TRUCK

 SOME STORIES ARE SO GOOD THAT YOU HAVE TO SHARE (slightly edited)

Yesterday we decided it was time to get another dog. Our beloved died in late September. 

 

Saturday morning we got an email from a breeder in Aiken, South Carolina. We had sent her our previous dog's obituary, which included pictures of him, and asked if she had a "Jack Russell."

 

With this email was a picture of a long-legged rough-coated male Jack Russell in many ways similar to our departed. This dog was a year old, had not been neutered and lived outside with 5 other Jack Russells, so that both he and his coat were thin.  The breeder warned he would be a project, having never been on a leash nor socialized. But, he was adorable, calm, and loveable and that closed the deal.

 

On the trip back to Atlanta, we stopped at a truck stop in Madison so everybody could go to the bathroom. My wife slipped a leash around the dog's neck. Never having worn a leash, he spooked, tightening the leash around his neck. With that he panicked and went berserk, biting her as she tried to grab him, and pulling the leash out of her hands.  The dog ran off to the trucks parked overnight.

 

Our turn to panic.  It was dark, this dog did not know and trust us, and would not come when we called...he didn't even have a name for us to call.  

 

We chased him as he darted around the trucks in this huge truck stop in the dark with his leash dragging behind. Fortunately he is white so easily seen by the big rigs that kept pulling in.  Then two guys in a pickup truck came to try to help...every time we would get even close to him he would sprint away. They were at least able to help us keep him in sight as he ran next door to Lowe's and on beyond to the Chick Filet.  The chase went on for over an hour.

 

Then two more people joined the chase...young guys, string bean thin, one wearing a cowboy hat. The boys were 17 and seniors in high school in Madison. 

 

 Our fear was he would head to the highway in front and sure enough he did.  At that point nobody could see how this would have a happy ending. Either he would be hit on the highway or would run off into the woods never to be seen again. We were as traumatized as well as the dog.

 

Suddenly one of the young guys ran up and said "We got 'im."  Turns out the two of them had chased him around the car dealership across the street and finally managed to corner him and step on his leash.  He, of course, bit the guy who grabbed him and pooped on his shirt but he managed to hang on. 

 

There was elation all around and I gave the two guys what money I had.  The dog calmed down immediately as if nothing had happened. As we drove home he stayed in my wife’s lap and peed on her pants to show his appreciation. It took us much longer to calm down. Once home he slept soundly on the foot of our bed, hard to say which of the three of us were most exhausted.

 

By today the dog and my wife have bonded. He still growls when I come into the room.

 

Oh yes, we named him.  Truck.

TRUCK

ONE RESPONSE

Talk about a laugh, I had it. Don't tell The owners (thanks to them for sharing) but "Truck," I am afraid, would have been history with me. My lack of patience and a realization that Truck was a dog would have done it. LOL. Now, if Truck had been a six year old child, I would have hung around.  

I guess that pets for those who don't have children become their children. Our upstairs neighbor who is now gone,  grieved/cried over her dead cat for months; she spend thousands of dollars on "Henry" to keep him alive. I blame the Vet. It was a money thing for him. Even after he died, she erected a shrine. So...LOL. I don't mean to be laughing. Thanks for sharing. I love pets. My daughter is fostering two cats that were abandoned in a fire. 

But, dang, good story and writing.