Author |
Message |
Herckleperckle
Member
11-20-2003
| Wednesday, October 01, 2008 - 8:05 pm
Hi, everyone! I love all the chatter here! And thank you so much for all the nice words. I have to thank everyone for furthering my understanding of and knowledge about cats. I learn so much from all of you, it's just incredible. So Juju, you are saying I like this cat because he is more dog than cat. Actually, that makes a lot of sense. I like to give and receive love from a pet. It's much harder to depend on that with a cat, I think. Well, for me, so far, anyway--until Jake. You know what?! The owner HAS taught Jake some tricks! (I didn't get to see them cuz Jake wasn't in the mood, and I forget what they were, but I do remember them telling me he performs 3 or 4 tricks for the hubby--who trained him using treats and a clicker.) I was astonished at the time--I mean, whoever heard of a cat performing on demand? Well, if I ever decide to get a cat, then that is definitely the breed I'd want!! Babyruth, thank you for that information! I would never have known that. I remember your cats distinctly--just gorgeous! What I didn't know was that they had personalities to match! I truly can't understand how this particular breed of cat could ever be a rescue! How in the world does that happen? Why, Huk, how good you look these days!! 
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Julieboo
Member
02-05-2002
| Wednesday, October 01, 2008 - 8:09 pm
How in the world does that happen? Because people are so irresponsible and they treat pets like they are accessories. Then when they make a mess or start taking up too much time or effort, they dump 'em. Don't get me started on rescue pets. But if you want to help some, pop over to Moondance's folder or the cat thread and vote for her rescue!
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Herckleperckle
Member
11-20-2003
| Wednesday, October 01, 2008 - 8:58 pm
Tonight I had to go visit Keelie and her owner in preparation for my visit there tomorrow and again next week.
I say Keelie (a German Shepherd/Australian Shepherd Mix) looks like a wolf pup in this recent photo; my husband says she looks more like a jackal. She does resemble a jackal in a way, doesn't she? She's 6 months old now. Unfortunately, Keelie has a spiral fracture to her tibia. Poor thing. (The owner was right there when it happened. Keelie was taking a flying leap at her "sister," Kaya (a big German Shepherd) when, in midair, Keelie must have twisted her leg into some kind of contortion that broke her young (back left leg) tibia bone. The owner says Keelie shrieked in pain and then fell, shrieking. Poor woman had to drive with him in her lap to an orthopedic surgeon her own vet advised she go to immediately. She said she was a wreck, but that Keelie did remain still. The orth surgeon changes the cast weekly--and this is week 2, so cast #2. Evidently this one is much slimmer than the first. Tonight I was invited to stop over so I could learn how to put on and take off Keelie's MEDIPAW Protective Boot--which is the name for a lightweight covering that goes over the cast when the dog goes outside. And to learn about a modified routine I must follow with her. (She has to get crated when I leave.)
Medipaw The tough thing is containing wiggly, 6-month-old Keelie safely while you are getting the boot on and off her. But it was okay. The owner demonstrated how to sit with Keelie, put the boot on, pick her up, hold her while opening the sliding glass doors, set her down outside, bring her in, take the boot off, and how to clean Keelie and the boot should that be necessary after she "goes." Then I went though all the steps. I'm happy to say everything went well. Keelie weighs 30 pounds, so she is pretty easy to pick up, just a little harder to do that from a sitting position. Well, my non-existent stomach muscles will get a good workout tomorrow and next week!
Sebastian on his owner's bed.
Stella facing off horsies! (I took them on a walk that on the property across the street.) Sebastian and Stella's owner booked me from 2 pm on Saturday through 5 pm on Sunday, so I get to spend a weekend with my favorite doggies! I can't wait. (I will spend the night in the client's home. And I hope the weather is nice. I'd like to take them to Brandywine Creek State Park, where I used to walk Hercky. They would love a short walk through there! Ed says he'll meet me there and help me walk them IF the time is right. (He's a huge Phillies fan and will be watching the game; he's not sure when it is scheduled yet.)
