Animal rescue operator Nancy Cathey said she was returning to Kern County after a pet adoption event on Saturday when her truck was struck by an alleged drunken driver on the 5 Freeway in Elysian Park.
Cathey, who co-founded Cathey’s K-9 Rescue, was traveling with 15 dogs at the time of the crash, which left her truck upside down on the freeway.
The dogs were not injured and were taken to a Los Angeles city animal shelter, according to Cathey.
However, she had to be cut out of her truck and was taken to a local hospital, according to a post on a GoFundMe page set up to help with expenses after the crash.
When Cathey contacted the shelter to pick up the dogs, she was told it would cost about $1,100 in city fees before the animals could be released.
“As a courtesy, because I was the victim, you would think that they would waive them … and that was not the case,” Cathey said.
According to Cathey, an anonymous local nonprofit came to her rescue and paid the bill so she could get her dogs back.On Facebook, she wrote that the shelter staff was very professional and took good care of her dogs.
She was reunited with the pups on Wednesday.
One of those dogs hit the windshield when the crash occurred, but tried to stay with Cathey as she was treated by paramedics.
“She jumped on my chest and was trying to leave with me,” Cathey said.
Cathey planned to keep that little brown dog, named Coco.
Cathey remained in a neck brace Wednesday, and was recovering from the crash.