Did I ever tell you about the time my mama and dad had to do this?
Well, I should start with the most important info. I blame these two:
That’s my pal Pancho Villa and my former doggie door — the two REAL reasons I got in trouble.
You see, it all started like this. Pancho was staying with us for spring break while his parents were out of town, and we were snuggling like angels on our dog bed:
So when we ran outside to do our usual games of chase and bury-the-dog-in-the-sand, mama didn’t think anything of it when we were gone for kind of a long time:
But here’s the part mama had not calculated. The water-meter-reader-man had come earlier that day to read the meter — in our back yard. And when he left, he didn’t shut the gate! So the whole time she thought we were outside doing this:
I was actually following my bad influence Pancho on a joyrun around the neighborhood!
Now, you must understand something else. Pancho is an expert escape artist. If ever given the opportunity to bolt out a door — even if it’s only open a few squillimeters, he is gone. I, on the other hand, would never escape on my own. In fact, mama sometimes proudly brags about the few times she has accidentally left me unsupervised with a gate or a door open, and how she always discovers me sitting right inside the door or gate, worrying about when she’s coming to take care of the closing of it.
So obviously, this devilish Mr. Villa is to blame, and not me. Just look at how untrustworthy he looks:
Well anyhow, mama was inside working on her computer, not even knowing that anything had happened. Then a very panty me and Pancho came busting in the doggie door, and at the same time mama heard a knock at the door. Hmm.
She went to answer, and wouldn’t you know? There was the town animal control officer, out of breath and carrying his long stick with a noose at the end, telling a crazy story about chasing us dogs all over the neighborhood and back into our back yard! Mama tried very hard not to snicker while the red-faced man scolded and lectured, but it sure seemed hard — with us boys laying back on the dog bed acting like angels like this:
But then mama stopped giggling when the red-face man gave her a ticket and an order to appear in local court for a “public nuisance – dog running at large” charge! When she realized that she was going to have to take days off work to go to court, and that her lawyer-hunny, my dad, would have to put together all kinds of legal arguments for how our at-largeness was not our fault but rather the meter-reader-man’s fault, well — she was pissed. So pissed that she loaded us up in the truck and threatened to take us straight to the pound:
Just kidding, she didn’t really threaten to do that, though she was quite mad.
In the end, dad made a deal with the town prosecutor and got my record struck clean, and they just had to pay some little court fees and give me a big finger-waggling scolding. It was the first and last time I ever escaped from the yard for an adventure.
But it sure was an adventure!
Wishing everybody a Labor Day weekend full of adventures and burying each other in the sand!!
Love and a Six-Foot Leash 
Love those faces! Thank goodness our meter is outside the fence not inside. Glad your record was cleaned up Chickster.
Monty is the escape artist in our house! We are glad you made it back safe.
Sam
Glad your joyrun ended … um… joyfully! 🙂 Whenever Turk or Rufus see the gate open, they will either run to the front door and bark until I let them in (Turk) or pace the perimeter of the fence trying to figure out how to get back in (Rufus). No joyrunners at our house (luckily) because we live very close to some busy streets!
Oh Chickie. You are so full of adventure. And I love hearing about them along with your accomplices.
Oh gosh! Is this what I have to look forward to as my rascal of a pup grows?! =)
You are the company you keep they say… lol…
So adventurous and precious! They sure do look innocent snuggling like angels. What kind of dog is Mr. Villa?
According to his DNA, Pancho is an AmStaff mix and Chick is a pointer mix… Though don’t they look like the opposite??
Typed by my trained monkey. Please excuse tybos.
Haha typos are quite alright!
They do look like quite the opposite. My dog Weezy looks very similar to Pancho and I’ve always thought she was pointer/am staff mix. I guess I just need to get a DNA test to be sure!
Freaking, hilarious. Love it. Well done. That Pancho Villa is a trouble maker!!
Woof Woof to you all too! 🙂
What a delightful story. Speaking of escape artists – has Dora returned home? I think of her often and hope that she is back safe and sound with her loving family.