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Julieboo
Member
02-05-2002
| Wednesday, October 01, 2008 - 9:07 pm
love your updates HP!!!
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Juju2bigdog
Member
10-27-2000
| Wednesday, October 01, 2008 - 11:18 pm
We are going to make a cat person out of you yet, HP. Once I started with Siamese cats and found out how smart AND sociable they can be, I was sold. But they can also have some of the very worst traits of cats. I tend to think they are born with their tendencies and personalities. We have had some very good Siamese cats and some very bad ones. The good ones more than made up for the bad. I mean, how good is a cat that will go pee on the pillow (and never have peed anywhere else she is not supposed to before or after) of the spouse you are divorcing??? That is a cat for the ages. That is a cat that will fetch. That is a cat that will jump into your arms. That is a cat that will leap six feet into the air to bat at a little fluffy thing you have stuck to a door frame just for her. IF you are ever going to go get a Snowshoe cat, do not just go get one. Go get YOUR cat, and don't be afraid of walking out if your cat is not among the ones you go look at. How you will know YOUR cat? If it is a litter of kittens, go sit down near them. Your cat will climb up the chair or couch or your leg to be with you. It will roll over next to your leg for you to rub its belly. That is your cat. Pay whatever you need to, and take it home and teach it tricks. Do not despair if you have to walk out on five cats or litters of kittens. If you are looking for YOUR cat, it will happen. It is not like getting a puppy and it loves you automatically. It is more like dating. If the cat ignores you or worse yet, hisses at you or scratches you, move on. That is not your cat. That advice is just if you are looking for your special cat. For pet sitting, that hissing thing is going to happen, so don't worry about it, and just provide the best care you can without intruding too much on the cat's sovereignty. JujuDawgCat

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Landileigh
Member
07-29-2002
| Wednesday, October 01, 2008 - 11:55 pm
juju, we keep going to petco on saturdays when they have the adopt-a-kitty there. one of these days, one of them is going to say... TAKE ME HOME DAMMIT! and then we'll know it's the one.
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Mocha
Member
08-12-2001
| Thursday, October 02, 2008 - 5:38 am
Whew when I saw the horse pix I thought you were taking care of them too lol.
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Vacanick
Member
07-12-2004
| Thursday, October 02, 2008 - 5:50 am
Sebastian and Stella are so cute!!! Keelie looks sweet ... a little wolfish .. but very sweet! Is she not able to walk right now with the cast?
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Herckleperckle
Member
11-20-2003
| Thursday, October 02, 2008 - 6:03 am
Thanks, Julieboo. I think I've already voted for Moonie's Rescue. But maybe I am allowed to vote again. I'll check. And I guess the indignation we both feel is what moved Moonie to make the decision to start the Rescue. Juju, what great advice! Thank you! So that's how you pick out a cat. Makes perfect sense--but I'd never have known (as I thought they ALL hissed and scratched)! I never really trusted cats because I could never get a handle on why they did what they did. (Nice one moment and nasty the next.) You are such a big help. And I am actually thinking cat, believe it or not, because with my erratic schedule, that would make a lot more sense. Not sure I am ready yet. Just thinking about it. And I'd want Ed's buy-in on the decision first. We haven't talked about anything but dogs--and neither of us has been really ready to do that. landi, I go to PetCo a lot (as there is one near me and they have just about everything I like to pick up as treats and toys to take to my 4-legged charges) --and I have stopped in to look at the rescued cats in all those rows of cages--so sad to see them like that . . . Mocha, you gave me my first laugh of the day!! 
