She protects him every day. Now this Air Force veteran needs help protecting her.
TEXAS CITY, Texas — An Air Force veteran is asking for help after his service dog was seriously injured in a parking lot accident, leaving the family with mounting veterinary bills.
James Bowers said he has relied on his service dog, Kate, for the past five years and never spends time apart from her.
“As she was realizing that I was sick, then she realized that I was her human, so she’s taking care of me,” Bowers said.
The incident happened Tuesday in the parking lot of a Buc-ee’s in Texas City. Bowers’ wife, Nancy, was walking Kate back to their car when a truck approached.
“All of a sudden it was there, and I turned and that truck was right there, I really thought I was going to get hit. That’s how close it was,” she said. “I jumped back as fast as I could, and I tried to pull Kate back with her leash. I just couldn’t get out of the way quick enough.”
The family said the truck ran over Kate’s paw, causing severe injuries.
“Her leg was severed from the bone was broken completely in half,” Bowers said.
The driver stopped, but in the confusion the family rushed Kate to an emergency veterinarian and did not obtain the driver’s information.
Veterinary costs have quickly escalated.
“The vet bills are like, tomorrow we’ll have to pay $3,200, and the day before that it was $1,500, and the day before that was $2,000,” Bowers said.
As veterinarians work to save Kate’s leg, total expenses have reached about $10,000, creating financial strain for the family.
“It’s overwhelming, but it’s also it doesn’t matter what it takes. We’ll find a way to make Kate whole again. She’s part of our family,” Nancy said.
The Bowers are working with Texas City police to identify the driver and hope to file an insurance claim. In the meantime, they say the bills continue to grow. If you would like to help the Bowers pay for Kate’s recovery, you can do so here.