This afternoon I took some old electronics, light bulbs and batteries down to the household waste facility. I was coming home and had stopped at the end of the off ramp. While I was waiting for the signal light, I saw a couple of little white dogs running along the sidewalk across the street. They stopped and played a little, then continued rambling on. I looked to see if anyone was nearby. They were not on a leash, but both looked like they had collars on. They were coming near the on ramp. Cars were turning to go on the ramp and were not slowing down, as normal people would if they saw two dogs so close to the street. Just as my light turned green, I saw that the dogs were starting to walk up the side of the on ramp, towards the freeway.
I turned and went down to the next light, U-turned and came back. When I got up the ramp, three other cars had stopped. I pulled up and they asked me if the dogs were mine. I said no, but I had a kennel in my car and we could get them in there where they’d be safe.
One of the men had managed to get a rope around the neck of the older dog. She seemed afraid and wouldn’t let us check her collar. The lady was on the phone to the highway patrol. She asked me to talk to them. I spoke with the dispatcher and said that I was going to try to get the dogs in my kennel and find the owner. She asked if they were biting and I said no. She got my name and phone number and we said good-bye.
I asked where the other dog was and one of the people had put him in the car. That dog was pretty friendly. When they brought him out of the car, the other dog settled down and started wagging her tail. I took hold of the rope/leash and she walked to the back of my car with me, all the while watching to see if the other dog was coming. I lifted her up and put her in the kennel along with the other one.
I had to go on up the ramp and enter the freeway, so I went to the next exit to turn around. I stopped at a parking lot. I gave the dogs some water and the young one “Joey” allowed me to see his collar. I got the phone number and address. The other dog’s name was “Bambi”. I tried to call the number on the tag, but there was no answer and no answering service to leave a message.
So, I thought, I’ll call home and get Charlie to look up the address and get the directions for me. I could just drive the dogs home. Charlie hardly ever leaves the house during the day. He is usually upstairs at his computer. You can imagine my surprise when no one answered the phone! I hung up and dialed again, but still no answer.
Then I tried to call my friend, Kim, at work. She also did not answer. I decided to just drive home and look the address up myself.
On the way I thought the address was kind of familiar and I thought I’d probably seen it while I walked in our neighborhood. Since the dogs were on the east side of I-805, I assumed they came from one of the houses nearby.
I started home and drove down a couple of streets. Soon I found the address on the dogs’ tags. I had walked by that street many times when I used to walk that route every day.
I went to the house, but no one was there. The gates were locked and there were signs on both gates which said “Please do not leave these gates open”. The gates were not open, so I don’t know how the dogs got out.
I thought of checking with the neighbors, but since the gates were locked, we wouldn’t have been able to get the dogs in the yard anyway. I decided to leave a note with my name and number. I brought the dogs home with me and left them in the kennel. I rolled all of the windows down and put some water in the kennel. I tried to give them a Milk Bone, but they were not interested.
Charlie was home. He had picked that particular time to take Sheila out for a run. Talk about timing.
Their owner called later in the afternoon. She sounded frantic. I took them home.
I met the dogs’ owner, Joyce and her daughter, Victoria. Apparently they were keeping the dogs for Joyce’s son, who was working out of town.
We were standing in the driveway talking. Joyce was holding “Bambi”. “Bambi” is “Joey’s” mother. Victoria was holding “Joey”. Joyce asked Victoria to check the gate. She walked over there with “Joey”. “Bambi” started panting and getting excited, just like she was when the man had put “Joey” in his car.
I asked how old “Joey” was and was told that he was about 1-1/2 years old. I thought, boy, “Bambi” sure is still protective of him.
That’s quite different than cats are with their kittens. When Jezibel’s kittens were 1 year old, she acted like she didn’t know them, much less, was their mother!
So, everything ended well. Joyce and Victoria were happy, “Bambi” and her baby boy, “Joey” were happy, I was happy, and the crisis was over. All taken care of and if I’d never mentioned it, no one would even know that the day was saved......except the five of us.......since I couldn’t get anyone on the phone when I needed them.
All in a day’s work.More later........
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