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Herckleperckle
Member
11-20-2003
| Thursday, October 02, 2008 - 6:11 am
Hi, Nic, just saw your post. Keelie CAN walk with the cast, but she is supposed to remain as quiet as they can keep her--so the bone can heal properly. The owner caught her taking a flying leap up into a big recliner just the day before--so she is actually quite agile and balletic with it. But that's the danger--that she'll put too much pressure on it--or make another twisting move. Keelie does take pain meds twice a day --but I think that dosage (I won't be giving her meds) is much lighter now than it was at first. The owner is using the German Shepherd's crate for Keelie right now--much roomier for Keelie with her cast. She must be crated when no one is at home to keep an eye on her. And she has a good amount of room in there so she won't feel cramped. I got tons of kisses from both Kaya and Keelie when I was there. And that was lovely for the owner to see, I'm sure. Made me feel terrific as well, of course. (I love doggie kisses!!)
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Mocha
Member
08-12-2001
| Thursday, October 02, 2008 - 6:18 am
Doggie kisses are the best. But my Pedro will try to throw his tongue down your throat lol.
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Herckleperckle
Member
11-20-2003
| Thursday, October 02, 2008 - 6:52 am
More pix from my last visit with Harry and Andy Rooney.
Doesn't it look as though they are bringing me the mail? Andy actually picked up a coupon that fell out of my bag. And if you look closely at Harry's mouth, you'll see what he has--one of his ever-lovin' tennis balls.
Poor Andy! Harry jumps up on the sofa as if Andy isn't even there. I just happened to catch this shot. Isn't it the cutest thing ever?
Harry with some of his--probably 24 at least--tennis balls. He is the real thing when it comes to fetching. One track mind!
Andy saying, "How did I ever become a part of this looney bin? Andy prefers the soft touch--loving over playing, though he will run around the backyard when he gets excited. And he loves his walks as much as Harry does.
Katie chowing down. Now Katie is one of those cats I can't figure out. She'll behave as though she wants attention and then swat at you. So I leave her alone as far as touching goes, though I do talk to her.
Pierre in the coolest part of the house. Smart cat. And he is the nicest one. He is very friendly to me --so he is another cat I really like--and he is the one cat in the house who will let Harry wrestle with him--and bite him gently, in fun! I haven't gotten a shot of that action yet, but I will! It's adorable. They play really well with each other.
Jersey, walking by Harry in the kitchen. He is a nice cat, too, just not as social. I like him, though. I was able to pick him up outside (he got out the door) and bring him back in without any unfriendliness. Whew! (I think the owner does let her cats out now (she just moved there at the beginning of September), but she didn't give me that direction, so I sure wasn't gonna lose any of them.) I took care of this crew for 4 days while the owner was away (twice a day). I even had Ed meet me at a really nice park nearby so we could both walk them through it. They had a blast--as did we. Ed commented that he hated the choke chain on Harry. I agreed and noted that Andy had one, too. But we had no problems with them at the time. I was walking Harry and Andy around their neighborhood (the third of three morning walks I had done with them while on this job). I had to be there at 7 am, because that is their breakfast routine. So each time, we were out walking pretty early after both the dogs and the cats had eaten and Harry and Andy had had a chance to run around their backyard a little. On this last day of my visit, Harry slipped his choke chain. To make things worse, a yellow school bus was at the corner, and that put the pressure on to recapture him. Btw, the driver clearly could see what was going on. I was trying my best to catch Harry, but he thought it was a game. What happened next? Well, that XX**$$@@!! bus driver made the turn, climbed that hill, and just kept right on coming--aiming straight at Harry, til he had to slam on his brakes to avoid hitting the dog--who then froze, of course. I grabbed Harry and looked up at the bus driver. Do you know he had the nerve to roll down his window, shake his finger at me and say, "Can't you control your own dog?" I was ready to levitate and throttle that man! I wound up giving him a piece of my mind. I got Harry's collar on and we made it back to the doggies' home safely before I burst out crying. I was soooo scared for him. Both Andy and Harry huddled with me and made me feel better. (Andy kisses; Harry doesn't for some reason--though I am trying to teach him how. I guess the owner doesn't do that with them!) I let the owner know--in that last report card--what had happened and urged her to buy Harry a harness--as he is a skinny-necked dog--and the same was true of Hercky. That's why we always used a harness with Hercky. I held my breath til I heard back from her. Thank goodness, she understood completely and complimented me on my "excellent" care of her pets. She immediately went out and bought harnesses. So WHEW on that. You never know how people are going to react to something like that. I am so relieved that she reacted the way she did. (She said to me, "You must have been so scared!" That's when I told her about crying after we'd gotten inside. And how her doggies had comforted me.) Well, I need to get ready to go see Kaya and Keelie, so gotta get ready. Talk to you all later. Never a dull moment!!
