Londonderry family 'beyond grateful' to all who helped save their beloved dog

Nov. 27—Earl Wickline feared the worst as he cradled his beloved pet in his arms, desperately pressing a towel against the horrific wound where the dog's lifeblood was pouring out.

"I was convinced the dog was going to die right there in my arms," he said. "You cannot believe how I was praying."

This is a story about dogs and the humans who cherish them. It's also a story about New Hampshire and the people who make this state such a special place to live.

Finally, it's a story about faith and, perhaps, fate.

Wickline, 72, knows something about that.

Eight years ago, the Londonderry man was honored with a Union Leader Hero Award for the actions he took to save the life of a man whose vehicle had crashed and caught fire. Wickline had awakened before dawn that morning and left early for his job at the Nashua postal distribution center.

And that's why he was on that road at that time.

The man's 11-year-old Labrador retriever was also in the smoke-filled vehicle, and Wickline saved the dog's life as well when he managed to pull open the passenger side door and drag the driver to safety.

Back then, Wickline told a reporter that he knew that God had put him in that place at that time. A moment of grace.

This time, Wickline's family was on the receiving end of that grace.

Earl and his wife, Dianne, have two dogs. Jaydon, nicknamed JJ, a 3-year-old miniature goldendoodle, is "the heart and soul of the family," he said.

About a month ago, they got a doodle puppy, and JJ at once became the little female's protector.

Last Tuesday, Wickline had let the two dogs out for their nightly routine when JJ suddenly bolted into the backyard. As Wickline trained his flashlight in that direction, he glimpsed an animal he thought at first was a squirrel. He had just enough time to wonder why a squirrel was out at night when JJ began to scream.

The fisher, for that's what it was, had slashed at the dog with its claws, opening a gash from ear to shoulder and slicing the carotid artery. "The blood was just shooting out of him," he said.

Wickline grabbed a towel and tried to keep pressure on the gruesome wound. "I'm just trying to stop the bleeding as best as I can," he said. "I just knew in my heart that the dog was going to die."

That's when Wickline's neighbor, Josh Murray, pulled into his driveway next door and heard the screaming. He ran to help.

"This is an angel from God," Wickline remembers thinking.

He and his wife go to church several times a week, and Wickline is active in Catholic men's organizations. His faith has sustained him through the most difficult times, including triple bypass surgery in 2020, he said.

"I talk to God a lot," he said.

Wickline's neighbor drove him and JJ to the Veterinary Emergency Center of Manchester. "I sat in the front seat of his car, holding the dog and keeping the pressure on," Wickline said.

He never stopped praying.

When they got to the emergency center, the medical team sprang into action, Wickline said. "They knew they didn't have much time," he said. "They said we literally had minutes to spare."

It was the veterinary staff who told Wickline it was likely a fisher that wounded the dog. A fox or coyote would have left bite marks. "A fisher cat just slices and slashes," he said.

All that long night, the staff gave Wickline updates every 15 minutes. "I can't say enough how wonderful those people are," he said.

Others were there to help that night as well. A kind police dispatcher contacted the emergency hospital to stand by. A police officer came to the house and stayed with Dianne and the puppy, who was still shaking in terror an hour after the attack.

At the emergency vet's, Wickline's neighbor stayed with him for hours, and the two men prayed together in the waiting room.

Someone once told Wickline that we collect "pearls" for our good deeds to earn our way to heaven, and suggested that Wickline's past kindnesses had earned him his share.

That night, as his dog's life hung in the balance, Wickline had a request for God: "I really need to call one in."

"I think he heard me," he said, his voice breaking.

JJ survived.

"I can't tell you how many times I kissed my dog last night," Wickline said.

The family brought him home on Thanksgiving and the two dogs were soon snuggled up together on a cozy quilt.

Wickline said he's "beyond grateful" to everyone who helped save JJ's life.

He wanted to remind the rest of us "that there are a lot of great people out there, doing the best they can," he said.

Oh, and the puppy's name?

"Faith."