This weekend marks the 12th year since surviving the tragic car crash, in which the infamous 24 hour search for Tobie went viral on social media, and sadly two of my precious cargo (Nika and Tsunami) died.
For those unfamiliar with the event, I was returning from a five week trip of teaching and competing with my six dogs. I was anxiously looking forward to a few days home in our own bed. Little did I realize the impact of the upcoming series of events and how many lives it would touch.
Driving home from El Paso that morning with my ETA being noon in Phoenix, I was unaware how much the five weeks of fatigue was wearing on me. As the drowsiness crept up I began to look for an exit off the freeway. I was in the right lane and saw, but could not compute, the speed of the double tractor-trailer carrying hazardous materials in front of me. And although I was traveling within posted speed limits, 20 feet isn’t enough to decelerate from 70 to 45 mph. I was forced onto the shoulder and ended up clipping the trucks bumper with my side mirror, which forced my car into in end-over-end somersault spin 30′ off the side of the highway.
What followed will never be erased from my mind-those moments of slow motion, where time felt like it stopped, the sounds of crunching and then silence, only to abruptly stop and hear the last bark from my 13 week old puppy as the vehicle ejected her crate (with her body in it), along with all five other dogs from the backseat area. None of the five dogs were secured in crates or seatbelts at the time, as my vehicle was not designed with those safety precautions at that time.
When I went to the ER, three dogs are safely on their way to the vet, but three were missing. When I checked myself out of the hospital, only two were missing… The tow truck driver found little Tsunami’s body 30′ from the car. And as night fell at the crash site, we were now searching only for Tobie. I had found Nika’s body in the median of the highway a few hours earlier.
24 hours after the crash occurred, with the help of prayers, social media and the support of friends, and the soon to be friends, we were able to reunite with Tobie at 9:15 on that Tuesday morning on the side of interstate 10. It was the extraordinary efforts of so many, all focusing on only one thing… Finding Tobie alive! It was the faith, hope and love that they all possessed that I believe is what made it possible to reunite with Tobie. Even if the people had never met Tobie before, it was the love of their own dogs as they could all relate to what I was going through, that drove them to help us find her and recover from this horrible event.
My feeling of shock – the reality of everything that happened – and the unconditional and overwhelming support of so many people still resonates within me. I’m truly grateful for all who contributed their prayers donations their time and effort during that event. Although it’s been a difficult thing for me to work through emotionally and physically, so much good has come from this tragic event:
Travel safety and awareness for both people and dogs.
Staying alert, taking frequent breaks and planning for Hotel stops instead of driving straight through on long drives.
Pet safety standards for crates and seatbelt systems, as well as crash testing for them.
Planning the layout of vehicles in order to account for impact and crash zones and better packing strategies to prevent flying objects from flying forward, in the event of sudden and abrupt stops.
Communication systems for groups of people traveling to the same event in order to a sure safe arrival for everyone.
It’s amazing to me what has transpired in my life since that day for years ago. Although there’s been a lot of loss, there have also been so many gifts given to me. Just a few of those being: Tobie, A gift I will never take for granted; my husband and best friend Bill; lifelong friends to whom I cannot begin to repay for what they did that weekend and since; and my life, which I was initially unsure why I was given a second chance that day I crawled out the my windshield, and although it seems to constantly be challenging me to grow, I feel blessed for all the joys I’m given and my ability to help others.
My mission it is to inspire awareness and promote the love that we share with our own dogs as we “play” together – in life, dog agility, or ANY moment we connect with our dogs.
So many of you travel with your dogs each weekend, and I pray that your travels are safe.
I pray that you embrace every moment you have with you dogs!!
Although I pray that what transpired that weekend for years ago never happens to anyone again, deep down I know that inevitably accidents do happen. All we can do is prepare to the best of our abilities and live life to the fullest!
Cherish every moment you have because you never know when it will be gone! Please travel safely and HUG YOUR DOG!
Your experience changed the way I travel with my dogs.
Thank you.
I remember that accident. That’s how I met you on Facebook.
From that day on I make sure my dogs are in a crate in the car.
This is a lesson for everyone.
I remember that tragedy so well. We were all praying for you and your dogs. The picture of you finally finding your lost dog always brings tears to my eyes. Several weeks after that event our dog club planned a Car Safety seminar for all of our members.
Hug your Dogs!