GQEBERHA – A desperate phone call to an ambulance service usually reserved for humans became the lifeline for a gravely ill dog and her owner in Gqeberha.

When every option seemed to close around her, Gardmed Ambulance Service answered the call, brought oxygen, transported a dying pet to the vet and stayed long after their duty ended.

Celeste Bataille’s dog, Bella, fell gravely ill recently, breathing heavily with a discoloured tongue and gums. An after-hours vet suggested leaving Bella in an oxygen tank overnight and warned she could die alone.

“Without any compassion the vet told me I could leave her and that she could die that night alone. I was horrified and immediately said I will go for a second opinion,” said Bataille.

Bataille took Bella home after the vet gave her injections and searched pharmacies for oxygen in vain. “She needed oxygen, but it was mostly that her heart was beating so fast; I stayed up with her all night. When I woke up, I thought of calling an ambulance as I knew she needed oxygen,” she said.

A call born from memory

Bataille said an idea came from memory; her late mother had emphysema and often needed an ambulance.

“I just thought of my mom needing an ambulance often as she suffered with emphysema when she was alive, so I called Gardmed, unsure they would respond.”

She said paramedics arrived with a portable oxygen tank and fitted it on Bella.

“They brought a portable oxygen tank, and we immediately put it on her. The paramedic did it so caringly. I asked the crew to transport Bella as she needed constant oxygen, and they agreed after getting permission from their supervisor; they didn’t hesitate.”

The first responder recommended 9th Avenue Veterinary Clinic and phoned ahead.

“All four paramedics were absolutely compassionate and professional,” she said.

Care that went beyond the call

Crew member Jaenine Jackson (Intermediate Life Support), went into the clinic to keep Bella company.

“She [Jackson] messaged me later that day to find out how Bella was doing, and I could not believe how kind that was,” she said.

Bataille said her dog has since sadly passed away.

“I did not think an ambulance would respond to a call about a dog and was overwhelmed with relief when they did. It meant everything to me as I was desperate to get her help. I did not think they would fetch a dog, so I was so relieved she was in capable hands.

“I am grateful beyond measure, the way the paramedic held my Bella in her arms with her blanket and the oxygen mask on her, it was so beautiful,” she said.

Bataille hopes the story reminds people to appreciate those who serve.

“The paramedics should be appreciated; there are good people in this world. Gardmed is the best ambulance service, and I would not hesitate to use them again or recommend them to people in need,” she said.

A rare but human response

Gardmed Ambulance Service marketing and PR manager Phillip Monteith said, “Working with animals is not something we actually do; it’s so rare. The last time we did anything to do with an animal was when we had a patient who was stressed about her dog being missing. We only went and looked for the dog; we found it and reunited it with the owner; that is all we did.

“This one was very unique and different, and the lady was stressed; she had nowhere to go. Fortunately, she called Gardmed, and she said we had helped her mom years ago and we were able to go and assist. My team took the incident as a normal call with empathy and as much care as they could because they could see that the owner was stressed,” he said.

Monteith said they do a lot of community services where they donate for animals.

“Last year we did a food drive during winter, and we donated food and blankets for the SPCA. The services and values are the same whether it’s an animal or human beings; we still have to think about their emotions, so we treat every case as unique.”

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