Family Skips Christmas to Save Dog's Life - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Janice · 12-17-2003, 01:36 AM

Family Skips Christmas to Save Dog's Life

Faithful Pet Injured After Being Hit by Truck

NORTH MANKATO, Minn. (Dec. 16) - Josie was in bad shape by the time the veterinarians at the University of Minnesota saw her: broken back, dislocated hip, internal injuries. Surgery would be expensive, they told the dog's owner. Death would be much cheaper.

''It was a pretty easy choice, and I know people who don't have pets don't understand this. But Josie is like one of my four children,'' said Stella Twedt. ''If my daughter had been hit by a car, I'd do anything to save her, to give her a normal life.''

So Twedt, 36, borrowed $3,000 from her father and raided her Christmas savings. The surgeries began last week to repair the damage left behind by the bumper of a speeding pickup truck.

There's no money left to fly Twedt's 15-year-old daughter, Britney, who lives with her father in Arizona, to Minnesota for Christmas. There won't be presents under the tree for Twedt's two children who live with her: Brandon, 14, and Kirsten, 5.

Britney understood. ''She said, 'Mom, I understand. Do what you have to do,' '' Twedt said. Brandon had the same attitude. Kirsten struggled a bit, but came around. They understood what Outlaw Josie Wales meant to the family.

''Christmas is Josie this year,'' Twedt said as she held her left arm, paralyzed by a stroke in 2001. ''Josie has been an angel. ... She sat with me on the porch for months, and we watched the world go by. I just can't let her go.''

Twedt had lived an adventurous life before the stroke. She had traveled as a child in a military family. As an adult, she became a gunsmith. She had three children and two divorces before marrying Doug Twedt five months before the stroke.

On May 20, 2001, she had just returned from taking Josie for an afternoon walk when the stroke struck. ''There were times I honestly lost the will to live. But my family, my friends and my dog ... they kept me going,'' she said.

The dog had joined the family years earlier, after her second divorce. She thought a dog would be a good for her daughter, who was an infant at the time.

''There was a lot of change going on and I just thought that Josie could be a companion, a friend that Kirsten really needed,'' she said.

The 60-pound Australian cattle dog and daughter hit it off immediately. Kirsten could do anything to Josie - pull her tail, use her as a pillow - and the dog never batted an eye.

''The bond between those two, wow, I can't even begin to tell you how deep it was,'' Stella Twedt said.

On Dec. 5, with friend Cindy Dull in town to baby-sit Brandon and Kirsten, Twedt left for a short getaway with Doug. Dull got the kids to school. When she returned to the Twedt house, she brought the garbage cans into the garage.

Suddenly, Dull heard a yelp. Josie was flying through the air while a white pickup truck sped off. ''I grabbed some blankets, picked the dog up, put her in the car and headed to the vet,'' Dull said.

Only later did Dull - with the help of Brandon - realize the pickup must have swerved onto the grass to strike the dog. The Twedts have pictures of the tire tracks in the grass. The family has decided someone intentionally hit their dog.

''Who would do something like that?'' Doug Twedt asked. ''I mean at first I figured the dog ran onto the street and I can live with that, I mean that happens. But this ... this is just cruel and senseless.''

By the time the Twedts returned to North Mankato on Dec. 7, their dog was in excruciating pain.

Veterinarians in Mankato suggested the Twedts take Josie to the University of Minnesota in the Twin Cities. The veterinarians there gave Stella Twedt options: put the dog down, let it live as a cripple, or perform surgery. Twedt took the latter.

The vets performed two surgeries - one on Dec. 8, the other on Dec. 10 - and in between, Stella Twedt, her kids and Dull drove through a snowstorm to see their dog.

''Five hours up, almost three back for 45 minutes with the dog,'' Twedt said. ''Kind of goofy, but worth it.''

Josie arrived home in North Mankato on Dec. 11. A bed was waiting for her. Brandon tested it the night before, sleeping through the night to make sure it was comfortable.

The family is angry that the person who hit their dog hasn't been caught, but they are happy to have Josie home for the holidays.

''When we got her, she probably had no idea what she was going to go through, but she's handled everything up to now,'' Stella Twedt said. ''She gave us so much love.