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Herckleperckle
Member
11-20-2003
| Thursday, October 02, 2008 - 6:54 am
Mocha, funny you should say that about the tongue down your throat. The weirdest thing about Sebastian is that his tongue invariably whips into my nostril! EWWW! I am not sure if that is because of his size or his preference, but EWWW, anyway! (I love him anyway.)
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Juju2bigdog
Member
10-27-2000
| Thursday, October 02, 2008 - 10:07 am
Landi, that is what I used to do at the Humane Society in Houston when we were looking for our dog Zippy. I would go every few days to see if Zippy was there, but s/he never was. We finally found her in Homer, IL.
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Herckleperckle
Member
11-20-2003
| Sunday, October 12, 2008 - 10:37 am
I had an overnight with Sebastian and Stella last weekend. I took them to Brandywine Creek State Park, where I always took Hercky. These two had a blast!
Sebastian looking down at the creek from the high point in the walk.
That's Ed in the red jacket. He met me there and we took the walk together. Stella is in the foreground.
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Vacanick
Member
07-12-2004
| Sunday, October 12, 2008 - 3:21 pm
Ahhh Sebastian and Stella again ... what fun! 
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Herckleperckle
Member
11-20-2003
| Thursday, October 23, 2008 - 6:52 pm
Newest clients below! (Oh, I have 3 sitters working for me now and 2 more to come!) The owner is originally from New Orleans and has the greatest accent. He's a minister and looks a lot like Odin.
Odin, a Bouvier, all 100 pounds of him at age 3.
And his Jack Russell "sisters": Dolly (the matriarch) and Dixie (1 year younger, at age 8).
The Threesome
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Herckleperckle
Member
11-20-2003
| Thursday, October 23, 2008 - 6:56 pm
I now have 30 clients!! More pix to come tomorrow. Very, very tired and have a 7:30 a.m. appt tomorrow.
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Juju2bigdog
Member
10-27-2000
| Thursday, October 23, 2008 - 8:38 pm
Thanks for checking in, HP. I knew you would be a great success. I love seeing the pictures of the clients' "kids."
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Vacanick
Member
07-12-2004
| Friday, October 24, 2008 - 4:49 am
Pretty soon we'll be reading about HP on the Fortune 500 list ... what a success!! 
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Egbok
Member
07-13-2000
| Friday, October 24, 2008 - 8:10 am
Hi HP!! I'm catching up on your doggie & kitty job blog. I love reading your "tails"...hahaha! I must say, seeing Andy Rooney and Pierre's picture gave me a big laugh because their cute adorable faces fit their names accordingly...how cute!! I just know that Hercky is so proud of your accomplishments!! Hugs to you HP!!

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Herckleperckle
Member
11-20-2003
| Saturday, October 25, 2008 - 8:54 pm
Hi, Juju, Nic and Eggie! Thank you for the lovely comments. You're very sweet to pay attention. I mean it. I realize I am almost single-mindedly focused on what I am doing with the business. Meaning I am thinking and talking about it ad nauseum, I'm sure. Anyway, more pix of new clients, plus a scary story about one in this crew, but with a happy ending. I was on a 7-day overnight visit (6 pm to 9 am from Oct 11- 17) PLUS a daily mid-day visit (around 1-2 pm) with the crew below. The owners asked me to use their computer to check my email and do whatever else I needed to do on it (wasn't that nice!) because they wanted to email me each day to keep in touch. They emailed twice a day, once in the morning and once at night. It was nice because I could ask them questions and dispel any anxiety they had about how things were going. Well, an incident happened with Jack on the last part of the last day (when the couple was in transit) that almost gave me a heart attack. First, enjoy the pix . . . then I'll tell you the story.
