RedGage

My buddy Joey the Dog can sometimes be a stinker which on this particular day got him into trouble. I was going about my normal routine of picking up the kids from school. I got the youngest dog Spooky on her leash but decided it wasn't necessary for Joey. He usually wont run away when he knows he's going to get a fun car ride. I would soon realize this decision was not wise.

The dogs were happy and content as they peered out their window. It was smooth sailing on the ride to Orono except for some barking when my furry friends saw other dogs out for a stroll. I pulled up to the school and waited for the kids to get to the car.

The ride home was uneventful and at last I pulled into the driveway of our home. The kids and I were grabbing back packs and other items from the car which distracted us from Joey's secretly planned get-a-way. I yelled for Joey to get right home but he knew he had made a break and wasn't about to listen.

It was one of those typical busy week days with kids doing homework and me finding my share of housework to accomplish. The kids and I finished our chores and we were off to Caribou Coffee. The kids enjoyed a nice hot coffee drink while I jumped on my lap top.  After an hour of relaxation and hot brews we were off again to pick up mom from work which was conveniently located close to Caribou.

As I made a right turn into the driveway, I couldn't believe what I saw. My poor, cold, shivering dog, running to the car.  We were all in a state of confusion as to why our dog was outside. Within seconds the proverbial lightbulb went on and we remembered that Joey had gotten away at about 3PM as we got home from Orono Schools and to our horror, here it was about 6PM and very frigid out. Joey had one of the best nights of his life as we all hovered over our poor dog. All four of us got Joey on the bed and wrapped him in a cozy blanket. He got a special dinner that night as well as numerous apologies for forgetting about him.  If you think the story ends here, your wrong. Read on:

A few days after Joey's great escape, I got an ear full from our mail-woman about my dogs terrible adventure. Turns out he wasn't just cold that day but he'd gotten himself into a dangerous situation. She saw Joey all tangled up to a garbage can he was rummaging through in the neighborhood. He had gotten his collar hooked on something and as he struggled to break free of it's grip, he was strangling himself. Our postal gal is deathly afraid of dogs, so she didn't know what to do. Eventually she saw a man walking his dog and asked him if he would free the dog. I don't know what would've happened if that stranger hadn't walked by to save my doggy. Whoever you are, thank you from the bottom of my heart. 

We all learned a important lesson that day: Always leash your dog. Don't make assumptions that your pet won't run away just because he hasn't in the past. Dogs are smart and sneaky. Just like kids, they'll try to get away with something if you give them the opportunity or temptation.