''Now, it's our turn.''

¤I Love Clay Aiken¤ · 12-17-2003, 01:46 AM

Aww... thats so sweet!!

Id do the same thing for any animal too.

Ewan's My Man · 12-17-2003, 03:34 PM

Interesting...

I've never had a pet, I mean, unless you count a fish I had for a few days when I was 5, and I think that that has given me a sorta...harshness. I don't want a pet, and I'll admit, that I'm really selfish in the fact that I like my presents. I dunno what I'd do in her situation. I LIKE to think that if I had to make that decision I would save the dog. But, I dunno if I would. So, ya know, even tho she's right, I don't understand that, I have a lot of respect for her, and I hope her dog's alright.

animalcrackers · 12-18-2003, 08:04 AM

Hopefully the family will get some support from the community in which they live. I had an Australian cattle dog. I love those dogs. I pray everything turns out good.

webuster · 12-18-2003, 09:44 AM

That is sweet- I love animals and would probably do the same thing. By the way- has anyone read Shirley MacLaine's new book- I'm gonna buy it soon, I saw her on Graham Norton's show in LA- her relationship with her dog is amazing.

Shirley is lucky however that she didn't go on Graham's show in the UK- the British customs wouldn't let Lauren Bacall bring her little (and I mean little) dog in, she hates the UK now for doing that- and made a few jokes about customs.

Short Circus · 12-18-2003, 10:48 AM

That is so beautiful. I'd do the same in a heartbeat.

*Pleasant Tomorrow* · 12-18-2003, 11:48 AM

Aww.

What a jerk, though, the guy that hit Josie. Poor dog

Ags2000 · 12-19-2003, 09:54 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Ewan's My Man
Interesting...

I've never had a pet, I mean, unless you count a fish I had for a few days when I was 5, and I think that that has given me a sorta...harshness. I don't want a pet, and I'll admit, that I'm really selfish in the fact that I like my presents. I dunno what I'd do in her situation. I LIKE to think that if I had to make that decision I would save the dog. But, I dunno if I would. So, ya know, even tho she's right, I don't understand that, I have a lot of respect for her, and I hope her dog's alright.

No question about it, I would Have done the exact same thing. My dogs are my babies. take care of them and they take care of me. I would have no qualms with having no Christmas to save one of my dogs.

D

Georgia's on my Mind · 12-19-2003, 11:51 AM

thats nice...i guess. i dont know, but i would never do something like that...

Kay Scarpetta · 12-19-2003, 01:39 PM

That's so sweet and heartwarming

ABlairican Pie · 12-20-2003, 02:37 AM

I'm sure that the scumbag who did that to their dog will have his actions catch up with him. People who abuse animals will go on to abuse humans-- or do worse.

Hollow · 12-20-2003, 02:44 AM

aww.

i'd do that for my cat too.

ABlairican Pie · 12-20-2003, 03:23 AM

That's what Christmas is about--LIFE.

Beavis · 12-20-2003, 04:13 AM

I love that story..

phoebe7165 · 12-21-2003, 12:34 PM

I would've done the same thing to any of my 4 dogs.

