Fisher, who was on duty that night, received a call about a dog that had been thrown off a bridge along Interstate 40 between Choctaw and Anderson roads in eastern Oklahoma County.
When the trooper arrived at the scene, she found a German Shepherd by the name of Rookie who had suffered severe injuries from the fall. Unfortunately, the dog had been through three owners during the last several years and was homeless. There was no one to claim him.
Fisher decided to try helping the animal, which she described as “docile and friendly.” The Central Oklahoma Humane Society agreed to pay for Rookie’s surgery, which included the repair of a shattered femur and a shattered kneecap.
He initially was taken to an animal hospital in Harrah, but later was transferred to the Oklahoma State University Center for Veterinary Health Services in Stillwater.
After surgery and several weeks of recovery time, Rookie was signed over to Fisher, who proudly claimed the German Shepherd as the newest member of the family. Now home in Harrah with other pets and children to play with, Rookie still can’t enjoy all of the wide-open spaces.
“They had to put a steel rod in his leg and four pins in his knee to hold it together,” Fisher said. “He walks with a sling, but he’s supposed to be confined to a crate for two to three months. Then he’ll start physical therapy.”
Still, Rookie’s health is improving by the day.
“He’s doing great,” Fisher said. “The bone graph is starting to take, and he feels very comfortable with our other pets. We have an inside cat and dog and a Red Heeler who stays outside, and they all seem to get along. He’s such a good dog. He’s house-trained, and he’s been to obedience school. If you tell him to go to his crate, he goes. He’s so tame, he minds and he’s very well behaved.”
Unconscionable act
When Fisher arrived at the scene that day, she made a quick and conscious decision that saved the dog’s life.
“He had landed on the interstate and limped to the shoulder,” the trooper said. “I didn’t think he was hurt to the point that we would have to put him down, so an Oklahoma County deputy who was there started calling around for a vet that could tend to him.”
Although she’s seen her share of tragedies, Fisher said the act of throwing Rookie off the bridge was “inhumane.”
“I can’t imagine why somebody would do that,” she said.
Since Dec. 5, a $7,500 reward has been set up for information leading to the arrest of the person who abused Rookie. The Humane Society started it with a $5,000 contribution. Later, Barry and Becky Switzer donated $1,000 and Max Fairchild and the AutoMax dealership committed $1,500.
Oklahoma County Sheriff John Whetsel called the act unconscionable and the sign of an “inherently evil person.”
Anyone with information about the case should call the Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Department at 869-2501.
Fisher has set up a Facebook fan page for Rookie so his progress and health can be updated.
