The elderly, stray dog who captured hearts after a hit-and-run driver struck her has died at an Edgecomb shelter.

The dog had a fractured pelvis from the May 21 collision on Alna's Route 218. But she also had other medical issues, unrelated to the accident. She died June 1 after suffering a severe seizure, Lincoln County Animal Shelter's office manager Carrie Koskela said.

“She was comfy and cozy until she seized,” Koskela said. The dog, who appeared to be a hound-lab mix over 10 years old, had been recuperating at the shelter following treatment at Woodbrook Animal Clinic in Wiscasset.

The dog's underlying medical issues, rather than the pelvic injury, may have led to the seizure, Woodbrook veterinarian Tammy Doughty said.

Koskela called the loss gut-wrenching. “It was really rough, definitely. It's always hard,” she added.

Doughty had named the dog Freema, after a deceased friend and client who had adopted dogs from the Edgecomb shelter. The type of dog the woman liked looked just like the dog brought to the clinic the night of the hit-and-run, Doughty said.

Although Freema's story ended sadly, Doughty and Koskela said she had received affection in abundance at the clinic and then the shelter.

No one came forward as Freema's owner, so it may never be known how she wound up standing in the northbound lane of Route 218 that night.

Joe Mitkus of Alna stopped and tried to get her out of the road. But she only moved to the other lane. Despite Mitkus' efforts to get a southbound vehicle to slow down, it hit her, then slowed down a little and sped off.

Then another motorist stopped to help.  Mitkus and Teresa Simpson of Whitefield positioned their vehicles to protect the dog from further injury until an animal control officer could get there.

The shelter received about $400 in donations toward the dog's medical costs, Koskela said. “It was an amazing showing of love and support.”

The Alna Store and the Animal House in Damariscotta helped collect donations.

Susan Johns can be reached at 207-844-4633 or sjohns@wiscassetnewspaper.com