Dog Hit by Car, Stuck in Bumper for Miles and Still Miraculously Survives

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Sometimes, a person or an animal is involved in such a terrible accident that it is difficult to imagine that they survived. Sometimes their survival is down to pure luck and, on other occasions, it is due to medical advancements that mean that any injuries suffered during an accident are successfully treated. One accident that involved a lot of luck was reported by Newsweek. They told the miraculous story of a dog that was hit by a car and then dragged for miles in the bumper before being discovered. Surprisingly, the dog survived this horrific ordeal.

Coco, a three-year-old Shiba Inu, ran out into the road on North Manning Boulevard in Albany, New York, on Monday, October 28. She was struck by a car at around 11 am, but this was only the beginning of the poor dog’s ordeal. The female driver of the car that hit Coco realized that she had struck something straight away, although she had not seen Coco run into the road. She immediately stopped her car and ran around to the front to see what she had hit and to make sure the animal was alright.

However, when the woman looked around her car, she saw no sign of an injured animal. All she saw was some damage to the front bumper of her car, says The Daily Gazette. This led her to believe that the animal was unhurt in the accident and had run away. Satisfied that there was not an injured animal needing her help, the woman returned to her vehicle and continued to drive. It wasn’t until around 45 minutes later that she started to hear noises coming from the front of her car. By this time, the woman had driven approximately 16 miles from where the accident had taken place and was now in Rotterdam.

The driver pulled over to investigate the noise, and she was horrified to realize that there was a dog trapped in her bumper. The dog had been lodged in the bumper since the accident and had remained there during the whole time that the car was driven for 16 miles. As soon as the driver saw the dog, she contacted the police immediately to report the incident. Fortunately, when the police arrived, they were able to free the dog from the bumper and arrange for the dog to receive treatment.

According to WYNT, the dog was taken to Hernas Veterinary Clinic. One of the people who treated the dog was Noella LaFreniere, who said that she could not believe that the dog had survived. LaFreniere said that it was unbelievable that the dog had fit so neatly into the space behind the bumper. It was almost as though the space was designed to keep Coco safe. Despite working with animals for many years, LaFreniere has never come across a case like this, so it was shocking to her and her colleagues. They believe that Coco is a very lucky dog.

As a result of the accident, Coco suffered a broken elbow. Considering she was it by a car and then traveled for 16 miles trapped in the bumper, it is a miracle that she did not suffer any other significant injuries. However, she will need surgery to treat the broken elbow, and this will come at a cost. It is estimated that the surgery and her aftercare will cost in the region of $4,000, although the cost could rise depending on the extent of the care she needs following the surgery. To fund her surgery and care, the veterinary clinic is intending to set up a GoFundMe page. They hope that this will raise enough money to cover the medical bills. Another way they are raising the money is through direct donations to the clinic.

LaFreniere is one of the people who is continuing to care for Coco, and she has described the dog as being a trooper. According to LaFreniere, the dog is a mellow and well-behaved dog that has been fantastic while at the clinic. The staff cannot wait for her to have her surgery so that they can get the dog better and send her home. They are all still in shock that Coco’s injuries are not a lot worse as the length of time she spent under the car could have led to some terrible injuries. Even though her body was not dragging on the ground, she could have still suffered serious injuries from the impact of the accident and horrific burns from her proximity to the engine. Fortunately, that was not the case.

Another member of staff, Tammy Van Valkenburgh, said that she heard about the accident and the miracle dog before she arrived at the surgery. When she walked in, she couldn’t believe that Coco was standing there on three legs. Van Valkenburgh says that Coco is now doing great and that she is taking her medication well. She also described her as being a sweet dog. Rotterdam police have been able to track down Coco’s owner. She belongs to a woman from North Carolina who was staying in the Rotterdam area with her sister at the time of the incident. It is not known how Coco got out and ended up running into the highway.

Now, Coco needs to undergo her surgery and make a full recovery before it will be possible for her to return home to her owner. This can only happen if kindhearted people are willing to donate money to fund the surgery and her care. It is hoped that once she has had the surgery, Coco will make a full recovery and go on to live a healthy and happy life. Surprisingly, getting stuck in the bumper could potentially have saved her life because if she had been dragged along the ground, this story would have a very different and unhappy ending.