Sometimes, when you believe wholeheartedly that something is so right. God steps in and says- “Wait a minute, not this one, not this time.” I am speaking of Kirby who was so perfect in many ways except one. I have only had him 8 days, and he has gotten away from me 4 times! He comes back, but not when I call him- when he wants to. I don’t think he is being deliberately a bad dog. I think he just loves to run. But yesterday, when in two shakes of his head, he was out of his collar. He ran into the highway and came so close to becoming road kill! I was screaming his name, and he didn’t get hit- but then he took off- headed to Sweet Home in a dead run! I jumped in my truck and as I reached the edge of the driveway, the mail lady came flying in honking her horn! Unknown to me, Kirby had come back and was under my truck tire. I would have killed it had not it been for the alert from the mail lady.
I gathered him in my arms and realized how bad I was shaking- so last night, I rehomed him to a lady who swears she can keep him safe. I’m betting not (because we are not careless dog owners) but if he does die, it won’t be on my watch. I couldn’t bear it.
When I took him there last night, she was waiting anxiously at her door and I had him on a tight, tight collar and leash. I had forgotten something of his in the truck and I went back to get it. I felt one tug on the leash and thought OMG NO! He was gone! I had squeaky frog in my pocket and I squeaked it and back he came- tail wagging- wanting to play! I looked at Frankie watching all of this from her porch and said “This is what I was talking about. This dog is a runner.
She works in a locked facility- memory care and she is going to take him to work with her- she is admin there. I know he will love the people and I told her how he alerts to people who are sick. So maybe, although it was meant for me to rescue him- it was meant for HER to be the true owner. I am sad but it would have destroyed me to watch this dog die.
On the Hanna front, her new family is on their way to us now. The woman has adopted from me in the past, so a home check is not necessary. I am so astounded she wants another cat from me- because she had the misfortune of adopting Sterling (the Russian blue mix from that horrible hoarding situation in Albany). Sterling died from FIP according to the necropsy and he wasn’t even a year old! Robin did everything she could to keep this kitten alive while vets scrambled to find out what was wrong with him. I am thrilled she wants to take a chance, and Hanna has been given an excellent bill of health from the vet. I took her in and had everything done I could think of to be sure I wasn’t giving Robin another potential timebomb waiting to explode! Hanna is lucky- so much love and care is waiting for her today.
For the next runner you may encounter – take a look at Martingale collars! So, so helpful. Lots of shelters are switching to them because they help prevent that little escape move that so many dogs make…
Hope it works out for Kirby!
my daughter uses that collar for her dog, as she is a puller. I love it when I walk her to and from the car, I have a fenced back yard do I let them run free. sad that he was like that, hope he does well in his new home.
Perhaps a harness for Kirby instead of a collar. Wherever he decides to stay, you recsued him from a bad situation. He will be all right.
And good news about Hannah. Sterling’s person will fight just as hard for Hannah, if need be. But hopefully that won’t be necessary.
Kirby also got out of two harnesses and the mesh harness I put on him, he couldn’t get out of it, so he chewed it off. Bottom line the dog is a runner and he didn’t start running until he had been here a few days. He always came back- but twice, he also almost got run over.
And, perhaps, now we know why the homeless idiot was kicking the daylights out of Kirby. It seems that the lower on the ladder of life, the more frequently violence is the answer. When all you’ve got is a hammer, everything looks like a nail., Sad, but true.