Buttercup (a 2-year-old female pom-a-poo and a rescue from a puppy mill) and Jack (a female -yes, female despite the name--bichon-poo and a rescue as well)--on the bed where we slept together each night. That leopard blanket was theirs.
And Roxie, their 10-year-old black lab and big "sister." Roxie is a little arthritic, had terrible dandruff, shed terribly and had smelly ears. She is very gentle and sweet, but was game for a rousing tug-of-war at any time. And she always deferred to the little dogs, despite the fact that they would snatch toys out of her mouth if I played with Roxie "too" much. I took care of Roxie's ears (let the owners know I had a bottle of Epi-Otic, which is a general ear cleanser for dogs, but an Rx--which I had left over from Hercky--and could use it on her ears. It worked and things cleared up considerably. Rubbed rosemary skin balm on her back (where the dandruff was really bad) and that helped, but it left her hair greasy-looking. Then I gave her a bath and used cream rinse afterwards. That brought the dandruff to the top again, but it wasn't nearly as bad as it had been. She couldn't stop licking me afterwards. She seemed so happy to be getting her due. (I also helped her up on the old sofa in the family room so she she rest her weary bones. I could tell she loved that, too.) A couple more pix:
Buttercup looking as if she is about to make a snide remark. Heh. Actually, once she trusts you (the most skittish of the bunch) she never stops kissing. All day long, all night long! I saw her licking on Roxie's face twice. That just sealed her in good graces with me. So sweet. The really surprising thing about her was that she could leap about 6 feet in height each time she thought you were going to let out. It was like having a frog underfoot! She'd go out and then want to come right back in, of course. (Fenced backyard, so no problem.) For some reason, though, she was a sneaky pooper. Someone was sneaking down in the middle of the night (I think) to poop on the dining room. I finally caught the culprit--Buttercup! So she liked going outside; just didn't really like GOING outside. Well, at least she was small, as were her "presents."
Darling Jack. She became my favorite very quickly. She cuddled with me each night. Was generally calm. Wouldn't really kiss but wanted you to kiss her. And then, of course, she was the one in the story to come.
Roxie having an afternoon slurp. She could get very excited when we played tug of war together, but then she'd vomit! That happened once too often, and the owner let me know that you had to limit her water intake. She'd drink and drink and drink and then it would come up. And that looked right from what I observed. So I did try to curtail her long drinks. (She doesn't have diabetes; I asked. She does have allergies. But she was not on any medication. Something must be going on, though. Way too much water. Course it was still quite warm the first 5 days I was there.) Anyway . . . Ok, here's the long story: First, I have to share that, for some reason, I was thinking that Friday at 9 am would be my last time scheduled to be in the home. But I also knew the couple wasn't due home til around dinnertime. So on Thursday, I gave all the dogs a bath. No easy trick, when you consider Roxie's 96-pound build. It was cold that night, so used the hairdryer a bit on the little dogs, which they didn't like too much. Had to do it so they could go out and pee later. I also washed the two kitchen throw rugs, finished up the vacuuming and dusting (which I had been doing slowly, all along, but with Roxie's hair droppage, it made it difficult to keep the floors looking clean.) I also spot-botted in places because of Buttercup's sneaky pooping. Then on Friday morning, I stripped the bed and washed the sheets, blanket and pillowcases--and remade the bed. Everything was in order and I packed up the car with all my stuff (a ton of stuff) except for the vacuum because I wanted to do one last sweep of the entranceway after I had gated them into the family room/kitchen area as usual. I drove home about 4:30, happy with the job I had done. At 6:30, sitting at my computer, I gazed up at my calendar. Lightning seemed to course through me. It was only then that I realized I had another night there!! Ack! I repacked the car, zoomed over there. Fed the dogs (they only get dry at night, which they already had access to where they were gated, so no biggee there). Unpacked the car. Realized I had to sleep in that bed and rewash the sheets the next morning cuz I was just too damned tired and the dogs were used to sleeping in the bed with me. So, we went up to bed. The next morning, I was okay--and feeling good because, really, all my hard work was done. So I repacked the