Palm, a six-year-old guide dog, is beginning her long road to recovery after nearly being dragged to death on a SkyTrain platform Thursday morning.
After guiding her master, Iris Thompson, safely onto the train, Palm somehow ended up outside the train’s doors when it started moving.
“I didn’t know what to do. I was calling for help … and there was no stop button on the train,” said Thompson.
By the time Palm’s leash snapped, she had three broken ribs, a punctured lung, a massive cut along her right side and fractures down the length of her nose.
“The (guide) harness is probably the only reason why this dog survived,” said Dr. Laurence Braun, the veterinarian who treated Palm after the accident.
Braun estimates the cost of Palm’s medical expenses at $15,000. To help Thompson cover the cost of Palm’s veterinary bills, the hospital is accepting donations on her behalf.
The hospital has already received about $1,500.
