Dear Editor:
Well I wish someone had shared that one with Frankie. You may be asking yourself, Who the heck is Frankie? Well Frankie is our family cat and yes I am the hand that feeds him and has been feeding him for the past 12 years.
Well as the story goes, it was a beautiful Sunday afternoon, I was preparing a homemade pasta sauce — the aroma of which filled the air Et voilà! It attracted a strange dog to our deck.
Well our Frankie was outside in his usual spot basking in the sun. Then he spotted this unwelcome visitor.
If truth be told, my first red flag should have been either the fur standing on Frankie’s back or the hissing sounds he was emitting or his strange and distant eyes! But my judgement was suddenly clouded. All I could see was a vision of our farm dog viciously shaking the neck of a groundhog. And all care vanished to the wind.
I immediately went into protective mode. Our Frankie was in danger!
I made a very poor judgement call. I stepped into a heated face-off between age old enemies; dog and cat.
I grabbed Frankie with my free arm and then opened the screen door attempting to throw him to safety — but he held on for life. Frankie’s claws and teeth digging deeper into my arm.
By the time I had managed to free my arm from Frankie’s grip I had five bites on each hand, claw marks, scratch marks..
Even after a good cleansing, peroxide and antibiotic cream in less than 30 minutes my right hand began to swell. And so I dragged myself to the hospital at 8 o’clock at night.
And now for the good news.
From the minute I walked through the doors of the Pembroke Regional Hospital, I was greeted, treated, and attended to by the most caring and professional doctors and nurses. I felt immediately reassured. I knew I was in good hands. Although I enjoy storytelling, I wish to now say thank you.
Thank you to Mulvihill’s Drugmart for delivering medication to my home approaching midnight.
Thank you to Access Health Care Services for your patience and late night home visits to manage my IV lines providing antibiotics.
Thank you to all the amazing staff at Pembroke Regional Hospital. Our community is indeed fortunate to have access to such caring and quality health care.
And now back to Frankie. Our dear Frankie was at home under quarantine for 10 days after which time he received a personal home visit from the Renfrew County Health Unit and later that day Frankie was vaccinated.
In the future I will spray with a garden hose, clap my hands, stomp my feet — but never will I venture between two enemies.
Thank you again to all the kind folks in Renfrew County.
Letter written by Susan Dagenais,
La Passe as told to her by her brother David Dagenais, Pembroke
