An injured black Labrador retriever puppy that wandered into a hospital's emergency department was able to get treatment and was reunited with its owner.
Capone appeared to have been hit by a car when he walked up the parking lot and through the doors of Community Hospital Anderson around 5:15 a.m. May 26.
He had a neck and shoulder injury, a cut above his left eye and a hurt front paw.
"He literally walked straight up like he knew he was coming to the right place," Dr. Thomas Short told Fox 59.
Community Hospital Anderson shared a photo of the injured animal on its Facebook page. Residents and other animal groups shared it as well.
Eventually Capone was reunited with his owner, Nick Karagianis.
Karagianis got home after working two jobs and started walking Capone around 2 a.m. As they were walking, Capone's leash got wrapped around a telephone pole. When Karagianis tried to untangle Capone, the collar came off and the dog ran.
"Usually he comes right back," Karagianis told Fox 59.
Karagianis went out looking for the 1-year-old puppy for about an hour. But it was dark and Capone has black fur. Karagianis went home and fell asleep around 3 a.m., according to Fox 59.
Karagianis awoke that morning and asked his neighbor if she had seen his dog. She hadn't but asked him if he saw the hospital's Facebook post.
"It was a dog checking himself into the hospital," Karagianis told Fox 59. "It blows the mind."
The hospital staff paid the vet bill, provided Karagianis got Capone neutered and microchipped. Capone is expected to recover from the injuries, according to Fox 59.
About the Author
