WAUSEON, Ohio —
Thursday marked two weeks since three deadly crashes happened on the Ohio Turnpike. Four people were killed and at least ten more were taken to the hospital.
Families are still in the hospital, figuring out medical bills and how to get home to other states.
For one family, they're working to also find a way to get their dogs back home.
For almost two weeks, Henley, known as the "Turnpike Dog," has been recovering at Countryside Animal Clinic in Wauseon. Henley was inside one of the cars involved in one of the crashes and at some point shattered his leg.
"We don't know exactly whether he was injured in the actual impact or whether he perhaps got bumped by a car after the car accident occurred and he got loose," Dr. Jill Dentel, a veterinarian at Countryside Animal Clinic said.
Henley and his brother Davey both got out during the crash and Davey is currently with a foster family.
Henley has been transported to a few different places before being brought to Dentel.
Dentel said they had limited records when he arrived, so the first steps were to check on his health other than the broken leg.
Once he appeared to be systemically healthy, they provided him with the appropriate pain medications. The goal was for Henley to be as comfortable as possible until the clinic could reach the owners.
"My goal, especially with this particular case and how severe of a decision we were talking about, which is losing his front leg, was to talk to the owners and make sure that they were OK and at peace with that decision," Dentel said.
Dentel said she was able to make contact with the owners who said their priority was whatever would give him the best quality of life and that meant amputation. The procedure took about an hour and a half, according to Dentel.
"His particular case, it was a lot longer of a surgery because that whole leg and all the musculature and the skin was extremely bruised from the trauma of whatever happened to him," Dentel said.
Dentel said Henley has been recovering well and has quickly adjusted to walking on three legs. She said patients don't normally stay this long at the clinic.
"We've gotten far more attached to him than we do your average patient," Dentel said. "He is just such a sweet and obviously very easy boy to love."
Dentel said he loves belly rubs and toys, and his favorite time of the day is lunch when he can get snacks and treats from the staff at the clinic. She said all the staff wants to stay in touch with Henley, or at least his family.
"They're very much hoping that maybe they can be his pen pals from Ohio to Maine so that they can see how he is with his family and his new life with three legs," Dentel said. "He's become kind of a member of our family here."
The clinic's goal is to get enough donations so Henley's medical bills do not cost the family anything. His bill costs close to $4,000 and the clinic has raised about $3,300 of it so far.
The clinic is also working with the Red Cross to figure out transportation for Henley and Davey back to Maine. The 15-hour drive is expected to cost around $1,200. The clinic is accepting donations in-person, mailed in or over the phone for either cost.