It’s gut-wrenching enough to have to make the decision to let your dog go. Anyone who’s done it knows the agony. But a Redford, Michigan family may have to endure the unbearable: Having to euthanize their dog a second time.
Last week Matt Olivarez and his family said goodbye to Mia, their 10-year-old Rottweiler, who was suffering from severe spinal problems that left her in constant pain and unable to walk. Matt took her to the vet’s, watched sadly as the vet injected her twice, and brought her body home, wrapped in a blanket, so he and his family could bury her themselves.
When he returned from work hours later, he checked on his dead dog only to see that she was no longer dead. Mia had woken up from the lethal euthanasia cocktail — which apparently wasn’t quite strong enough.
It’s like something out of an Edgar Allen Poe story. Can you imagine thinking your dog had died, and walking in on her alive? What on earth could have happened? The vet wouldn’t comment yet, according to WXYZ-7 News, because the office wants to verify it’s the same dog. What?!
The family must be suffering as much as Mia still is. Read this comment on the WXYZ website from a woman who appears to be Matt Olivarez’s mother:
“U know I just want to say this, ‘MIA IS A VERY SPECIAL GRL’ she protected me when SHE WAS 2 yrs old when a Pit came in my yard and tried to bite me, she protected my grandson when he was 1 1/2 yrs old from going out in the street by holding him by his t-shirt and with her dying breath she tried to protect my Son when the Doctor came close to him to give HER her shot! OMG how much more must we endure!! I don’t know what to do or what to tell my Grand Sons we love her SO MUCH we just can’t stand to see her suffer but are to afraid to put her down AGAIN! THIS IS GOING TO GIVE US NIGHT MARES FOR A LONG TIME!”
And here’s what the woman had to say about the need to verify Mia is who she is:
“WHAT!! THEY NEED TO CHECK IF ITS THE SAME DOG!! ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!! How many rots are paralyzed in there hind quarters and living at the same address!!! I TOOK CARE OF HER FOR 8 YEARS THE NEIGHBOR GAVE HER TREATS ALL THE TIME!! I WISH THEY WOULD TELL ME TO MY FACE THAT IS NOT OUR MIA!! JUST CAN’T ADMIT THEY MESSED UP!! AND NOW THERE GOING TO HAVE THE NERVE TO ADD INSULT TO INJURY!! WELL NOW THEY CAN EXPLAIN THIS TO MY GRAND BOYS AFTER THEY BURY THERE GRAND FATHER WHO JUST PASSED TODAY! SEE WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY TO THEM! I AM SO DARN P#$$%D!!!!”
The children’s grandfather died a few days after Mia “died”? If the commenter really is Olivarez’s mom, and if it’s true that grandfather died yesterday, at least the children do have Mia here at this difficult time. Some may even wonder if it just wasn’t her time yet, if she somehow knew she needed to be here a little while longer.
I wish there were some pain meds she could get that could help her get back a decent quality of life. The family seems up against it financially right now, as so many people are. But if they could afford good care — not necessarily the experimental surgery mentioned in the video, but something to take away her pain while letting her have a little more life — I wonder if there’s something that could help?
It would certainly prevent Olivarez from facing this awful dilemma: “How do I explain to my kids? I gotta kill Mia twice.”
I’ll keep you posted, Dogsters. Meanwhile, this case certainly makes one wonder how often something like this happens. The vet office in question told the reporter tha in 24 years, this has never happened. But what if the family had cremated her, or buried her, and she were still alive? How can we dog people know for sure that our dearly departed dog has indeed departed? I’ll try to find a vet to comment, but I wanted to post the story as soon as I learned about it.
Update 10:03 p.m. Oct. 12: Here’s a link to a story that ran in today’s Detroit Free Press. It sheds a little more light on the situation, and adds some details that weren’t available in the first go-round. It turns out Olivarez discovered Mia was alive when he went to bury her the next morning. She was looking at him for a refill of her food bowl. For her to just wake up the next morning is very crazy, Olivarez said. I watch scary movies. It was like a scene from Pet Sematary.
Update 1:50 p.m. Oct. 13: Janice Lloyd, my blog pal over at USA Today, reports that Olivarez can’t face putting Mia down again, and will look for someone who can adopt her and give her the great amount of care and attention she needs if she is to survive in comfort and live out a decent rest of her life.
Featured Image Credit: Vera Larina, Shutterstock
