Crazy dog! Crazy lady!

So, I am on my way to work yesterday and just around the corner from my office is this little teeny, weeny dog running in the street! I mean, TINY dog! And, frail, skin and bones, ribs showing through, scrawny legs, midget mutt. OMG, I just held my breath as I drove passed it! I then see a small group of people from different businesses working together to try and catch this little guy. Far be it from me to be left out of the effort, so I parked my car and spend the next 2 hours stalking, chasing, calling to, searching for, this dog. lol Interestingly enough, I ended up working alone, but not without at least 12 different people helping me. I was so impressed that so many cared, but this dog was pitiful! I did finally call the police and they dispatched Animal Control.

The poor dog was so terrified that he would bark and bark when someone approached him. I finally followed him into an auto body shop, but he disappeared under a car and I couldn't tell if he went around the corner or into one of the garages. Of course, this is EXACTLY when the police showed up with Animal Control. lol I had no idea where he was and although we searched for him, no luck. I figure he hunkered down somewhere to wait us out. Determined to find him and relatively sure that he didn't go far, I passed my phone number around to a few of the businesses nearby.

Sure enough, I got a call first thing this morning from "John at VJ's Auto Body". :o) "Your dog is back," says John. lol Okay, John, he is not MY dog...

What John didn't know is that I got horribly sick yesterday! I have the WORST sore throat and am completely bereft of energy. I was in bed trying to decide what to do with myself. Frank is out of town and I have a dozen things to take care of today, but I can't move. lol Well, there is no way I could neglect this little dog, so off I went. I called Animal Control as soon as I got a fix on the dog, but they said it would be a while before the dispatcher could meet me. "Not to worry, I am not going anywhere until this dog is capture. He is like Houdini!" Alas, this dog now has a name! HOUDINI!

SO, I follow Houdini around for the next 90 LOOONNNGG minutes. :o) We go down this alley and around this corner and down this street and in this parking lot and now out into the actual street, so I have to quickly park my car illegally somewhere and race out into the street to stop traffic!!!!!!! I can't even tell you how many illegal maneuvers I have done today! lol I tell ya, life is so much more to me than working... it is about capturing dogs, meeting other people and having a life that allows me to do this stuff. I met the ladies that work at the cleaning service up the street from my office and they offered me a bowl to put water in for Houdini... he didn't drink it, but it was a good try. I found a pile of dog food that two people put down yesterday and as I grabbed two fistsful, I discovered it was inundated with red ants! THAT was a surprise! Fortunately, I didn't end up with any bites on my hands. Finally, Andrew from Animal Control arrived. Bless his heart, he had just come from picking up a deceased pet in someone's home. :o(

Andrew parked and began chasing Houdini on foot. I, having learned a lesson from the hours invested already, stayed in my car to chase him! lol Andrew and I worked as a team to divide and conquer, but could NOT catch this little guy! No hole was too small, no fence posts too narrow. I swear, this dog can slip in anywhere! I would speed up ahead of Andrew and Houdini and scare Houdini away from the major, busy streets where he was headed. Andrew would chase Houdini down an alley and I would zip around a few blocks and come in from the other side to try and turn him around, but no luck. Houdini finally race out onto a major, 4-lane street, crossed all lanes of traffic defying death, and then proceeded to cross yet another street!!! Andrew was far behind Houdini and would have likely been hit by a car trying to cross, so I offered him a ride with me! lol

Sure enough, Andrew rode shotgun in the minivan and we made a VERY illegal left turn across 4 lanes of traffic and over a center divider. By golly, however, we managed to find Houdini again. He shot back across those same streets, again without demise, and finally shot into the outdoor patio of Matt Denny's, one of my favorite places ever! (Heidi and Michelle, remember MD's?) Because I am there often, I know the busboy that was setting up the patio. I hollered to him to close the gates on the other side and thankfully he did. If he hadn't, Houdini would have raced right out onto the big street again! Andrew and I came through our gate and I blocked it off with tables. lol Vince, one of the managers, joined us and between the 4 of us, we got him! Phew... thank God!

When all was said and done, this little tiny guy actually fit perfectly in my two hands. He is so small. I have learned from a gal nearby that Houdini's mom is a young gal that is less than favorable and that Houdini is out often. Hmmm, I am thinking she has NO business being a doggy mommy. The Humane Society will care for Houdini and will post him on their website within a day or two. When they do, I will watch how things go. I will do whatever I can, without adopting him, to ensure that he doesn't go back home.

Anyway, I have now used all of the energy that I had reserved for the entire day and I have such a sore throat from calling to Houdini... all worth it since he is now safe and sound. :o) Thanks to Andrew and the staff at MD's for helping me! I think Houdini is my 6th rescue thus far. LOVE it!

OH!!! When I went back to thank John from the auto shop for calling me, one of the guys there gave me a card for a free oil change to thank me for caring about the dog! How cute is that?? I was really touched. :o)

Off to my office and the bank before watching my boy's football game! Great day.

Hugs to all!