July 3, 2001

Contact: Paige or Scott Bluhm
(215) 412-0270
paigeb@siberescue.com

LANCASTER WOMAN HITS DOG WITH CAR, PLAYS GOOD SAMARITAN, IS TOLD BY OWNERS, "JUST LEAVE HER THERE AND LET HER DIE."

About 6:15 PM on Thursday evening, June 14, Alana Arment was leaving her home on Prospect Road in Washington Borough when, suddenly, her next door neighbor's female Siberian Husky darted directly in front of her car. Unable to stop in time, she struck the dog, knocking her to the ground.

Horrified, Ms. Arment, who instantly recognized the dog, rushed to her neighbor's door, telling them that she had accidentally hit their dog and apologizing profusely. Expecting them to go their dog's aid, Ms. Arment could not believe her ears when she heard, "Oh, just leave her there and let her die."

"What?" Ms. Arment shouted. "I can't do that! She's in terrible pain!"

"We don't want her any more," the neighbors explained. With that, Ms. Arment rushed back to the dog, lifted her into her own car and took her to the local Pet Emergency Center, where she was diagnosed with a severely dislocated hip.

The operation the dog would require to restore her to health, the Emergency Center Veterinarian explained, would involve removing and reconstructing the dog's femur. He estimated that this procedure would cost approximately a thousand dollars, which the newly married Ms. Arment simply could not afford. Without the operation, however, the dog would need to be euthanized to relieve its pain.

In desperation, Ms. Arment next took the dog to the local animal shelter, hoping that they could help. Although they could not, they did offer her the telephone number of a contact at Tails Of The Tundra Siberian Husky Rescue (TOTTSHR), which agreed to cover the cost of the surgery.

The story has a happy ending. The surgery seems to have been a success, and the dog, now renamed Geo, is being fostered by Beth Parsons, a member of TOTTSHR, and is recovering nicely. "She is a very sweet dog," says Parsons, "and I'm sure we will have no trouble finding her a forever home once she is fully recovered."

Anyone wishing to make a tax-deductible contribution to defray the cost of Geo's surgery should send it to: TOTTSHR, P.O. Box 612, Colmar, PA 18915 with a note that it is for Geo.

To learn more about Siberian Huskies, TOTTSHR or our events, go to our website at http://www.siberescue.com or contact Paige or Scott Bluhm. They can be reached at 215-412-0270.

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Note to Editor: Both Ms. Arment and Ms. Parsons are available for personal interviews if desired.