O’FALLON, Mo. - (KTVI) – A Missouri couple considered it an absolute emergency when their beloved Great Dane collapsed right in front of them. They called 911 for help, but now are in trouble with police; still grieving the loss of their dog.
Rose and Randy Lakey are due in O’Fallon, Missouri Municipal Court next month after they called 911 for their dog on Easter Sunday. But the Lakeys said their dog was not ordinary.
Oreo was a 4-year-old harlequin – a black-and-white spotted Great Dane. With a dog the size of Oreo, who stood 6’4″ on her hind legs and weighed 140 lbs., the Lakeys said they needed help.
“It was so fast and we were so upset, that all I could think of was to tell her we have to call for help,” Randy said.
“And she just collapsed and fell into the wall and down to the ground; nothing, I mean it was just so quick,” Rose said. “I tried to get my arms underneath her like you would if you were going to try to pick up a child. When I went to try to get her up off the ground, I could barely get her off the ground at all. When I did, her head and her legs and everything [were everywhere] …she was just out of it.”
They said an ambulance crew and police arrived within minutes of their 911 call. They said one ambulance worker made it clear there was a problem.
“She got into the middle of the room and she seen Oreo and she threw her hands up and said, `It`s a dog are you kidding me?` Then she turned and walked away. Then she started yelling out to the policeman, `it`s just a dog`.”
She said the other crew member brought oxygen for Oreo and helped load her into their car.
They got her to an emergency clinic, but it was too late.
The day after Oreo died, police brought a summons for filing a false 911 report. Police said Rose Lakey referred to both her dog and her daughters during the call.
“24 hours later, they give me a ticket, for asking for help,” Randy Lakey said.
“There was no sympathy at all. There was no understanding at all. He just acted like we planned all of this,” Rose said.
“You know, it was not intentional. We didn’t mislead anybody. We just needed help. There`s nothing false about that,” Randy said.
Police said a 911 recording showed Rose Lakey clearly said her “daughter” needed help. She didn`t deny it; it could have happened given her hysterical state. Still, she said she knows she said “dog” at the beginning of the call. The Lakeys said they hope for a little more understanding from police.
They`ll likely face a fine, but they weren’t sure how much the fine would be.
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This article was provided and originally published by affiliate station KTVI-TV in Saint Louis, Missouri.
