Big fright in the Saugus woods. We nearly lost the Juneau half of Juneau & Me this past Saturday. For nearly an hour, I considered the possibility that Juneau was indeed gone. In a daze, I wandered the neighborhood near Breakheart Reservation. People hurried their children into their houses and peeked through curtains, fearful of this dazed man howling JUNEAU! HERE JUNEAU!
My two daughters, Annie and Marybeth, had taken Juneau for a walk in the woods. With me, Juneau will run 50 yards ahead on the trail, but always wait. With my daughters, Juneau reached a point on the trail, sat down, stared at Annie and Marybeth, then burst off in the other direction. She was seen running through the parking lot and down the street, past a busy hockey rink and toward a busy street lined with shopping centers. After Juneau failed to respond to my younger daughter Annie’s calls, I am told she screamed, “The stupid dog doesn’t even know her name!”
I was home when an hysterical Annie called on her cell phone. I could barely understand her. I thought the dog had just run off somewhere in the woods, so wasn’t too worried. I figured I could find her. But when I arrived at the Breakheart parking lot four miles away, and my daughters pointed in the direction Juneau headed, I got a sick feeling. The street was so busy with Saturday shopping traffic, no way Juneau would have made it across without being hit by a car. My only reassuring thought was that she is so timid, she wouldn’t have even tried to cross. She was more likely huddled under a porch somewhere.
As I searched from the busy street back toward Breakheart, my daughter Marybeth’s boyfriend Joe came driving toward me. There, sitting in the front passenger seat, was Juneau. Joe found Juneau back near one of the entrances to Breakheart, playing with another dog. Juneau was wearing her pink sweater, but had lost her blue overcoat during her adventure. She looked scared. Hopefully too scared to try that again. I was somewhat amused then hearing other people’s tales of their pound dogs running off, and eventually returning. I then remembered my previous dog, Hayley, had once run off and wound up in the Lynn pound.
This story was a little scary! I'm glad it has a happy ending. Aiko comes back when I call when I let him off the leash, but he is OBLIVIOUS to cars. Even when we are walking on the leash, he will l wander aimlesslessly into the road when a car is coming. It makes me very nervous. I know he has a lot to learn still
I loved the bath story too, except for the part about the Pittsburgh Steelers (Ugh!). Aiko thinks the bath is a punishment. I don't know why he has webbed feet if he's not interested in water! It will be interesting to see how he responds to the pool once the cover comes off. He has been running all over it unaware all winter.
Thank you for keeping up the stories about the local shelters and animals in need too. My daughter signed up to volunteer at the Humane Society in Lowell the other day. I am happy to report that it looked like all of the dogs there were matched with potential owners.
We are anxiously awaiting the nice weather so we can meet some more dog friends. We have had a few brief encounters along the boulevard and in the neighborhood, but it has been too cold for any meaningful relationships to develop.
Juneau sounds like a sweetheart!
Posted by Molly | February 17, 2009 5:49 PM
Posted on February 17, 2009 17:49
I'm extremely extremely happy that you found Juneau!!!! :)
I know how much folks love to get their dogs off the leash in the woods, but I have to admit, this is a pet peeve of mine. As someone who did grow up in the city, seeing dead dogs in the road was never a good thing. I'm a cryer when it comes to seeing dogs hurt and so that was always traumatic for me. The other thing that dog owners (myself included) don't always remember, is that not everyone likes dogs. Some people are truly frightened of dogs - and dogs off-leash are that much more frightening because they don't appear to be under someone's control.
Moving here to Mass to suburbia, it amazed me how many folks let their dogs off leash in an unfenced/ungated area (woods, on the street, etc.). I have extra incentive to never let my dog off the leash unless it's in a secure area: I've got a whippet - and as it is, any dog can run faster than me. By the time the whippet is spooked, his instinct to run kicks in, and he's a mile away before I can blink :(
I'd never advocate for letting the dog off the leash, but at the very least, I'd highly advocate for recall training so that you have a higher chance of calling her. And if you haven't done so yet, get her microchipped :)
Posted by T.C. | February 10, 2009 11:51 AM
Posted on February 10, 2009 11:51