Running Away From Home

This is Toni Louise. Look at that mischievious sparkle in her eye. She is my escape artist. She loves to run and run. Any opportunity and she will bolt from the gate or the door and run like the wind.

She is easily entertained and will chase her own tail for hours. She has a sweet disposition and is so easy going.

So sweet, my Toni Louise. This is the sweet little girl in my lap every night ........ whether or not I want her to be. She will use her head to lift my hands from my laptop and demand my attention. She will pounce on my keyboard and not give up until she has all the affection she wants. And just look at that sweet face ........who could not love her? Mr. Martha, the cat, is her favorite plaything and she is his.

Yesterday, Toni Louise and Wall-E, world famous author of "Letters To Gavin", totally took advantage of he, who is apt to open the gate without checking to see if canines are playing in the yard. They both ran through the open fields and gave he, who jumped on the golf cart, the slip.

Wall-E, being older and wiser, knew better than to push his luck and stayed on the property and let his Papa pick him up. Toni Louise, however, hit the black top and was galloping down the road to parts unknown. After dropping off escapee #1, Doggie Daddy took off after the willfull Toni Louise.

I have had to round her up before and can tell you from experience that this is no easy task. Scolding just rolls off her like water, bribery does not work, either. I spent an entire afternoon chasing her one day ....... in my car. At first I rolled along the roads of the park and lied about treats through the window. Then she took off down the road after a car. My heart in my throat, I followed in my car and lost sight of her. That is, until I looked out the window to find her loping along beside me. I was going about 15 mph! She looked like she was grinning at me. I noticed a delivery truck coming into my park and I growled at her to stay out of my way and threw the car in reverse and backed half a mile down the road to recieve the pool paint.

The Fed-X driver joined me in trying capture her. We finally corralled her into the fenced area around the pool. He went on his way and I spent about 30 minutes chasing her round and round until she discovered the steps and raced into the almost empty pool. Then I chased her on a slope. I was lining treats up to try to grab her, but she was too fast. Then ......... then she discovered the nasty, slimy, utterly gross water that needed to be pumped out and proceeded to prance through it and splash it everywhere. This made her slimy and slick, so that when I grabbed her she would slip right through my hands. This all ended with her consuming half a pound of hot dogs and getting a bath. I was not happy, but she was going through her toddler stage.

I thought the search party would be out longer, so I was more than a little surprised when a mere 5 minutes later I saw the golf cart with Toni Louise aboard rolling up to the office. I went out to pick her up and scold her. I lifted her and carried her in the store and told her how unhappy I was that she had pulled her latest stunt. Tail wagging and licks to my face ensued and I noticed a funky odor ..... familiar. I have smelled this before. Can't place it. I put the bad girl down and noticed her limping. Then we see the blood on the inside of her hind leg.

I remember the odor I could not place. Same odor that my other bad girl, Louise, the Saint Bernard, had when she ran into the SUV and crushed her elbow. I looked at my Toni Louise's eyes then and knew that she was hurt pretty bad and shocky. I called my vet and relayed all the information. Toni Louise had surgery last night. Her hip was dislocated and the blood and wound on her lower leg was full of gravel. I saw one truck on that road before she got on the golf cart. Don't know if she chased it and took a slight hit and tumbled, or simply lost her footing and flipped over.
 

She came home this morning with her leg in a sling to keep the ball joint in her hip in place. She is not allowed to run or jump or play with her siblings.

Last night was very subdued for the remaining animals. I am sure they were aware of the odor she emitted and they saw her carried out with towel around her to immobilize her and catch the blood. Last time they saw one of their own leave wrapped in a towel, she did not return. Two of the saddest little dogs climbed into bed last night and snuggled close to me. Even Mr. Martha, the cat was looking for his best buddy.

It was joyful reunion that I cannot show you until tomorrow! Blogger hates me and won't post all my pictures!