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CNN Live Sunday

Dog Hit By Car, Walks Himself To The Vet

Aired August 10, 2003 - 16:52   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


FREDERICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: For most dogs a visit to the vet is right up there with being dropped off at the pound but one pooch in Kentucky named Scooby somehow seemed to know it would be a life saver. Barry Peel from affiliate KY -- or rather WKYT has this amazing story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARRY PEEL, WKYT CORRESPONDENT: When 6-year-old Scooby's collar ring snapped during a recent thunderstorm, he left home in terror. After he apparently was hit by a car injuring his tail and one leg, he walked the four blocks to his veterinarian's office and checked himself in.

AMY MULLINS, CORBIN ANIMAL CLINIC: Walked over there and looked out the door and saw a dog walking up the parking lot. I opened the door, and when I opened the door he just ran in. When I opened the door he just kept walking. He walked on back, and Sarah, one of the girls in the back, was walking up, and she stopped and picked him up.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He obviously knew this is where he could get help. There is subdivisions with hundreds and hundreds of houses between me and the vet's office. There's 3 banks. There's a mini mall. And how he knew to take his self to the vet, how he knew that office, I don't know.

DR. GERALD MAJORS, CORBIN ANIMAL CLINIC: Some dogs seem to have an innate ability to get there. We like to think that the dog was smart enough to come here. I think other scientists would like to say, well, it's the barking and the smells and that sort of thing that led him here. But we'd like to think that he's smart enough that he can get help here. He'd been here a few times. He knew it.

PEEL: Scooby's adventure earned him the security of his own private back yard kennel.

See, what I don't understand is how come you got to see the doctor so fast because most of us have to wait a long time. I think it's because you're so cute. In Corbin, Barry Peel, 27 news.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Well, Scooby's owner, Shirley Faris, she's on the telephone with us from Corbin, Kentucky. Shirley, congratulations that Scooby knew where to go. At least it was the right place. Obviously, Scooby goes to the vet a lot. SHIRLEY FARIS, SCOOBY'S OWNER: No.

WHITFIELD: Well, what's the explanation?

FARIS: Well, Scooby is a very smart dog. And we have seen a lot in him that's just living with him. He has just been so different from any dog I've ever raised in my life.

WHITFIELD: Well, in what way? Explain.

FARIS: Well, if we pay attention to the dog, he just about talks to us. And he tells us when he wants to go out and use the restroom, he will tell us what he wants for snacks, and we learn from his intense stares and his little digging with his paw into our leg, and he'll pull us to the door when he wants to go out.

So if we don't get our minds off of him, he lets us know pretty well what he wants.

WHITFIELD: So apparently, this time Scooby just didn't want to tell you any other way but then to just take matters in his own hands to make it to the vet.

FARIS: He had no choice. He had to think this out pretty -- well, what amazed us was I know the chances was slim of anyone taking him to the vet if he was to get hit because a lot of people don't want to get a hit dog in their car or they don't want to be stuck with the vet bill or get involved. I never once thought in a million years he would go.

WHITFIELD: So what's the plan now? Is the plan to try and keep Scooby inside, especially at times of thunderstorms?

FARIS: Oh, yeah. Well, that day I made it home about 15 minutes before it actually became a thunderstorm but it was clouding up and I knew it was coming. So his ring had come off of his halter, and that allowed him to get loose. And that's how come he actually got loose. But then within minutes it was becoming a thunderstorm, and I already knew he was scared to death of them. And from there I was just in a constant panic, calling the police department and neighbors and dog pounds and anything.

WHITFIELD: And lo and behold, Scooby knew just exactly where to go, where the safe place was, and lucky for you it was a familiar place for the whole family.

FARIS: Exactly. It took me two days, but I finally surrendered I couldn't do nothing else, and I decided, well, one chance out of a million someone might take him. So I called the vet. When they told me no, no one brought him, he came on his own. Now, that shocked me.

WHITFIELD: All right. Well, Shirley Farris, continued luck for you and Scooby, and congratulations on a happy ending to that cute little dog tale.

