By Katie Farrell
Staff writer
April 30, 2008 04:38 pm AMESBURY — For Becky Taylor, one of the worst days of her life has since turned into a series of positives. Earlier this month, three of her dogs ran out of her house on Whitehall Road, and all three were hit by a car. In a rush to get to her animals, Taylor backed her van down to the road and mistakenly hit her ex-husband John Taylor, breaking his shoulder and clavicle. But since that terrible day has come an outpouring of generosity from friends and fellow animal lovers. "I'm so appreciative of the support that I've gotten," Taylor said this week. "It's overwhelming." Faced with $12,000 in veterinary bills, Taylor's friend and fellow animal control officer for Amesbury, Eileen Cashman, organized a fundraiser for the Taylors to help pay them. Taylor is the animal control officer for the city of Newburyport. Support has poured in from across the country — in the form of donations and cards — from California, Nevada, Florida, Pennsylvania and New Orleans, where Taylor spent time doing rescue work following Hurricane Katrina. Donations have helped pay for close to half of Taylor's bills. "It's just been overwhelmingly special," Taylor said. "It's more than I can ever believe." And the injured, human and canine, are on the mend. John Taylor is recovering well, Becky Taylor said. Her dogs, a 2-year-old German shepherd named King and Daisy, a 2-year-old Australian shepherd, are also improving. The days that followed the accident were a blur of medical bills and visits to Brentwood Emergency Hospital in Brentwood, N.H., where King and Daisy were receiving treatment, Taylor said. King continues to need to be brought back to the hospital for follow-up care. "Daisy is doing great," Taylor said. The dog's rear leg was shattered in four places, but surgery re-set the bone and the only visible sign of the injury is a scar. "She will recover 100 percent," Taylor said. King's vets weren't sure he would make it through the first night. Following the accident, he was in shock and bleeding internally. He had a head injury, several lacerations and lost a toe. While he initially went blind from the injuries he sustained, his eyesight has returned and he is walking with limited use of his front leg. "He is walking; he can get up on the couch," Taylor said. As time goes on, Taylor said, she expects King's condition will improve even further. But Taylor gets choked up when she talks about Tess, her 2-year-old terrier mix. It's still difficult when she sees Tess' water and food dishes or looks at photos. "We were going to become little old ladies together," Taylor said. Thankful for those who came to her aid, Taylor said it's difficult to find the right words to express her gratitude. "There really are no words," Taylor said. "It was a horrible accident, my personal tragedy, and (people) stepped up to the plate and helped out." Faced with an enormous pile of medical bills, Taylor said she made a decision during a "very emotional moment" to try to save her dog — despite what that might have meant for her own future. The sudden turn of events has depleted Taylor's savings, which were put aside for mortgage payments on her farm. "It's a horrible, horrible thing not to be able to afford to save the one you love," Taylor said. "If he (King) hadn't made it, I would have spent the money and lost him anyway." A friend of Taylor is creating a Web site that will give updates on King and Daisy and their progress. The site, www.lovemutts.com, will be online shortly. "I'm so appreciative of all the support from everybody," Taylor said. "It's made a very difficult time much easier." Donations can be sent to the Provident Bank, 5 Market St., Amesbury, MA 01913 in care of Rebecca Taylor.
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