tale of the dog

So here's a story. A few weeks ago, on a snowy Monday morning, I was driving in to work and there, just past the Wal-mart on a busy street was this big brown Rhodesian Ridgeback looking dog. I drove past and watched him wander into traffic in my rear view mirror. Not good. So I flipped the car around and followed him into the Karl Malone (ex-Utah Jazz superstar, you know...Stockton to Malone!) Toyota parking lot. There was another guy there and a city cop and the poor dog was scared to death and wouldn't get anywhere near us. I, of course, had on 3 and a half inch heels on a snow day (shut it) so I couldn't exactly join the chase. I mean I'm pretty good at running in heels but not on the ice. Plus I'd left my conference call going on speaker phone in my car while I tried to woo this poor dog into my car. So I figured, hey, there's a city official here, he'll be just fine. So I went on to work, pull in the parking lot and boom! there's the dog. So I jump out and try to lure him in and he runs off again right toward the cop. So me and my heels went to work.

All week long we saw this dog darting in and out of traffic, trotting down busy streets, curling up under a tree in the mud and snow. I started feeding him, hoping he wouldn't head off to the freeway. It snowed twice. A lot. And every time we got close to the poor dog, his tail went between his legs and he cowered off just out of reach. Me? Sap. My heart was breaking for the poor guy.

And then he disappeared for a week. My worst fear! So I sent an email off to the local animal services and this lovely woman named Heather emailed me back and said she'd see what she could do. Sure enough, a week later, I get an email...they trapped him. Yep, in a cage. So sure, he's at the shelter but he's not smashed or anything. So I went to visit him and he was a doll. A big, scared, super skinny doll who stunk like a diaper pail but a doll nonetheless.

So, after his 5 day 'vacation' at the shelter, nobody claimed him and Heather called and said his time was up, so I picked up this huge dog (literally...he would NOT get in the back of the Tahoe so I had to pick him up) and took him home. He is a sweet dog, easy going with our dogs and the kids, thinks he's an 80 pound lap dog, and his name should be Shadow because he's always RIGHT there, no matter where you go. Which is also his "issue." A little separation anxiety means he can leap tall fences in a single bound and is the best canine Houdini I've ever seen.

So after a few hundred bucks in shots, neutering (sorry, buddy), food, leashes (he's been through 4), a new crate, and doggie day care, we're hoping for the best for us and Malone. If it doesn't work out, we'll be calling the Dog Whisperer.