control.
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Matthew Peters, a representative for Metro Animal Control, spoke about Patch’s future. The first step is to try to locate his extended family.
“(If left unclaimed), we would assess him to help determine what would be his best outcome, whether that is adoption or placing with a rescue group or some other option,” Peters said. “We have had a few rescue groups reach out about him already. It does appear he might have had a life as a service dog, in which case a rescue that works with service animals could be a good match for him. That’s all kind of premature at this point, though, as right now, our main focus is still on locating his family.”
To see amazing service dogs in action, watch this video.
