Dogs who ran off after Mt. Pleasant crash are found
Vicki Snyder said Tuesday was a happy day. Not only did she learn her son who was seriously injured in a crash almost two weeks ago was going to be released from a Pittsburgh hospital to go to a nursing home for further treatment, her beloved boxer who had been in the vehicle with another dog was found safe.
Joshua Snatchko, 27, of Midway, was driving east on Route 50 (Main Street) in Hickory, Mt. Pleasant Township, just east of Route 519 on April 28 when witnesses said his vehicle drifted into the westbound lane and collided with a tractor-trailer.
Snatchko was flown to UPMC-Mercy hospital in Pittsburgh for treatment of his injuries. Snyder said he underwent his sixth surgery Tuesday, but is scheduled to be released today to a nursing home. She said he is expected to make a full recovery.
His mom’s 6-year-old boxer, Tyson, and his 4-year-old American bulldog, Dexter, ran away after the crash. Dexter was found a few days after the crash in the Cherry Valley area, but Tyson remained on the loose.
“I was really concerned he was hurt and out in the woods somewhere,” Snyder said. “He likes sticking his head out of the window, so I was worried.”
Dozens of people searched for Tyson or offered tips on possible sightings through social media. But it was Tuesday morning when Snyder got a call that Rhonda and Mike Turk had spotted him in a field about a half-mile from the crash scene on Millers Run Road (Route 50).
Kim Snatchko, Joshua’s stepmother, got the call from Rhonda Turk and immediately called Snyder and her husband, Dan Snyder.
“They called his name and he acted like he could understand them, I asked them to try to keep an eye on him,” Kim Snatchko said. A photograph sent by Turk confirmed it was Tyson.
Snyder said she was so excited to see him, she was not sure she even put her vehicle in park when she got out of it.
“I really don’t know how they saw him, the grass was so high in the field,” Snyder said.
Snyder took Tyson to her veterinarian. He has a small cut over one eye and a cut on a leg. Tyson, who lost 15 pounds, is on antibiotics as a precaution.
“I just want to thank everyone who helped look for him,” Snyder said. “I was losing hope, but was not about to give up.”
Kim Snatchko also wanted to thank everyone who helped find the dogs.
“It made a truly tragic situation turn into a true miracle,” she said. “We couldn’t of done it without all the support and kind words of everyone involved.”