FARIS: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right. Bye-bye, Shirley. Thanks.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired August 10, 2003 - 16:52   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDERICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: For most dogs a visit to the vet is right up there with being dropped off at the pound but one pooch in Kentucky named Scooby somehow seemed to know it would be a life saver. Barry Peel from affiliate KY -- or rather WKYT has this amazing story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARRY PEEL, WKYT CORRESPONDENT: When 6-year-old Scooby's collar ring snapped during a recent thunderstorm, he left home in terror. After he apparently was hit by a car injuring his tail and one leg, he walked the four blocks to his veterinarian's office and checked himself in.

AMY MULLINS, CORBIN ANIMAL CLINIC: Walked over there and looked out the door and saw a dog walking up the parking lot. I opened the door, and when I opened the door he just ran in. When I opened the door he just kept walking. He walked on back, and Sarah, one of the girls in the back, was walking up, and she stopped and picked him up.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He obviously knew this is where he could get help. There is subdivisions with hundreds and hundreds of houses between me and the vet's office. There's 3 banks. There's a mini mall. And how he knew to take his self to the vet, how he knew that office, I don't know.

DR. GERALD MAJORS, CORBIN ANIMAL CLINIC: Some dogs seem to have an innate ability to get there. We like to think that the dog was smart enough to come here. I think other scientists would like to say, well, it's the barking and the smells and that sort of thing that led him here. But we'd like to think that he's smart enough that he can get help here. He'd been here a few times. He knew it.

PEEL: Scooby's adventure earned him the security of his own private back yard kennel.

See, what I don't understand is how come you got to see the doctor so fast because most of us have to wait a long time. I think it's because you're so cute. In Corbin, Barry Peel, 27 news.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Well, Scooby's owner, Shirley Faris, she's on the telephone with us from Corbin, Kentucky. Shirley, congratulations that Scooby knew where to go. At least it was the right place. Obviously, Scooby goes to the vet a lot. SHIRLEY FARIS, SCOOBY'S OWNER: No.

WHITFIELD: Well, what's the explanation?

FARIS: Well, Scooby is a very smart dog. And we have seen a lot in him that's just living with him. He has just been so different from any dog I've ever raised in my life.

WHITFIELD: Well, in what way? Explain.

FARIS: Well, if we pay attention to the dog, he just about talks to us. And he tells us when he wants to go out and use the restroom, he will tell us what he wants for snacks, and we learn from his intense stares and his little digging with his paw into our leg, and he'll pull us to the door when he wants to go out.

So if we don't get our minds off of him, he lets us know pretty well what he wants.

WHITFIELD: So apparently, this time Scooby just didn't want to tell you any other way but then to just take matters in his own hands to make it to the vet.

FARIS: He had no choice. He had to think this out pretty -- well, what amazed us was I know the chances was slim of anyone taking him to the vet if he was to get hit because a lot of people don't want to get a hit dog in their car or they don't want to be stuck with the vet bill or get involved. I never once thought in a million years he would go.

WHITFIELD: So what's the plan now? Is the plan to try and keep Scooby inside, especially at times of thunderstorms?

FARIS: Oh, yeah. Well, that day I made it home about 15 minutes before it actually became a thunderstorm but it was clouding up and I knew it was coming. So his ring had come off of his halter, and that allowed him to get loose. And that's how come he actually got loose. But then within minutes it was becoming a thunderstorm, and I already knew he was scared to death of them. And from there I was just in a constant panic, calling the police department and neighbors and dog pounds and anything.

WHITFIELD: And lo and behold, Scooby knew just exactly where to go, where the safe place was, and lucky for you it was a familiar place for the whole family.

FARIS: Exactly. It took me two days, but I finally surrendered I couldn't do nothing else, and I decided, well, one chance out of a million someone might take him. So I called the vet. When they told me no, no one brought him, he came on his own. Now, that shocked me.

WHITFIELD: All right. Well, Shirley Farris, continued luck for you and Scooby, and congratulations on a happy ending to that cute little dog tale.

FARIS: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right. Bye-bye, Shirley. Thanks.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com