A puppy left for dead on the side of the road, Thursday the dog's owners, Brain Platte and his girlfriend Mikaela Smith, are looking for answers.
The couple is sharing their message as their furry friend is recovering in the hospital, with a steep medical bill.
FOX 47's Alani Letang spoke with those owners.
On Friday, April 20, 2018, Brian was outside playing with his dog, Piper in the yard when she ran off into the middle of Michigan Ave. near the Louis St intersection, in East Lansing and was hit by a car. Brian told Letang the car made a subtle stop but then sped off.
"You didn't stop for the dog, you hit a poor 10-month-old puppy. And I know that when you slowed down, you knew what you did," said owner Brian Platte.
Left for dead on the side of the road, Brian rushed Piper to Michigan State University's Veterinary Clinic. Piper suffered from deep tissue wounds, and a bone in her left leg could be seen, Brian said. She spent the night at the clinic Friday and Brian and Mikaela took her home Saturday. When they took her back on Sunday to get her bandages changed that's when they found out she also had a spinal fracture.
The ten-month-old puppy means the world to Brian and Mikaela. That's why deciding to go with surgery over euthanization was an easy choice. Even if it meant taking out a loan to cover Piper's $10,000 medical bill.
"At the end of the day if I have more money in my bank account but I don't have my dog next to me, then what's that money worth?" Brian questioned.
The couple told Letang seeing Piper in the hospital is the hardest thing to watch.
"We went to go visit her yesterday morning and I was just in tears. My initial reaction was I apologized to Piper for not being there for her," said owner Mikaela Smith. Mikaela was gone that weekend at leadership camp. "I just want her to be her normal puppy self," she added.
"It pains me inside to go to sleep knowing that, I was the one that took her off the leash, I had a part of her being hit," said Brian.
They told Letang that Piper might be able to go home this weekend at the earliest. She will need serious care because she won't be able to jump around and play as her spine is healing. And as they wait, the couple can't wait for Piper to return back to normal.
"She's never growled at anyone, she's never been mean, or never bit anyone, she's always so excited. I hope that she will be able to regain her strength again and to have that same bubbly self that she always has been," said Mikaela.
Brian has gone to the police to file a police report. East Lansing Police told us that there are no security camera's facing the road. So police said there is no way of knowing what car hit Piper without an image or at least partial plate. Police said they are hoping someone will come forward.
If you have any information you can call the East Lansing Police at 517-351-4220.
TO DONATE TO PIPER'S MEDICAL BILL, CLICK LINK BELOW:
Piper the rescue dog's GoFundMe
