Article Contributed on: 7/9/2009 9:16:55 AM
I moved to the Congress Park neighborhood some nine months ago. Two Golden retrievers and a husband make up our small band, and we love the family qualities we find here. Young families are moving into the vintage brick-faced bungalows and giving the whole area a new patina.
Abigirl and Oliver (our Golden kids) are used to having wide-open spaces and lots of free time to roam them, so the transition to a city neighborhood has been somewhat challenging for them.But they meet the challenge with aplomb, dragging Ralph and me out several times a day to explore the streets and alleys and meeting their new neighbors -- the squirrels and cats which they delight in treeing.
I think what they like most, though, are the smarter than average dogs we meet on our sojourns. Not a week goes by that we don't happen upon some four-legged, free spirit prancing down the middle of Ninth or Steele streets with, seemingly, not a care in the world.
On the bright side, these are new playmates for my energetic duo, but on closer examination what we find is a family pet that, left to amuse him/herself, opened his gate or scaled her fence to see the world from a new perspective. By the time they slow down, they are blocks away and haven't a clue how to get back!
Just today we met Bernard and companion, two magnificent huskies. Bernie easily weighs in at 125 pounds, and his female sidekick is a svelte 80 pounds or so.They were gamboling down 10th when they spotted Oliver and, practically in a single bound (and without looking either way for traffic) leapt across the street for a quick sniff. The sniff turned into a romp; two boys,two girls, the sun shining, the grass glistening with dew from the recent rain -- what dog could ask for more?
The female was a bit timid at first and stayed by my side as my two rowdies explored her. I took the opportunity to look for a tag -- no luck! She was not even wearing a collar. At first, Bernard wouldn't stand still long enough for me to explore his neck, but I could see the glint of his tag and eventually was able to find out that they lived about seven blocks from where we were.
Between tug-o-wars, play-bows, squirrel chases and general mayhem, I was able to herd these two toward their home where they joyfully trotted through the open garden gate to their backyard. It was obvious they were home, and glad to be there. A check of the latch showed it was easily dislodged by a flick of the nose, and with no one at home to check their whereabouts; these two had wandered quite a way from their water bowl.
Which brings me to my point: Bernie and his companion were only one of many I meet almost daily. Left in their yards with nothing but time to kill, they scale fences, unlatch gates, dig under barriers,squeeze through holes and they all have one thing in common: THEY CAN'T GET BACK IN! The lucky ones happen upon me, or someone like me, who takes the time to usher them safely home. I worry about what happens to the others.
So please, neighbor, check your dog's security. Don't leave your pets outside. If you must leave a pet in the yard, make sure it's a secure yard. Make sure that they have I.D. tags on at all times. Believe me when I say, that there are more dogs that never return home than do in these circumstances. Like Bernie, they won't look both ways when crossing a street, or make a distinction between busy Colorado Boulevard and the back alley, and unlike Bernie, they may not find some kind soul to take them home.