Can I ask what kind of camera you use to take these wonderful dog photos? I’m looking into getting a new, high tech camera and your photos are simply amazing!
Running around the neighborhood like a criminal sounds like a LOT of fun but I’m kinda glad mine just sit at the door or gate when they get loose.
Aleksandra, I love reading all of your posts and I think you are an amazing person. So amazing in fact that it freaks me out when you share something like your license plate number. I, along with many, many people and pups, would be so very upset, disheartened, angry and saddened if something were to happen to you or anyone you love. Please take care and thank you for all the wonderful you bring to the world around you.
This actually just happened to me about two weeks ago. I let Tucker & Phoebe (and my sister’s dog, Cosmo, who was staying with me for the weekend), into the yard after work, not realizing that the lawn guy had not closed the gate securely when he was there that morning. I was preparing dinner for everyone when I happened to look out the kitchen window overlooking the side yard and realized that the dogs were not there and that the gate was wide open. They were only a few houses down but it scared me to death.
Oh, eek! Yes, what Elizabeth says about the license plate thing is so true! DO be careful.
Has there been any word of Dora? So worried about her and so sad for her family.
if we escaped mom would not be happy. You guys have so much fun togather
Benny & Lily
I’m so glad you two were smart enough to run back home! Silly Meter guy.
Eek! That’s some adventure, and close call!
Sir Chick,
I so enjoy reading your Friday posts…they always put a smile on my face. And the pictures are great as always. I’m glad to know that you didn’t get into anymore trouble than you did!
Oh, bad Mr. Villa! 🙂 I’d have been aggravated about a citation too, especially since it was the meter man’s fault. And I agree with Chick, Pancho does look rather naughty!
Chick has a very silly outlook on life! My meter reader used to leave the gate open also and a couple times the dogs got out but luckily animal control did not show up! I called them and they came jogging back(I think they followed the cat somewhere:/) I got a lock for my gate though and trained my dogs to not go through it unless I give permission. I hate that expression “at large!” Lucky you have a lawyer husband to help out!
Thanks for writing about our boys! Aren’t they precious? I’m afraid Panchito is a very bad influence when it comes to escaping. One tip for that meter-man: chasing him just makes it worse because it turns into a very fun game.
Such handsome little devils. Correction – Chick is an angel. 🙂
I really do not understand why service people and the postman leave gates open. More pets get out and lost that way. I would have contacted the gas company and found out who the meter person on duty that day was and slap them with some kind of order to pay the ticket as it was their fault the dogs got out. I think if more people did that then maybe there would be some kind of regulation put into effect. I just put a lock on the gate where the gas meters are so they have to let me know in advance when they are coming so I can be there to insure no pets get out.
Aw, such cute faces! Those dogs are really beautiful!
What a fantastic adventure they must have had, so good they made it home safe and sound but not great that there was a fine involved. Although our dogs aren’t escape artists, they will take the opportunity to go exploring in the bush next door if the gate is left wide open, we fixed that problem with a self closing spring/hinge on the front of the gate so it closes (but doesn’t lock) automatically.
Don told his little tale of adventure on FB, and I thought I’d add a little story about Momo. I have a friend who lives in New Orleans, in the Lower 9th Ward. Of course she had to have her house rebuilt after Katrina, and then Mo and I went for the house re-warming party. During the party the dogs were ogling the ham and got put in the back yard. Well, a little while later someone came to me and informed me that my dog was down the street and she wouldn’t come when he called her. He walked me around the corner and showed me where she was – she was hanging out with a bunch of stray dogs! My baby was about to join a gang! But she did come running when I called for her, wiggling her butt, so excited to tell mama about her little adventure and her cool new friends.
Ha ha ha ha!!! I needed a good laugh!! That was a fun adventure alright! Thanks for sharing!!!!
Now those two fun-loving scamps don’t look like they could cause havoc, between them! I’m glad the Law came to its senses! :oD
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