I’m not really a fan of pranks, chiefly because most of what the internet has come to consider “pranks” aren’t actually funny.
But oh man, did fate line up some extremely perfect timing yesterday.
My Handsome Assistant was in office. I message him frequently — usually not anything of consequence, just what the cats did, pictures of cool bugs I found, etc. Earlier in the day, I saw a notice about a puppy mill bust in Cecil County. 23 dogs, mostly Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, bichons, and shih tzu, are currently looking for foster homes while rescues sort through their assorted health problems, issues due to neglect, and so forth. Animal neglect and abuse upset me, so I vented to him about it for a bit.
(Also, I was maybe kind of hoping I could tug on a few heartstrings and get him to agree to try to foster.)
Anyhow, a half hour later, my phone buzzed.
The camera system detected “a pet” in the front yard.
I do not have pets in the front yard.
Nonetheless, there, on the camera, was an adorable little fluffy white dog snuffling around the front porch. I dropped my phone and hurried outside to get a better look — was he alone? Lost? Were his people close by? Was he at risk of getting stuck in the fence? Running into the street? Being captured by owls?
There’s a nest of ground wasps — what if he got stung?
Sure enough, there was a little white dog hustling around the yard. I called to him and he happily trotted over, wagging his tail. He seemed outgoing and relaxed, so I let him sniff my hand and gave him an ear scratch. He also had a collar and tag, so finding his family should’ve been no problem.
And it wouldn’t have been, had I not left my phone inside.
Dilemma.
Not wanting to lose track of him or have him run into the street/be captured by owls/eat a bunch of wasps, I was torn for a moment.
There was only one thing to do.
I didn’t have a leash or a way to secure him in the meantime, so I gingerly scooped that little dog up and carried him inside to hang out while I figured out where the #$%& I left my phone.
He seemed perfectly okay with this. I set him down, he sniffed around a bit and wagged his tail, all, “Hello! Yes! Okay!”
That was when I had a brilliant idea.
Phone in hand, I snapped a few pics, sent them to my Handsome Assistant along with an “I can explain,” and brought the little guy back outside to call his family. They came over to pick him up not long after and were very nice. He hung out on the porch with me until then, getting pets and being extremely chill and good-natured about everything.
Honestly, as far as ways to meet your neighbors go, this is definitely one of the better ones.
It’s also a great way to confuse and startle your spouse when they know you have a soft spot for animals and are given to hypomanic states.
Seriously. I couldn’t’ve planned it better.
If you live in the Maryland or Delaware area, there are still several dogs looking for foster homes. They’re coming from a puppy mill, where they’ve been confined, underfed, overbred, and never offered the opportunity to be part of a family and just be dogs. If you have the ability to open your home to one of them (or one of any number of other dogs currently awaiting adoption), please consider filling out Renee’s Rescues’ foster application.
Even if you’re not in MD or DE, there are always animal rescues looking for help with fostering. If you have the time and love to give, reach out to your local organizations to find out how you can help!
Marble Crow 