car, did a few last-minute chores (rewashing the bed sheets, etc, and a poopie sweep out in the back yard for the last time), and concentrated on playing with the dogs. Then, because I had to re-write the report card from the day before and write the one for Saturday, I left the door open to the backyard (sliding door) so the dogs could run in and out at will while I finished that up. I saw Roxie go out and come in and settle in her favorite spot near the sofa. I was writing a while when I realized I hadn't seen or heard the two little ones in a while. Something told me that this was trouble. So I got up to go look out back. I didn't see either dog! But there is a shed out back which they liked to root around --so I figured they were in the high weeds that surrounded it on all sides. I called them by name and out came Buttercup, from underneath that shed. I called and called for Jack, but there was no answer. I panicked, ran inside, closed the sliding glass door and looked thru the house, thinking Jack had come in, unnoticed. No, she hadn't. I kept the dogs inside (they could sense my tension and wanted out, but I didn't want to misplace anyone else, so I kept them in. Again, I called and called. Not a sound from anywhere. I thought, "Oh, my god, she is dead under that shed. Either a snake got to her or something fell on her." Or maybe she escaped the fence. But I searched the fence for ways out, and there was no way she could have gotten out. My heart sank. I just knew Jack was dead under that shed. I got on my hands and knees and looked under the shed. And I heard a whimper!! You should have seen me then. The fact she was alive just sent me into action. I tore at all those weeds with my hands. (Hadn't had a shower yet; hadn't even brushed my teeth yet, but I HAD gotten dressed.) The unfortunate thing about the weeds was that they had these easily mushed purple berries all over them. So every time I moved, purple berries stained my clothes, my skin and amassed on my sneakers. But I wasn't worried about that. I had to find Jack and help her. I was able to peer under the shed finally. And there, I saw two glowing eyes on the other side of the shed. My heart leapt. She really was alive!! I raced to the other side, tore at all those weeds, got even more covered in purple. I got my hands on her, what little was near the edge of the side of the shed. I was able to get her head out, but not her shoulders. She was in a maze of wooden beams that hung down low. I don't know how she managed to get where she was, but there she was and there was no way I was going to get her out without some help. I kissed Jack, reassured her, and ran into the house. Saw the purple stains my shoes were leaving immediately, so turned round and took them off on the patio. Grabbed my phone and called Ed. He read the urgency in my voice and, without even questioning me, told me to go to neighbor's house until I found someone who might be able to help and that he was on his way. I then decided I should let the dogs out so they could see what was going on, had a chance to pee, and perhaps entice Jack to make her way out. Buttercup, doggone her, went under that shed again. But she was able to come out each time, unscathed but looking more and more purple each time she went through the mashed weeds. I went into the house, found some cold chicken in the fridge and tore off a piece to give to Jack. (Mothers always want to help by feeding someone, you know?) Well, she ate! I told her not to worry, that Dale would get her out. I went rooting through the shed and tried a couple tools to attack the board in the base of the shed separating Jack from me. I could see I was getting nowhere, but I figured out at that moment what could be done to help her without destroying the shed. I realize that if someone could cut a wedge out of the board that was flush to the ground (the board was added--I found out later, to keep the dogs from getting under the shed; in this case, though, it was preventing her from getting out) then I knew I could turn her sideways and get her out. That's when I ran to the first house. (I had seen the couple walking and they had said hello once.) I looked a wreck of course. And I had no shoes on cuz I didn't want to track those stains through the house. So there I was, covered in purple, unwashed, probably stinking from my mouth to my hair to my armpits at this point, in my stocking feet. When she answered, I explained what was going on and asked if her husband could help. She wasted no time, got her jacket and followed me immediately, explaining on the way that her husband had had a heart attack, seizure, and was not capable of helping. Oh! (Later I found out he had suffered a lack of oxygen for too long and was having