stealing
She's a little Yorkshire Terrier and she's often out of her yard. Such a tiny thing, she slips easily through the gaps in the fence. She's bright eyed and friendly. Not my kind of dog, necessarily, as I'm drawn to the larger, more rough and tumble terriers, but feisty and sweet and full of life.
Walking our two terriers in the rain yesterday afternoon, I caught a flash of movement in the shrubs of a house several doors down from the yorkie's. I looked again and there she was, running hell for leather from back yard to back yard, scratching at the fences, trying to dig under them. She was drenched, her silky hair running with water.
Mike took our two leashes and I ran after her. She was so frantic it took a few minutes for her to see me and to realize I was calling her. When she did, she ran to me and jumped into my arms (she is not an 8" Super Terrier, I was bent over, but still). She was trembling and looking around in fear and yes, I am one to anthropomorphize dogs, but this dog truly was frantic and afraid. She was. I was afraid for her. She was running around within two doors of the house where a vicious pit bull killed a cat six weeks ago.
I walked her back to her home and pounded on the door. I know the woman works nights, so it took a while to wake her up. "Oh, I didn't know she was outside!" And then she took this wet, terrified little dog, who was lost in the rain and couldn't find her way home, and I thought to myself I am going to steal that dog.
Walking our two terriers in the rain yesterday afternoon, I caught a flash of movement in the shrubs of a house several doors down from the yorkie's. I looked again and there she was, running hell for leather from back yard to back yard, scratching at the fences, trying to dig under them. She was drenched, her silky hair running with water.
Mike took our two leashes and I ran after her. She was so frantic it took a few minutes for her to see me and to realize I was calling her. When she did, she ran to me and jumped into my arms (she is not an 8" Super Terrier, I was bent over, but still). She was trembling and looking around in fear and yes, I am one to anthropomorphize dogs, but this dog truly was frantic and afraid. She was. I was afraid for her. She was running around within two doors of the house where a vicious pit bull killed a cat six weeks ago.
I walked her back to her home and pounded on the door. I know the woman works nights, so it took a while to wake her up. "Oh, I didn't know she was outside!" And then she took this wet, terrified little dog, who was lost in the rain and couldn't find her way home, and I thought to myself I am going to steal that dog.
posted by BigAssBelle at 8:06 AM
17 Comments:
Go Belle. I want to steal my neighbours 2 cats. She leaves them out for days at a time in all kinds of weather. We - and others on the street - already feed and nurture these poor little boy kitties. Heartbreaking to see them run to greet me daily - and to have to leave them on my porch. Grrrrrr.... >:(
It's on! Give me street directions and I will provide lookout, or grab the poor little thing myself!
I am with you steal the doggie...
Oy. I sympathize but sense a recipe for disaster.
Hi Lynette,
New reader here, love it. Steal that dog... I'm with ya!
Mark
Steal the dog, steal the dog, steal the dog.
By now you know that I love animals more than most people, and attributing emotions and complex feelings to animals is not anthropomorphising, it is simply reality. Anyone that has raised animals understands their moods, emotions, and character. To think that those traits only reside within humans is myopic and vain. While I want to steal that dog too, I would probably just make a phone call to an agency, if, and only if, you notice this is a habitually mistreated pup :). I certainly am not above giving that woman a piece of my mind. It kills me to see shit like that. My dog is truly my spoiled little bitch. I can't imagine "accidentally" leaving her anywhere, and if she were threatened by another dog or human, you would see daddy ready to kill. Animal and child abuse/neglect are two things that I just can't abide. I would act rashly and emotionally before thinking it through, and if I were in your shoes Belle, that little dog would probably be at my house...
Seeing the innocent suffer at the hands of the indifferent is really too much to bear. Animals arouse that feeling in me, too.
Is the dog habitually mistreated? Little dogs can easily escape houses undetected, and if the owner really was asleep, it's forgivable that she might not have noticed (and might have been too sleepy to show adequate shock and remorse). But keep your eye out. If the dog is being abused, then ya gotta do what ya gotta do.
When I first read this I was real pissed - I was going to fly down there and steal it myself - and I don't even like Yorkies. Then red7eric's post made sense - unfortunately us dog lovers don't always listen to sense.
so many animal lovers. so happy to hear from y'all. yes, this little sweetie is often out of her yard. she's such a tiny little nubbin of a dog, i worry about her. and the woman sleeps all day, so doesn't know when she's out and about in the neighborhood.
this time just really got to me because the sweet little girl was so clearly frightened. she couldn't find her house ~ maybe the rain washed away the scent or maybe she's not a sniffer. whatever it was, it was her frantic searching for her home and her absolutely drenched little self, trembling sides. oh boo hoo hoo poor baby :-)
i've had a bit more rational thought along these lines and haven't put on my mask yet, but i will be watching. i should put an anonymous note on her door: "watch your dog or say goodbye"
that's the main thing, we have so many abandoned, neglected, stray pets down here. i know it's not this way on the coasts. the last dog i was going to steal was outside in a snowstorm, chained behind a garage on a 10' chain, no house, nothing. someone else got to him first.
One of my coworkers found a dog like you did and returned it, much like you did. But she vowed to steal the dog if she found out in traffic again. (The owner was very nonchalant and wasn't very warm and fuzzy about it so R. knew he wouldn't be cut up over a loss. Your neighbor might be different.)
She came into work and had that sweet little dog; it was in traffic and she drove up, called and it jumped in her car. She found a nice home for it where it sleeps on the bed with another dog. So it worked out well.
Keep an eye out. Good for you!
Oh! Lynette!! Dog Stories!!
Where to begin...
when I first returned to New Zealand , after my big OE (overseas experience...it's coming from a small island thing!) I was determined to have a dog of my own...I ended up with two! Basenji's! (Barkless, no smell, no hair 'shedding', google to find out more!) Unfortunately one developed an inherited gene complaint and had very severe fits which 'freaked out' his brother. The kindess thing was to have both 'put to sleep' too complicated to go into here!
After several 'dogless' years, the opportunity arose to 'adopt' another Basenji that belonged to a French Canadian family who had to leave it by itself all day and became a bit annoyed at the cost of retrieving it from the dog pound (it kept escaping from home...no company!)
He's called Kanuk (miss spelling of Canuk) and has been with me constantly for the 11 years since.
Great house dogs, but serious danger to cats! They are hunting dogs!
Unfortunately he has developed cataracts in both eyes over the past 8 months and has slowed down a bit, but still manages to find his way around.
Ideal "queer owners" dog! Stylish, no smell, butch!,likes attention!
BJ.
Ideal "queer owners" dog! Stylish, no smell, butch!,likes attention! . . . BJ! too funny.
We lived in Poland for a few years and one of the things that always astounded me was the number of stray dogs you'd see on the streets of Warsaw in July and August. I mentioned it to a Polish colleague who explained - as one would explain to an idiot or expat (often considered as one and the same thing) - that it was vacation time.
?????????
It appears that many people want to avoid the cost of boarding a dog while they are away on vacation so they let their dog loose. When they come back they go to the dog pound and retrieve it - if its been caught by the city catcher. If not they pick up another dog.
I remember feverently hoping that Basha was just playing a joke on the poor dumb dog-loving Canadian and it was just an urban myth. But several stories circulated about it including a report from the Warsaw equvilant of the SPCA. It got to the point where I almost became sick when I saw a stray.
Sorry I'm back to steal it! steal it!
oh how HORRIBLE!! who would just let their dog loose???? i can't imagine such a thing. people, people, people . . . too depressing.
I'm considering stealing my neighbor's cat.
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