12-17-2003, 01:36 AM	#1
Janice Retired Admin - Hollywood Swingin' Forum Legend Join Date: Aug 03, 2001 Location: Beantown Posts: 36,388	Family Skips Christmas to Save Dog's Life Family Skips Christmas to Save Dog's Life Faithful Pet Injured After Being Hit by Truck NORTH MANKATO, Minn. (Dec. 16) - Josie was in bad shape by the time the veterinarians at the University of Minnesota saw her: broken back, dislocated hip, internal injuries. Surgery would be expensive, they told the dog's owner. Death would be much cheaper. ''It was a pretty easy choice, and I know people who don't have pets don't understand this. But Josie is like one of my four children,'' said Stella Twedt. ''If my daughter had been hit by a car, I'd do anything to save her, to give her a normal life.'' So Twedt, 36, borrowed $3,000 from her father and raided her Christmas savings. The surgeries began last week to repair the damage left behind by the bumper of a speeding pickup truck. There's no money left to fly Twedt's 15-year-old daughter, Britney, who lives with her father in Arizona, to Minnesota for Christmas. There won't be presents under the tree for Twedt's two children who live with her: Brandon, 14, and Kirsten, 5. Britney understood. ''She said, 'Mom, I understand. Do what you have to do,' '' Twedt said. Brandon had the same attitude. Kirsten struggled a bit, but came around. They understood what Outlaw Josie Wales meant to the family. ''Christmas is Josie this year,'' Twedt said as she held her left arm, paralyzed by a stroke in 2001. ''Josie has been an angel. ... She sat with me on the porch for months, and we watched the world go by. I just can't let her go.'' Twedt had lived an adventurous life before the stroke. She had traveled as a child in a military family. As an adult, she became a gunsmith. She had three children and two divorces before marrying Doug Twedt five months before the stroke. On May 20, 2001, she had just returned from taking Josie for an afternoon walk when the stroke struck. ''There were times I honestly lost the will to live. But my family, my friends and my dog ... they kept me going,'' she said. The dog had joined the family years earlier, after her second divorce. She thought a dog would be a good for her daughter, who was an infant at the time. ''There was a lot of change going on and I just thought that Josie could be a companion, a friend that Kirsten really needed,'' she said. The 60-pound Australian cattle dog and daughter hit it off immediately. Kirsten could do anything to Josie - pull her tail, use her as a pillow - and the dog never batted an eye. ''The bond between those two, wow, I can't even begin to tell you how deep it was,'' Stella Twedt said. On Dec. 5, with friend Cindy Dull in town to baby-sit Brandon and Kirsten, Twedt left for a short getaway with Doug. Dull got the kids to school. When she returned to the Twedt house, she brought the garbage cans into the garage. Suddenly, Dull heard a yelp. Josie was flying through the air while a white pickup truck sped off. ''I grabbed some blankets, picked the dog up, put her in the car and headed to the vet,'' Dull said. Only later did Dull - with the help of Brandon - realize the pickup must have swerved onto the grass to strike the dog. The Twedts have pictures of the tire tracks in the grass. The family has decided someone intentionally hit their dog. ''Who would do something like that?'' Doug Twedt asked. ''I mean at first I figured the dog ran onto the street and I can live with that, I mean that happens. But this ... this is just cruel and senseless.'' By the time the Twedts returned to North Mankato on Dec. 7, their dog was in excruciating pain. Veterinarians in Mankato suggested the Twedts take Josie to the University of Minnesota in the Twin Cities. The veterinarians there gave Stella Twedt options: put the dog down, let it live as a cripple, or perform surgery. Twedt took the latter. The vets performed two surgeries - one on Dec. 8, the other on Dec. 10 - and in between, Stella Twedt, her kids and Dull drove through a snowstorm to see their dog. ''Five hours up, almost three back for 45 minutes with the dog,'' Twedt said. ''Kind of goofy, but worth it.'' Josie arrived home in North Mankato on Dec. 11. A bed was waiting for her. Brandon tested it the night before, sleeping through the night to make sure it was comfortable. The family is angry that the person who hit their dog hasn't been caught, but they are happy to have Josie home for the holidays. ''When we got her, she probably had no idea what she was going to go through, but she's handled everything up to now,'' Stella Twedt said. ''She gave us so much love. ''Now, it's our turn.''

12-17-2003, 01:46 AM	#2
¤I Love Clay Aiken¤ MISS APRIL Forum Addict Join Date: Jul 19, 2001 Location: Parsonsfield ME Shaws - Screwing my way up the employment ladder! Posts: 68,780	Aww... thats so sweet!! Id do the same thing for any animal too.
	__________________ DAVID COOK FOR AMERICAN IDOL

12-17-2003, 03:34 PM	#3
Ewan's My Man I'll Cover You Forum Veteran Join Date: Sep 29, 2001 Location: Beneath the opera house... Posts: 5,682	Interesting... I've never had a pet, I mean, unless you count a fish I had for a few days when I was 5, and I think that that has given me a sorta...harshness. I don't want a pet, and I'll admit, that I'm really selfish in the fact that I like my presents. I dunno what I'd do in her situation. I LIKE to think that if I had to make that decision I would save the dog. But, I dunno if I would. So, ya know, even tho she's right, I don't understand that, I have a lot of respect for her, and I hope her dog's alright.
	__________________ Don't you ever wanna be somebody to envy Don't you wanna be footloose and free? Well, you could be the life of the party If you were more- Like me! All you have to do is jump over the moon Moo with me!

