Corbin couple among six to participate in Today Show segment about puppy that survived fork incident

Smokey, along with a six-person entourage which includes a local couple, are on their way to the Big Apple where they are set to appear on NBC’s Today Show Friday morning to discuss the dog’s amazing survival story.

For those that don’t know, Smokey is the 12-week-old Chihuahua from Manchester who was treated at The Cumberland Valley Animal Hospital in London after he suffered a freak injury at a family outing over the July 4 weekend.

Smokey was successfully treated by Dr. Keaton Smith, who removed a skewer fork with two three-inch prongs from Smokey’s skull without incident, but it’s one of his employees garnering some of the attention as well.

Michelle Duncum, of Corbin, took several photos of Smokey with the fork in his head, several of which have been circulated nationally and worldwide as well. The irony of the Duncum’s situation is that her husband, Steve Duncum does freelance photography and has yet to have a photo grab as much attention as Michelle’s one picture.

"It is kind of funny that he shoots so many things and I shoot just one with a cell phone to be it all," Michelle Duncum said. "I have given him a hard time about it, but he has taken it well."

According to the CVAH Website, the dog’s owner was shooing away a larger dog while feeding the two of them scraps when the metal portion of the two-prong fork dislodged from the handle and landed in the soft spot in the skull of young Smokey. As a natural reaction, Smokey ran off into the woods and didn’t return until the following Tuesday. At that point, a relative spotted the dog walking up the family’s driveway and immediately drove Smokey from Manchester to London, making it to the hospital exactly one minute prior to its scheduled closing time (7 p.m.).

"If it had been on any other day than Tuesday, we would have already been closed because we stay open until 7 p.m. that particular day," Said CVAH Vice President Su Smith on the hospital’s Website.

In the week plus that has gone by since the surgery, Smokey has been recovering just fine with only a corneal ulcer as a result of the injury. According to Michelle Duncum, that is a very minor problem.

"The ulcer is very minor," she said. "Considering what he has been through, that is nothing."

Those traveling to New York for the show include Hughie Wagers (the man who drove the dog to the vet) and Hughie Wagers Jr., Michelle and Steve Duncum and Su and Keaton Smith and of course, Smokey.

Steve Duncum said he is looking forward to the trip and that the crew is receiving some fine treatment in the process.

"They are flying us up there and putting us up in a nice hotel (The Westin) free of charge," he said. We get some spending money and we get to see New York so we are excited.

"It’s just amazing where this has gone, especially since she took that photo on a cell phone," he added. "I take thousands of pictures and she gets famous over one. Go figure."

The Today Show airs Monday through Friday starting at 7 a.m.. Locally, it can be found on WLEX out of Lexington and WBIR out of Knoxville. It is unclear what time the segment will air.