Dog hit by train makes recovery

A dog that has made an odds-defying recovery after being struck by a train was reunited with his sheriff’s department rescuers last week.

Chester, now owned by Mendon residents George and Rita Phillip, was hit Oct. 7 while on a bridge over the Fawn River, just south of Featherstone Road in Constantine Township.

By the time Sgt. Jeremiah Abnet and Deputy Jody Hughes found the dog, they concluded it was near death. They raced Chester to Dr. Suzanne Lee at Lake Area Veterinary Group in Sturgis Township.

Lee had to amputate one of its hind legs and Chester endured a month-long recovery, but he regained his strength and was fit for adoption by mid-November.

Lee listed Chester as a hound mix. He is estimated to be between 3 and 4-years-old.

After seeing Chester last Friday at the sheriff’s department, Abnet and Hughes said they never imagined Chester would recover to the point that he has, much less survive in the first place.