Arkansas couple uses wedding fund to rescue dog left drenched on highway after a hit-and-run

Dylan and his fiancée, Emily, were saving to be wed in 2025, when a greater purpose called.

PUBLISHED 18 HOURS AGO

(L) Retro couple posing together; (R) Brown Poodle dog lying on an empty concrete road. (Representative Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by (L) Think stock; (R) Iamnee)

An Arkansas couple spent their life’s fortune, originally meant for their wedding, to rescue a severely injured dog. The discarded dog was lying on a random roadside, covered in bruises and blood, as it was “struck by a vehicle in a hit and run.” According to People, Dylan McCay and his fiancée, Emily Roberts, were to be wed in 2025 and had been saving their money for the big day. Until one day, McCay read a Facebook post about a dog who was abandoned just 20 minutes away from his home, and the decision to spend everything to prevent a loss of life was made.

Large Dog Wearing E-Collar. Representative Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by DenGuy — Large Dog Wearing E-Collar. (Representative Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by DenGuy)

Upon gathering the dog’s whereabouts, Dylan decided to check the credibility of the terrible news he had just read. McCay drove for twenty minutes on a Conway highway until he found the weak, wet, and deserted body on the roadside. The to-be groom was horrified the minute he caught the dreadful sight and realised that the dog was not microchipped. Therefore, the responsibility of the dog's recovery treatment fell on him. McCay took the dog to Greenbrier Animal Hospital, and doctors confirmed a fracture on both of his hind legs and a probable skin infection, as it was raining when he found the dog.

A poodle is resting by a woman on the steps. Representative Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by Carvan Images. — A poodle is resting by a woman on the steps. (Representative Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by Carvan Images)

Roberts visited McCay the moment she heard about the incident. McCay trembled as he shared every detail of the dog's state with his partner. The rescued dog was then named Acklin after the road he was found. The outlet mentioned that the couple shared a Facebook post about the financial details of recovering Acklin’s health. “Injuries required extensive reconstructive surgery on her legs, costing between $10,000 and $15,000,” wrote McCay and Robertson on social media, according to the People. The couple then announced that they would arrange the money on their behalf for the treatment of this dog by using the funds saved for their wedding. However, it was also not sufficient, so they launched a GoFundMe for Acklin.

Acklin is a Goldendoodle and was shivering and coughing when he was first found drenched in rain on the road. The trauma incurred by the dog after this horrific incident can’t be explained. Reports said that this is called Vehicular Trauma in animals. After the animals are hit and left stranded on the road, along with the injuries they also sustain a life-altering anxiety that is almost impossible to heal. A total of 66% of US households have pets, but data on the frequency of animals hit by cars on the road is missing.

A 1975 study by the NIH showed the injury patterns in 600 dogs involved in vehicle accidents and found that 87% of injuries were skeletal-related. Young dogs were most commonly found to have been involved in a road accident. And, 50% of dogs that suffered harm to their central nervous systems were euthanized. The overall fatality rate of euthanasia was 12.5%. In 1984, another NIH study highlighted the survival rate of dogs in road traffic accidents. The study evaluated 140 dogs and found that 83.2 % of dogs were saved when they reached the hospital alive. Thankfully, Acklin also made it to the hospital breathing due to the extreme generosity shown by Dylan and Emily. The couple shared an update on November 5, 2024, that the dog’s surgery was successful, and the search for a responsible adopter had begun.