Teona Campbell had a most difficult time when she lost Lady, her 4-year-old Chihuahua, an experience that can be traumatic for all pet owners.
"I went through all these cornfields. I felt like I lost my child. I couldn't sleep. I couldn't eat," said 24-year-old Campbell, according to Yoolanda News.
But for Campbell, the loss was compounded by the fact that Lady was a service dog who could sense Campbell's epileptic attacks.
A car crash in California in 2011 left Campbell unable to move the right side of her body. She met Lady, a pup at the time, while recovering in a hospital. Lady's owner realized that apart from the obvious bond between the injured young lady and the tiny Chihuahua, the dog could sense Campbell's impending epileptic seizures.
"She makes a whining noise ... then a growl. Then she'll jump on my chest. She'll lay her head on my chest. She'll just stay there until I'm completely calm and I'm OK. And I give her a treat and she's done her job," Campbell said, reported USA Today.
So it was decided that Lady become a certified service dog and stay with Campbell.
Life was perfect until the fateful day when Campbell lost Lady. Campbell had travelled to Pocomoke City, Md. with her boyfriend Miles Hutt to help his parents with their cleaning business. The bus trip had tired Campbell, who fell asleep, only to wake up around 1 a.m. to realize that Lady was missing.
"I was so distraught. I was going through the cornfields with a flashlight. I'm just screaming her name," Campbell recalls, according to aulanews.com.
Desperate to find the tiny animal, Campbell printed leaflets and took to social networking sites, without success. Finally, she tried a trick suggested by a dog trainer, which was to use her scent to lead the lost dog back home. Campbell tied one of her t-shirt's around one leg and a pair of leggings around the other and walked the acres upon acres of corn fields surrounding the Hutt home.
It worked. After being lost for seven days, miraculously, Lady came home. But Campbell realized that all was not well with her dog.
"She tried to walk and she just dropped. It was like she was paralyzed," said Campbell, according to USA Today.
A consultation at Anne Arundel Veterinary Emergency Clinic confirmed multiple fractures and displacement of the dog's pelvis as well as a broken femur, the result of being struck by a vehicle.
Now Campbell, Lady and Hutt are faced with huge medical bills to help in the gentle service dog's recovery. The couple hopes that animal lovers will come forward to help.
"Lady just gives (Campbell) a lot of comfort and peace. (She's) such a gentle dog. All the love and comfort (Lady has given) really needs to be returned to her," Hutt said.
Those who wish to help with Lady's surgery and recovery costs can donate here.
