Tank had a 50 percent chance of survival when his family got him on the operating table after a freakish accident.
He was getting old. How would the extensive injuries affect the rest of his remaining years?
"To be honest, my wife, my daughter and I had a conversation," said Jason Bond of Kennewick. "Some people have pets, and some people have family members who are animals."
The decision was made. "It wasn't even a question," Bond said Saturday.
Tank, a 9-year-old shepherd-chow mix, was accidentally dragged behind a pickup when his leash somehow snagged the truck's trailer hitch. The Bond family and a group of friends were camping and hunting outside Dixie about two weeks ago when the tragedy unfolded.
"It was 5:30 a.m. and pitch black outside," Bond said. "Tank is a black dog."
Bond's friend didn't know Tank's leash was caught on his truck's trailer hitch when he left the campground that morning. When he arrived at his destination, about a mile away, Bond's friend found Tank's battered body behind his truck.
"It was pretty gruesome," Bond said, adding that he harbors no ill will toward his friend. He didn't want to reveal his friend's name.
Tank was rushed to a veterinarian's office, where the dog's life was saved.
"The main concern was the amount of blood loss he had," Bond said. "The veterinarian, Dr. Dallas Thompson, was just phenomenal."
Tank has spent the past two weeks in the animal hospital in Walla Walla, where he's expected to remain for about another two weeks. The Bond family is grateful for the veterinarian's work, but are now scrambling to pay the bills.
The family is looking at unloading a truck, motorcycle and even other animals.
"My daughter looked at me and said, 'If you have to sell my Bronco, sell my Bronco. If you have to sell my horses, sell my horses,' " Bond said, referring to a 1966 Ford Bronco he's spent the past eight years restoring so his 14-year-old daughter will have a car when she gets her license.
Bond described Tank's accident as "the most tragic and horrific thing we've had to go through."
An account has been set up to help the family pay for Tank's growing medical bills, which Bond expects to crest $10,000 by the time they finally get him home. Donors can send checks to the Associated Veterinary Medical Center in Walla Walla, or call 525-2502 for credit card donations. All donations should be marked for Tank Bond's account.
-- Drew Foster: 585-7207; dfoster@tricityherald.com
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