to re-learn everything. Despite that, she never hesitated coming to my aid.) She said she wanted to see what she could do first and then would get another neighbor to help as she was pretty sure he was at home. So she came over and found out for herself what I had already discovered--there was no way to get Jack out as it was. Then Ed arrived. The neighbor told Ed that she thought the shed could be jacked up. Ed said he wasn't sure how stable it was and that it just might collapse, potentially hurting or killing Jack. I kept talking about the wedge idea. Then Ed repeated what I had already tried--standing on the opposite side of the shed and calling Jack. Didn't work--either because Jack was scared out of her mind or just plain stuck. The neighbor then went and got the other neighbor, Mike, a man I will never forget. He had a house full of tools, thank goodness. The men jabbered some about doing this or that. Asked me how in the world I'd ever even found her. (You couldn't see her from most angles.) I gave the credit to Buttercup. And again, I suggested the wedge idea. Finally, both males agreed that it just might work. At that moment, a groundhog popped out from under the shed and ran lickety split to the opposite side of the yard, just getting past a racing Roxie. So that's what got Jack to go all the way under that shed! At that point, Mike agreed to cutting the shed and got his reciprocating saw. Cut the wedge in about 5 minutes. Everyone backed off so I could get in there. Ed advised that I let Jack take her time and come out on her own. But there was no way I was waiting one more second. I got my hands wrapped around Jack's little body, turned her sideways, and pulled her out!! OH, the relief that went through me. No blood, nothing broken, just scared. Ed and the two neighbors accepted my thanks upon thanks and took off. I was glad they left then, so I could get her inside, love her up, reassure her, give her water and something to eat, etc. I bathed her again--along with the now-purple Buttercup. Got the bathroom cleaned again, the towels washed and dried again, but still had to finish the report. And get the hell outta there before the clients came home and found me such a mess. Uh, just as all I was just about done, yup, in walked the owners. Everything was packed (including the vacuum and I had vacuumed again). But of course, I looked like hell on earth. I had changed out of my purple clothes, but still hadn't bathed, brushed my hair or even brushed my teeth. My shoes were stowed in the car, so I was still in socks (fresh socks, though). I almost burst into tears when I saw them. I looked at them, they at me (probably wondering how I had become such a mess from the last time they'd seen me). I said, "You need to hug up on your Jack." They knew something had happened right then, of course. I told the story, apologized for how I looked and the fact that I was still there. The woman came over and hugged me and said, "Oh, Dale, you must have been so scared!" Well, that's all I needed, of course. I started crying, but not a ton. The husband then told me about another escapade they'd been through with Jack. It was funny, but another time, okay? Anyway, all was well in the end. But I was just totally wiped for that night and the whole next day. Ed had to run over to their house and pick up the keys (on the wrist thing I wear--with other keys to other homes) that I'd accidentally left there. So he got to meet them and said they were very nice. The husband said I should have left Jack there, that he'd have found his way out. (I know he didn't mean it; he was just saying that Jack was a bad doggie for causing so much commotion.) I know he loves all 3 dogs very much. They are one family of doggies I will never forget! I have lots more stories. But for another day . . .
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Mameblanche
Member
08-24-2002
| Saturday, October 25, 2008 - 9:19 pm
HP you are a pet-angel. So glad Jack is okay! What an adventure.
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Egbok
Member
07-13-2000
| Saturday, October 25, 2008 - 11:02 pm
HP? Please print out your post and start keeping a scrap book of your "tails". You have such a talented way of telling your stories and I for one find myself absorbed and entertained with the visuals you provide in your storytelling. I'm so glad Jack had a good outcome...whew!
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Vacanick
Member
07-12-2004
| Sunday, October 26, 2008 - 6:33 am
HP .. I agree you are a pet-angel and you should keep a scrap book of your 'tails'. I'm so glad Jack had a good outcome. I didn't read if the hole was closed up so it couldn't happen again?? 
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