Steve left a comment on my 9/11 post in which he mentioned the rescue dogs at Ground Zero. This evening I came across this article on therapy and rescue dogs and what they did during those sad days. You should check it out; it's a great little story and will warm the heart of animal lovers everywhere. I love my little dog, whatever she is. I don't know if Checkers is more Boston Terrier or more French Bulldog, but she's a sweetie. Steve's dog Abby is a white German Shepherd and is a sweet dog, too. I have a neighbor down the street who has the most beautiful male German Shepherd in shades of black and brown; a most majestic looking dog. His name is Mojo. And Nikki's Bailey; how adorable is Bailey!
Honestly, lots of the time I can promise you that I like dogs more than I like most people!
(Photo credit: Peter Cihelka: The Free Lance-Star)
Aww! I am a big dog person myself but I had no idea they got depressed when they don't find people!
ReplyDeleteCan you imagine the poor guys laying down in the rubble playing dead? Geez.
ReplyDeleteLast night I had to get out of the office, so I decided to go out and see what was going on on the streets. As I was pulling out of the parking lot, I saw one of our K-9 officers coming out of the station, and I started talking to him.
ReplyDeleteHe must have pushed the remote door opener, because out of nowhere came Vasco.
I love Vasco. He's nothing but a set of big white teeth attached to a big black dog.
Vasco came running up to my car, jumped up and placed his front paws through my open window, and the love fest started. He was lovingly biting at my hands, and I was scratching him on his throat. (Dogs love being scratched on the throat where the collar sits.)
I swear I saw a smile come across Vasco's face.
I first met Vasco in February, when I drove up on a stabbing in progress. I was holding the suspect at bay, and Vasco's handler was one of the first officers to come to assist. When the set of teeth attached to a dog arrived, the situation quickly got under control.
As I was calming down and assessing as to what had just occurred, I felt something bump heavily against my left leg. It was Vasco, and needless to say I was a little concerned, because he was looking up at me.
I stood still, not knowing exactly what to do, but Vasoc again bumped hard against my leg and looked up at me.
I gathered enough courage and reached down and patted him on his head and said, "Good Boy!"
That was it. He put those big sharp teeth around my hand and slobbered all over it. Since then I have seen Vasco on a regular basis. One day I had just finished a leisurely meal at KFC, and Vasco was especially fond of my hand for some reason.
I love all sorts of animals, but I have a very special place in my heart for dogs.
Tonight was a 5 dog night for me.
ReplyDeleteDuring Hurricane Gustav, the Bossier City Civic Center became a shelter for special needs evacuees from South Louisiana. And now it is receiving evauees for Hurricane Ike. These people are too frail and sick to send home, especially since they are still cleaning up and restoring electricity down south.
Tonight a group brought four threapy dogs to visit the people in the special needs shelter.
After I got the shift out on the street, I went up to dispatch and saw the dogs and their handlers out in the break area between the station and the civic center.
Of course I had to go see the dogs. It was great. They loved on me, I loved on them, and I even got my nose cleaned. What loving animals
Ok, that was four. I said it was a five dog night.
I found an open door at a church, and a K9 unit was called, so the dog could do the building search. It so happened it was Bronco.
I've never been around Bronco before, but he is beautiful. He has long brown and black hair.
The K9 officer brought Bronco into the building and ordered him to lay down, which he did. Then the officer yelled out, "Bossier City Police K-9. If there is anyone in the building come out with your hands up. I'm going to turn my dog loose, and if he sees you, he will bite you."
All the time the officer was saying this, Bronco was barking. His tail was wagging, and he had a happy look on his face, as if he were saying, "Yeah, let me go, I'll bite whoever is in there."
Then Bronco was released and it was hurry, hurry, hurry, to keep up with him.
Up the stair to the balcony, down the stairs to the basement, going from door to door, sniffing here, sniffing there.
But ALAS, no one to find, or bite. So, we took Bronco outside to wait for a church representative to come and check things out.
Bronco was sitting by his handler, and I was looking at him, not knowing what to do. His handler said, "You can pet him."
I looked at him and said, "You were a good boy." Then I stratched him behind his ears.
At one time I thought I would like to have been a K9 officer. Now I don't think I could. My fear is getting attached to the dog and knowing he's not mine.
It would be a heart breaker for me to have a dog then get assigned to another division and having the dog taken from you. I couldn't do it.