Dog Walk Nightmare

I used to have regular traumatic walks with KC.  I know my blog fans have probably been missing stories about her escapades. She has grown up now and we typically only go leaping through yards after squirrels, only a couple times on a walk.  Today, made up for all the past months of almost manageable walks with her.  The kids took off her choke collar and I couldn’t find it this morning.  I used a regular collar and thought I could handle her….I was wrong.  We walked to the 5-way intersection at Penman road and she must have figure the collar situation out.  She put on the brakes and whipped her head out of the collar and went galloping towards the intersection. I panicked and didn’t want to see her hit by a car so I turned my back and started walking back home.  I glanced over my shoulder and she was standing there stunned I wasn’t chasing her.  She actually started following me so I started running and we started racing each other down Forest Avenue.  She took the lead and took a sharp right into a neighbor’s back yard.  I was feeling pretty confident that I could get her in the fenced back yard….I was wrong AGAIN!

She took off into the marsh on the opposite side of where we live and howled like she was tracking a raccoon, which she probably was.  People were starting to stop their cars to inquire what was going on.  A really nice city worker pulled over and tried to lure her out with his French fries. Of course I had no make-up on, looked like a true homeless person in a mismatched outfit AND the famous beanie that I was now sweating in profusely.  Not really the look I was wanting to sport when visiting with the WHOLE neighborhood.  She finally came charging out and went over towards the Neptune school.  I was freaking out because all the handicap children were walking the track and the last thing I wanted to happen was for one of them to be pummeled by my crazy dog.  I left the city worker on Forest and asked him to try to keep her in the woods so a car wouldn’t hit her.  I knew I was in trouble when I heard his truck crank up.  I cut through my gate, jumped on a bike and met more concerned neighbors and the city worker.  She had come back on our street and we all felt confident that she was tired out and would come home…I was wrong AGAIN.

It was like she got a second wind. She headed into the BIG marsh and alerted a whole new set of neighbors that she was loose.  I got in my truck hoping she would hear me leaving and want to go.  She did come out and run next to the truck.  Unfortunately, she kept going past our street.  I was seriously wanting to call my dog whisperer neighbor, Susan up at work and beg her to come help me. She loves that dog and 9 out 10 times is the one who can catch her.  My neighbor Leo and I almost witnessed her death.  A truck was coming down Forest at a good speed and she was going 90 miles an hour down the side street and we both cringed at the point where they would intersect.  Thankfully, the car swerved and barely missed her.  I feel pretty confident that it was the result of my friend Tina’s prayers that she was praying on behalf of my dog.  She prayed with me on the phone for God to protect her and bring her home safe! That’s a true friend!

When I thought it was a hopeless cause, even more neighbors came to the rescue.  Mr. Pearson got on his bike, Jaime and his 4-year-old daughter Eliza got on their bikes and another nice man with a white dog was trying to figure out how we could get a boat in the marsh to retrieve her.  Leo went and got his dog Emily who KC likes and FINALLY KC came out of the Marsh and came to greet Emily and Leo grabbed her!  I was so relieved, grateful and angry all at the same time.  The biggest feeling I had was embarrassment that I cannot control my dog at all.  I am overwhelmed by these kind-hearted, sympathetic neighbors and friends who came to my rescue.  I never understood until Dan brought home a little hound dog puppy, how much love you could have in your heart for a dog.  She exasperates me especially as I was washing muck off her and myself but I am so glad she survived her romp around Neptune Beach.  I issue a formal apology to all my neighbors who were so tolerant of her yelping and howling.  I have been wiped out all day and can barely walk from this episode today but I have a feeling both KC and I will sleep well tonight!