Our neighbor called Farmer H on Friday. She had just turned onto our gravel road at the mailboxes when she saw two blond gals parked in a blue car, WITH MY LITTLE JACK! She stopped to question them. She had her phone recording, but not taking a video of the car or the gals.
"Do you live here?"
"No."
"That's my neighbor's dog, he runs down here a lot."
"We were just feeding him."
"This is private property. There's the sign. You need to leave, and if you don't, I'm calling the police."
"Okay."
Seriously? WHAT could they have been feeding my little Jack? It's five miles out of town. Who drives out here with food if they don't live here? Winding down two miles of blacktop in the middle of nowhere. If you're going to drive-thru for food, and eat in the car, I'd think you'd do it right there on the parking lot. Or take it home. Not take it to some random place. Farmer H said they might have had snacks, like a candy bar. CHOCOLATE is not good for dogs! Who would feed a dog a candy bar? Something is fishy here.
We know Jack is mighty cute, in an odd kind of way. He has no collar, since he either ate or chewed off the last one we put on him, a black nylon one. So these gals might have assumed he was a stray that had been dumped out, except he's fat and sassy and friendly, not starving and sad.
Thank the Gummi Mary, it was our across-the-road neighbor, the dog-groomer-rescuer. Of course she's going to look out for a dog! She hates people being out here when they don't belong, too. I commend her for possibly saving my little Jack from the clutches of those strangers.
I told Farmer H we need to get Jack another collar as soon as possible. He said to get a leather one, and he'll engrave our phone number on the tag. That will make Jack miserable. He hates a collar. But it's the best we can do. I also mentioned that chipping him won't work unless he's actually lost, and somebody scans him. People who STEAL a dog aren't going to do that.
Farmer H said that HOS's (Farmer H's Oldest Son's) wife had her phone number tattooed in her dog's ear. Which could again work for a LOST dog, but not for a stolen one.
I don't want to lose my little Jack, but I refuse to pen him up or chain him. A dog shouldn't live like that. Farmer H won't let him be a house dog, but that would also make Jack miserable. He's used to running free. The best we can do is a collar with our phone number. So at least nobody assumes he's a stray when he chases Farmer H down to the mailboxes.
5 comments:
If they were planning on stealing Jack, imagine how fast they'd snap up Juno if they caught a glimpse of her glossy black coat and her soulful eyes...
How dare they!! Oscar hated collars, too. Oddly enough, he loved his choke chain! I think it was because I told him it made him look like a little stud. They can't chew through a choke chain. Oscar could free himself anytime he wanted, though. He was a smart little guy, if very arrogant. My daughter, Jill put a choke chain on her Saint Bernard and had to call the fire department when he managed to get it stuck on her wooden steps and kept pulling. He wasn't a smart dog. He was sort of dumb. The wind blew her fence down one day and instead of escaping, he just stood there looking at the gaping hole.
Sioux,
I know they'd WANT her! Juno is looking especially fine these days, all silky, no scraggly fur molting. However...she is not nearly so outgoing as Jack. Juno hangs back, looking for assurance from her people or fellow fleabags, or slinks away. Also, she's pretty heavy to lift into a getaway vehicle.
Jack is a novelty, like the half-dachshund, half-dalmation I saw at the gas pumps one day. She was inside a vehicle, so I didn't try to steal her! When her lady came back to the car, she saw me looking, and said what a sweet thing she was.
Thank heavens for good neighbours. Jack would be miserable without you. Those girls better not try again. Who randomly feeds dogs anyway? they were definitely up to no good, but how did they know Jack would be there? Have they cased the area before this?
Kathy,
I worry about Jack in a collar, since he runs free, and is so low to the ground. He's always dashing through the woods for squirrels, and brush piles for rabbits. I worry that he'll snag the collar and be trapped.
Jack is a smart one. Juno isn't a dummy. But our former beagle, Tank, was not Mensa material. He was stubborn, though, and would hold a grudge.
***
River,
Jack IS rather fond of me. WHO drives around with food in their car? Except for me with my cinnamon disks. Which I would never give a dog, even one I was trying to steal. I'm really suspicious of these two non-resident dog-feeders!
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