May 8, 2012

The Adventures of Mama Dog: The Great Escape

This morning the Boogie and Peabody were SO crabby. They were whiny and irritable and pushing each other's buttons. I had a long to-do list including "walk the dog" and I suddenly decided that we'd take our walk over to 52 so the girls could play in the backyard for a little bit. So, that's what we did. When we arrived FIL came out to visit with us for a few minutes, and everything was sunshine and roses again.
Pop-pop: The Cure For The Crabby Child
My plan was to let them play for a little while, then head home with the promise of lunch. As I drank my coffee (because there is always a pot of coffee at 52) FIL asked if we would like to walk to Burger King for lunch. That sounded good to me except,
"What will I do with Mama Dog?" I wondered. We couldn't take her with us, and I didn't dare leave her loose or even tied up inside 52 for fear that she would destroy something.
"Do you think she would be okay tied up in the yard?" FIL suggested. I guessed she probably would be. After all, she had been wandering around loose the whole time we were there and was just fine. So we carefully fastened her leash around a tree trunk and left. Mama Dog was very unhappy that we were leaving her behind, but I wasn't too worried. After all, what was the worst that could happen? She'd bark the whole time we were gone? She couldn't slip out of her collar, and her leash was secure around the tree. I figured she would eventually settle down and sleep in the shade.

Oh brother.

We walked to Burger King (which is in the opposite direction from 52 as our house), got our food, and started eating. The Boogie was excited about an impromptu adventure. Peabody was excited about a cheeseburger. Then I got a text message from a number I didn't recognize: "I have your dog."

What? I was confused. Who had my cell phone number without my knowing about it, and how did they get my dog? Maybe it was a wrong number. Coincidental, yes, but possible.

"Who is this?" I wrote back, and soon had a reply. Not a wrong number. Mrs. Chief (you remember Chief and Mrs. Chief and Junior Chief., our friends and also neighbors who live four doors down from us) was texting me, and Mrs. Chief had my dog.

Oh my goodness! Mama Dog got loose and went all the way home???

I called Mrs. Chief: "What happened!?"

Now, Chief and his family live right across the street from Mrs. Chief's parents, so they are also our neighbors and we often see them. They've visited our church many times, and are acquainted with Eric's parents and our whole immediate family. Mrs. Chief's dad was near 52 and called her: "Does your pastor have a dog? Because there's a dog running back and forth across the street right by his house."
"No," said Mrs. Chief, "he doesn't have a dog."
"It's a mama dog," her dad went on.
Uh-oh, thought Mrs. Chief. So she and Junior Chief got into their car and started driving toward 52, and pretty soon they saw Mama Dog heading homeward, down the busy main road. They stopped and Junior Chief tried to catch her, but she ran away from him across the road again, and kept trotting toward home. They turned around and followed her and stopped again and this time Junior Chief was able to grab her leash. By that time, Mrs. Chief told me later, they were only a block or so away from our street and poor Mama Dog was getting pretty wilted. They took her home and gave her some water and treats and let me know that they had her.

By then FIL and the girls and I were finished eating, so we headed back to 52 and the scene of the crime. Mrs. Chief had told me that Mama Dog was still wearing her collar, and that she had her leash on. On the walk back FIL and I speculated on just how she could have gotten loose, and the only thing we could figure was that the handle on the leash broke.

Well. This is what we found.
All those sections of red? Yep, they are what they look like: pieces of leash. There were five pieces there, and still a decent length left attached to her collar. She must have chewed for a while before she realized that she was free.

We left FIL at 52 and walked on to Chief's house. Mama Dog did not show her usual exuberance at our arrival -- I don't know if she was exhausted from the anxiety, or if she was just mad at us. I got the whole story from Mrs. Chief (she'd given me the highlights on the phone) and thanked them multiple times and brought our doggy home, where she crashed out like this for the rest of the afternoon:

Praise the Lord, Mrs. Chief's dad saw her and recognized her (even if he didn't remember who she belonged to -- he had the right family!) and called Mrs. Chief. Praise the Lord, Mrs. Chief was home when he called. Praise the Lord, we've walked Mama Dog around town so many times she knew just which way led home; she could have gone in any direction but she headed right straight for home. And praise the Lord, she did NOT get hit by a car, even crossing the street multiple times! I'm thinking that I need to bake some thank-you cookies for Mrs. and Junior Chief, and Mrs. Chief's dad.

After dinner we went to Walmart and bought a new pink leash, and a proper stake and cable to have for the next time we go play in the backyard at 52 ... but from now on the only times Mama Dog will be left by herself will be in her crate.

Whew. I hope this is the only adventure she has.

2 comments:

Rhonda said...

Dog ownership at its best. PTL,too.

Primetime Babyboomers said...

You were brave to leave her alone. I would have been to scarred to risk it if I had to tie up Levi. Glad she is okay and back home where she is safe. That was quite the adventure, that is for sure!