Page 11 - Sanger Herald 12-7-17 E-edition

Lifestyles
SANGER HERALD • 3B • THURSDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2017
K-9 Mikey, who nearly lost his leg after getting shot, returns to duty
Sanger
By Mike Nemeth
Sanger Herald
SWAT had his back, but clearing the apartment complex of any residual threat after the arrests of six suspects was his job.
Unfortunately for him, threats remained and one of them grabbed him in a vice-like grip around the neck. An officer behind him fired the bullet that passed through his attacker, ending that threat but causing another when the slug lanced through his foot and exploded on the concrete just underneath.
His partner, Deputy Jerry Kitchens with the Fresno County Sheriff ’s Office, said the bullet packed a lot of kinetic energy that had no place to go but up and out. The .223 projectile traveled at the speed of about 3,240 feet per second, and just a little slower because of the muscle, sinew and bone it
Mike Nemeth / Sanger Herald
Mikey, who lost two toes on his right paw, is back to work.
Kitchens said. “He’s done.” Mikey, a three-year veteran of the force, kept his leg. A specialist who had been in surgery at the time of the first prognosis and couldn’t initially be reached hurried down from farther north in California to give a second opinion and perform the operation that would save the canine’s
foot — and leg.
Mikey showed off his
recovery at a regular Fresno County Sheriff ’s Office K-9 training exercise behind the Lifepointe Worship Center just off West McKinley and Marks avenues. There with another seven K-9 dogs, he was just one of the guys, albeit with one paw missing half its toes.
Kitchens said Mikey had just returned to duty the previous week, his first time back since the injury was inflicted by friendly fire July 17. Kitchens himself also took some time
off to be with his year-old son, Beau.
“He’s back, just like normal,” Kitchens said. “We’ve been to the range. He hasn’t been next to somebody shooting.”
But Kitchens wasn’t worried. Mikey favored the foot, lifting it when he stood for any length of time and folding it delicately under his body. The remaining bones were broken, one with a spiral fracture, but they continue to heal, and the two toes he has left are strong enough to absorb his weight.
He was no slouch, however. Kitchens spoke to a half dozen interested media types and then took his partner into the field and had him perform searches. Mikey approved of the activity.
“He’s just excited to be with me,” Kitchens said. “He doesn’t like to stay at home.”
Mikey lives with his
partner. He’s just like a regular dog. Except he’s not.
Kitchens said the way he felt when Mikey was shot is difficult to explain. “Unless you know that bond,” he said. Then he added, “If you were to see your child get hurt.”
That’s the way it feels, he said.
A Kings County Sheriff’s Office K-9, Dash, was released from the hospital last week after getting shot while trying to arrest a murder suspect with his handler. Dash was shot by the suspect, who was subsequently shot and killed. A State Highway Patrol helicopter flew Dash to get emergency surgery. He is expected to fully recover.
The reporter can be contacted by email at nemethfeatures@gmail.com or by phone at the Herald at (559) 875-2511.
Mike Nemeth / Sanger Herald
And a great time was had by all. Even the vendors sold out of their offerings, said Tammy Wolfe, president and CEO of the Sanger Chamber. There were more than 100 entries, and Dick Sheppard, Sanger Herald editor, was so impressed by how many people turned out, he's certain it may be a record. "This is one of the greatest towns in the state of California," said supervisor Buddy Mendes into a microphone held by Pastor Sam Estes (see below). "Don't you forget that." And Eli Ontiveros, councilman, said Sanger's people "make this event great."
The Courage to Keep Going — Part 6 Face the Future with Courage
Where do you get the courage to keep on going when every bone in your body wants to give up and throw in the towel?
For the last few articles we have been looking at the Book of Job and discovering what you do when you feel like giving up. Previously, we have covered 1) Tell God Exactly How You Feel; 2) Accept Help From Others; 3) Stop Asking Why; 4) Trust God When I Don’t Understand and 5) Refuse To Become
PASTOR’S CORNER
first smacked into.
“The energy had
nowhere else to go, and it shrapnelized,” Kitchens said.
The impact blew K-9 officer Mikey’s front right foot half off. Bone and meat of two sets of metacarpals disappeared, leaving just a flap of skin. Kitchens
grabbed the Dutch shepherd, quickly loaded him into the squad car and raced to get him medical attention.
The prognosis wasn’t good. Specialists recommended the removal of his leg.
“I kind of already knew when I saw the damage,”
92nd Toyland Parade is one to remember with people lining streets
Bitter.
This week we explore
Face the Future with Courage. That’s what these articles are about — the courage to keep going. Uncommon courage. Job 11 says, “Put your heart right, Job. Reach out to God. Put away evil and wrong from your home. Then face the world again, firm and courageous.” (Underline “face the world again, firm and courageous.” You need courage to face the future.)
“Then all your troubles will fade from your memory, like floods that are past and remembered no more. Your life will be brighter than the sunshine at noon, and life’s darkest hours will shine like the
dawn. You will live secure and full of hope.”
my life. I’m going tomoveontoanew normal. I’m going to face the future with courage.
What will happen if you do these six things we have covered that Job did? What would happen if you tell
going to become bitter, I’m going to be better. I’m going to face the future courageously.
What will happen if you do that? Listen to what happened to Job recorded in Job chapter 11, “Life will be brighter.” Circle that phrase “life will be brighter.”
You see, we don’t realize that the darkest time in our lives is often the tunnel to the brightest time in our lives. You’re going through the tunnel. But when you come out on the other end, life will be brighter.
You say, “I can’t imagine that.” That’s why you need to trust God. Life will be brighter. You need to trust God. I love this prayer that
Paul prayed and it’s my prayer for you as you walk through those times in your life.
“We pray \[I pray\] that you will be filled with this mighty, glorious strength so that you can keep going... so that you can keep going no matter what happens — always full of the joy of the Lord.” Colossians 1:11.
Pastor Sam Estes is city advance director and facilitates the Sanger Community Task Force that meets the first and third Tuesdays every month. He can be reached at pastorsam51@gmail.com.
Many of us, if not
most of us, have
had a major loss or
a disappointment in
life. That chapter
in your life’s story,
your life book has closed. But it’s not
the final chapter. You’re still alive. That means the final chapter of your life has not been written yet.
Yes, that was there. You can remember it. You can grieve over it and hopefully you can thank God for it. Life may never be normal again because of it. Eventually you need to say that chapter’s over.
I’m going to get on with
Pastor Sam Estes
God exactly how you feel? If you enlist other people to support you? If you stop asking why and you trust God for the stuff that doesn’t make sense and you file it in the “Doesn’t Make Sense” file.
And you believe in God by saying, “No matter what happens I’m going to trust you implicitly and completely. And I’m not