Rescued

The Funny Farmers don't post on weekends any more and they aren't posting today.  I'm stealing their blog and this is strictly my post.  I hope they won't mind, but I have the thumbs to open their canned food, so they better not complain.

While walking the dogs before sundown tonight (Friday), we were rescued by two white knights in a black pickup truck.

It started as a normal walk.  Marcus was so wiggly and excited, I didn't get his harness hooked to the leash, just to his collar, and he was almost out of the harness by the time we got down the front steps.  Otherwise, there was nothing memorable about the walk.  Until we got about a block from where we would turn around.

Two dogs on the other side of the street popped out from behind some furniture and came racing up the street barking.  Marcus is a good-sized dog and he annoys the daylights out of  Merci (and Sam, in his day), but he is not mean.  He will, however, defend himself, especially since he was physically attacked by one dog and threatened by so many other loose dogs on our walks.

When the two got close enough, I squirted them both in the face with my psychedelic water pistol.  That had always sent them running home.  This time they kept retreating a few steps and charging again, within a couple of steps of Marcus, who was leaping about and yanking on the leash.  Buddy and Merci should have been right behind Marcus trying to scare off the intruders; however, they were one on each side trying to hide behind me.  It was all I could do to stay on my feet.

When we first saw the dogs, I caught a glimpse of a black pickup coming toward us and stopping to turn left, the direction the dogs came from.  Then I was too busy screaming and trying not to be dragged face down on the cement into a 3 dog battle.  I was about to lose when I heard the truck whip around and come charging toward us.  It came to a stop between us and the other dogs.  They ran home.

I think they were the young man and woman who have stopped to admire Marcus on a few occasions but I was so terrified I couldn't even tell you what they looked like.  They got out of the truck to be sure we were okay and offered to keep an eye on us in case the dogs came back.  We turned around and started home.  Partway down the hill, I stopped to look back and the truck was still sitting there. Marcus was so hyped up he ground holes into Buddy's new leash.  We finished our walk closer to home.

I wish I had thought to ask that nice couple for their names, at least.  They sure rescued us from a bad situation!

But that isn't the end of the story. I took the dogs home, grabbed pen and paper, and with flames coming out my ears, I marched on shaky legs all the way back.  As I got near the house, a man greeted me. I asked him if those were his dogs that had been loose.  He said yes, they kept finding new ways to get out of their fence, and he didn't know what they had against my dogs. He explained what he would do to reinforce the fence so it shouldn't happen again.  

The couple in the black pickup had made sure we were safe and then had gone to the dogs' home and told the owner what had happened.  Whoever you are, thank you so much for all your help!

This is not the first time someone has intervened for us.  I remember a man "herding" a dog down the road on the far side of his car so the dog wouldn't notice us.  Or perhaps it was so my dogs (Merci, Buddy and Sam) wouldn't notice the other dog.  I don't remember the details.  But this was certainly the most dramatic intervention.

There are two reasons I am posting this.  One is to acknowledge the anonymous couple who rescued us.  And two, to say that if you ever see someone in trouble like we were today, please do something to help.  Even if it's just to stop and blow your horn.  A loose barking dog or two running at a dog on a leash can start a bloody battle, even if it/they are all the "friendliest" dogs in town.