Support Hudson's Recovery

My name is Marne Brady and I have set up this Go Fund Me to help my friends Joe and Heidi Alati pay for the unexcepted, emergency treatment their dog (Hudson) needed after sustaining significant injuries from a tragic accident.

I know Joe very well and am honored to call him a friend. We have known each other for over a decade as we are both teachers and union leaders within the same district. Anyone who knows Joe knows he is a giver. He would truly give “the shirt off his back” to anyone in need. Being such a giving person, he never thought about asking for financial help with what he is currently dealing with in return. Therefore, I offered to set up a Go Fund Me, and after some encouragement from his daughter, here we are.

On Tuesday, January 31, Joe and Heidi returned home from dinner to find Hudson was not at home. Normally, Hudson would come right up to Joe every time he walked through the door. It was quickly evident that Hudson had accidentally escaped their property. The search for him began immediately.

There were multiple people out searching for Hudson for hours, in a 1–2-mile radius around the Alati home. They would stop at every lump or bump they saw on the side of the road, only to realize it was a pile of garbage or debris.

After many hours, while driving slowly around Route 251, wondering if he would ever find his pup, Joe drove past something that caught his attention. He stopped, reversed his truck, and shined a light at what he saw. It was Hudson. Joe ran from his truck, not knowing if Hudson was alive until he got right on top of him, and saw Hudson lift his head to look at him. At seeing that, Joe scooped up Hudson and then drove straight to the emergency vet clinic.

Hudson was hit by a car. Somebody hit him and left. They had to have known they hit something. He was left in the dark in a ditch, a ditch so deep that passersby would not have seen him. You would have to be actively looking for Hudson to notice him. So many choices could have been made at that moment. They could have called the police, they could have spread word on social media, they could have brought Hudson to a vet clinic… But sadly, they did nothing at all. They left Hudson to die.

When Joe found Hudson, he was lying in a large ditch in about half a foot of water. It was 20 degrees that night and Hudson’s temperature had dropped to 92 degrees. Hudson has bruised lungs, significant injuries to one back leg, and cannot stand up. He can move his front legs and can feel sensations on his back paws, which is promising news. If Joe had not found him when he did, Hudson would not have made it. It took hours, with heated IVs, blankets, and more, to get his body temperature to return to normal.

With a possible spinal injury, Joe and Heidi were referred to a clinic on Long Island that had a bed. Upon examination, the specialists have decided to do a week of therapy and to hold off on the MRI. No surgery for now as well. They will reassess in a week and go from there. Husdon is only 6 years old.

All this care for Hudson has cost $14,000 at this point and if surgery is needed, they are looking at another $12,000. So, that is where this Go Fund Me comes in. I am hoping some friends can donate to help Joe and Heidi so they can focus more on Hudson’s recovery than the cost. No amount is too small. Any and all help is greatly appreciated. I figured I would start with the goal of raising half of what they have spent so far ($7,000), knowing the goal can be raised in the future.