12-18-2003, 11:48 AM	#7
Pleasant Tomorrow Member Forum Addict Join Date: Feb 19, 2003 Location: New York Posts: 69,525	Aww. What a jerk, though, the guy that hit Josie. Poor dog
	__________________ my name is ashlee Welcome! Everything is fine.

12-19-2003, 01:39 PM	#10
Kay Scarpetta Defy Gravity 8.26.05 Forum Superstar Join Date: Jul 04, 2001 Location: La Vie Boheme Posts: 28,013	That's so sweet and heartwarming
	__________________ The people who think they know everything about Broadway make me laugh. They've never seen a Broadway play in their life. "oh mi godddd RENT's a mooovie! lyke 525600 minuuuuuuutes!" No. To be a Broadway Freak, you must live, eat, sleep, study, devout, think, obsess, dream, believe Broadway. You must know original & revival casts, soundtracks, performance runs, dates, theatres, numbers, how many Tony Awards A Chorus Line won. You must be Broadway. That's right bitches. I AM Broadway.

12-18-2003, 08:04 AM	#4
animalcrackers Member Senior Member Join Date: Jul 24, 2002 Location: The Backseat Of Fonzie's Bike Posts: 1,603	Hopefully the family will get some support from the community in which they live. I had an Australian cattle dog. I love those dogs. I pray everything turns out good.

12-18-2003, 09:44 AM	#5
webuster Member Senior Member Join Date: Aug 26, 2002 Posts: 2,150	That is sweet- I love animals and would probably do the same thing. By the way- has anyone read Shirley MacLaine's new book- I'm gonna buy it soon, I saw her on Graham Norton's show in LA- her relationship with her dog is amazing. Shirley is lucky however that she didn't go on Graham's show in the UK- the British customs wouldn't let Lauren Bacall bring her little (and I mean little) dog in, she hates the UK now for doing that- and made a few jokes about customs.

12-18-2003, 10:48 AM	#6
Short Circus Senior Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Nov 22, 2003 Posts: 141	That is so beautiful. I'd do the same in a heartbeat.

12-19-2003, 11:51 AM	#9
Georgia's on my Mind Senior Member Forum Superstar Join Date: Aug 19, 2001 Posts: 25,054	thats nice...i guess. i dont know, but i would never do something like that...

12-20-2003, 02:37 AM	#11
ABlairican Pie Member Forum Superstar Join Date: Dec 12, 2001 Location: Living where cats reign more Supreme than a pizza. Posts: 31,619	I'm sure that the scumbag who did that to their dog will have his actions catch up with him. People who abuse animals will go on to abuse humans-- or do worse.
	__________________ Release the kitties. --Nathan Explosion

12-20-2003, 02:44 AM	#12
Hollow Member Forum Superstar Join Date: Dec 16, 2001 Posts: 30,406	aww. i'd do that for my cat too.

12-20-2003, 03:23 AM	#13
ABlairican Pie Member Forum Superstar Join Date: Dec 12, 2001 Location: Living where cats reign more Supreme than a pizza. Posts: 31,619	That's what Christmas is about--LIFE.

12-20-2003, 04:13 AM	#14
Beavis Member Forum Regular Join Date: Sep 19, 2003 Location: TVLAND Posts: 725	I love that story..

12-21-2003, 12:34 PM	#15
phoebe7165 Pop Culture Goddess Forum Fanatic Join Date: Apr 15, 2003 Location: US of A - the country of "really bad music" lovers Posts: 11,600	I would've done the same thing to any of my 4 dogs.
	__________________ Rest in Peace to my Penny-pie. You really were a GREAT dog. I'll see you at the Rainbow Bridge. Penny 9/1/97-12/9/09 Rescued animals make the best pets. Opt to Adopt!!