An Update On Gracie

To the Editor:

So many people have e-mailed, called, and questioned me as we’ve met around town to ask about my 8-year-old golden retriever, Gracie. She even received a get-well letter from her very first canine pen pal, Libby Zimmermann. Here is an update.

You may recall, as first reported in The Newtown Bee, that Gracie was run over and dragged by a FedEx truck in our driveway on August 1, early in the morning. She panicked, burst through her invisible fence and disappeared. The FedEx driver did not remain at the scene. That was just the beginning of FedEx’s callous response to this incident, and I encourage a total boycott of their services.

The heroine of this story is Carolee Mason, Newtown’s animal control officer. She responded to my frantic call within 15 minutes and began searching immediately. At 3 pm, she told me her shift was over but she was going home to change clothes and would be back to continue the search, on her own time. At 6:15 pm, Carolee found Gracie in a swamp — covered in mud, blood, and flies — and carried her to solid ground. Gracie weighs 80 pounds!

We drove immediately to Newtown Veterinary Specialists, our new 24-hour animal emergency hospital. This is a state-of-the-art facility and I cannot recommend it highly enough. Gracie stayed two days and two nights and received the finest surgical intervention and marvelous continuing care from Dr Weisman, Dr Potanas, and the entire staff. Since Gracie needed her bandages changed daily, we became fast friends with everyone there. I am very happy to report that she is doing well and will make a full recovery.

I am so impressed by Carolee’s dedication that I made a contribution to the Pound Fund in her honor. If you would like to do the same, you will show your support for the finest animal control officer anywhere. To send a donation, make your check payable to Town of Newtown and, in the lower left corner, write Pound Fund. Mail it to Town of Newtown, Attn: Finance Dept., 3 Primrose Street, Newtown, CT 06470. Your gift is tax-deductible and is used at the ACO’s discretion for necessities the budget may not cover.

NBC TV 30 filmed Gracie’s story and, if you missed it on the nightly news, you’ll find the video online at WVIT.com — type Owner Struggles After Dog Struck in the search box in the upper right corner of the home page.

Our gratitude for your concern is difficult to put into words — ‘thank you’ hardly seems adequate. You are all a wonderful testament to Newtown’s sense of community and caring and we are very grateful. I write from the heart — Gracie’s and my own.

Most sincerely,

Sherry Paisley

38 Walnut Tree Hill Road, Sandy Hook           September 12, 2012