Dog for a day..for all my pet loving friends

[rebelracewriter]

This is for all my dog/pet loving friends....

 

Last week I was working at one of the apartment complexes that I do work for. Early in the day I noticed two dogs running loose around the place. Before noon one of them disappeared, but the other stuck around. Noticing a collar and tags on the dog I approached it and the dog complied by not running away. While I struggled to read the small, faded print on the name tag, the dog sat quietly. I finally figured out the dogs name, Sunny, and a phone number. I called the number but it went directly to voicemail....Well crap! The dog continued to hang out around me while I raked leaves, so I found a potted plant saucer and filled it with some water, which Sunny quickly lapped down. I gave the number a couple more tries with same outcome. I called the property manager at one of my other apartments, that helps a lady out that does rescue dogs, hoping for some advise. The dog had 2010 tags for rabies and another showing it was microchipped. She tried calling the microchip number, but got an automated system that wanted the number.....What number?...On the chip inside the dog....Great!....She also tried the number on the tags throughout the day, with no success.

 

Sunny and I hung out all day, giving me someone to talk to, but as the day neared the end I was left with a decision on what to do with her. A. Leave her running loose hoping she wouln't get run over, find her way back home and/or survive the 20 degree temperatures predicted that night. B. Take the advise of the local cop I waved down and take her to the pound and let them try to find the owner. C. Take Sunny home and hopefully have the owner call that evening. After one final talk with the lady at my other work place she mentioned a near-by vet office that should be able to scan the microchip and get the owners info....Good plan, I thought.

 

I then wondered how Sunny would travel so I opened the car door and she jumped right in...Problem solved. We headed to the vet and I explained my plight and he scanned the chip, got the numbers and tried calling the place, but got hung on the damned automated system again. During that time we checked the rabies tag for the vet that gave the tags.....Bartlet, Tenn.....swell.....No answer, they're an hour ahead and already closed. He finally got a REAL person on chip number and discovered the chip was implanted in 2008 in Memphis, Tenn., but they'd have to research back records, tomorrow, to find an owner. I decided I'd have a four-leged house guest for the evening and hope it's lost owner would call. The vet was nice enough to give me a can of food for Sunny since I was doing such a good deed. He'd get back with me in the morning after calling Tenn. again.

 

Sunny quickly made herself at home, probably still picking up the scent from Pooh Bear and gobbled down some food. She followed my every footstep around my house and laid quietly while I made my dinner. As I sat down to eat she came around the corner and looked at me. I told her that there was no begging at this house, and she immediately laid down. After eating we went for a walk outside, she sniffed every corner of my lot and every pile of deer poop. As I sat there watchng TV and hoping her owner would call, she hopped up on the couch and curled up next to me(Yes dogs rule in my house). The evening passed with no calls and now it was bedtime. Sunny followed me to the bedroom, walked around the bed twice as I wondered if she'd whine all night missing her master. Next thing I knew I had 60 pounds on my chest, licking my face. I showed her which side was hers and she sprawled out at my feet. Got a rude awakening at 5:00AM when she had to go out and it was 19 degrees, but we toughed it out.

 

The next morning I fed her one more time and took her to my other job with me antiipating a call, any call.....The vet called finally and said they were still having issues tracking the owner, since the info from tags and microchip were all registered in Tenn......Well now what! A half hour later I got a call, the lady introduced herself as Mrs. XXXX and asked if I still had her dog and were she could have her husband pick Sunny up. Then she asked if I wanted a reward. No I told her, seeing the dog get back home was reward enough for me, but she insisted. So I told her a 12-pack of Dr Pepper was good enough. Sunny made the morning rounds with me as we waited for the guy to show up.

 

He showed up with 12-pack under his arm and Sunny was happy to see him. I explained the previous days events, all the calls we made to the number on the tags. It turns out they(both dogs) are his sons who is active military and deployed overseas.....No wonder calls didn't go through. The other dog made its way home on its own, and he was very grateful to get Sunny back, and that someone was nice enough to care for him. As he left and shook my hand, he said "please don't refuse this, you don't know how much his means to our son that his dog is alright." In his hand was a folded up bill.....$50....

 

I sure miss Sunny, well except the 5:00 potty trip, but to my point on sending this....

 

Please make sure your pet(s) have current phone numbers on any name tags and that they are not old and worn away rubbing on other tags.

 

If your have or get your pet microchipped, make sure it is with a company that keeps better records and has a LIVE person to speak to in emergencies.

 

Something to keep in mind the next time you see a pet running loose....The Kerrville pound is NOT a no-kill shelter, in fact they are one of cruelest places I heard and read about in the newspaper. Had I taken Sunny there, they'd have called the number that I did, getting no answer, maybe have checked the chip and ran into same issues that the vet did......and three days later......No Sunny!!!! Then think how it would have effected the guy serving his country overseas.....

 

Thanx for reading my ramblings, just wanted to pass along the story....

 

(Dog Lover), Jay

[tommyo]

nice post, even if it isn't racing related! Thanks - good info