Heart Like a Dog

The Good, the Bad, and the Oh My God of living with dogs!

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The Optimism Of Cats And Dogs

April 14, 2012 By Jodi

Yesterday I Still Want More Puppies had a very cute video of a cat.

Honestly, I don’t know where some of you find the time to do all the things you do.  If I had about 8 more waking hours in a day, (and the energy to go with it) I might be able to do half of what some of you do.

But I digress.

I changed the comment I was going to leave on that particular post, because I realized the story would be quite lengthy and it would make a good post. “-)

The year was 2005 B. D. (Before Delilah.)

Sampson was about a year and a half at the time, my daughter and her husband had just gotten married, and they moved from FL to CT and were staying with us.  They brought their two cats with them, Percy and Knuckles.

Percy was a big boy, my boy. Even though he was my daughter’s cat, he was very attached to me and Hubby.  Before she moved to Florida she was in her early 20’s working part-time and going to school full-time.  Percy spent a lot of time with us.  Then she moved and took him to Florida and he hated it.

He was very happy to come back home, but not at all happy that Sampson was now living there. Percy spent a lot of time puffed up at this intruder in his home.

Knuckles was rescued from the mean streets of Lakeland, and was still a kitten.  He rode the entire trip from Florida in my son-in-law’s lap.

To accommodate the two cats, Hubby had installed a cat door in my daughter and SIL’s room.  We figured if the dog was antagonizing them, they would at least have a safe place to retreat to.

Knuckles was/is a pretty cool cat.  He had a little foil ball that you could throw and he would run after it, pick it up in his mouth and bring it back.  It was just about the cutest thing I’d ever seen. 🙂

He did like to tease Sampson though and would wait outside my daughter’s door to get Sampson’s attention and then when Sampson was almost upon him, he would dart inside the room via the cat door.

The house has three bedrooms.  Our bedroom was at one end of the hall facing the bathroom and Lisa and Steve’s room (with the cat door) is to the left of the bathroom door.

This was a time in his life when Sampson would eagerly wait at the door, because he knew Knuckles would be out and he would have an opportunity to meet him.   He did this every morning while Knuckles and Percy lived there.

Seriously you’ve got to love a dog’s optimism.

On this particular morning, Lisa was taking a shower when I opened the bedroom door. As usual Sampson tore down the hallway.  Knuckles (as usual) waited until the last possible minute and turned for the cat door.

Seriously, you’ve got to love a cat’s optimism.

Here’s the thing about cat doors.  In order for them to work, they need to be unlocked.  For some reason on this particular morning, it wasn’t.

God how I wish I had this on video.

Knuckles, the little antagonist, turned for the cat door and finding it closed, spun in the air, twisting and turning looking for escape.  He ended up against the bathroom door.

Sampson, sensing victory, charged forward, all 90 pounds of him.

Lisa screamed and tried to cover herself, as Sampson and Knuckles burst through the bathroom door.

Knuckles was air born at the time and spinning, twisting and snarling as only cats can do and in short fashion sought refuge…..under the tub.

Sampson had him pinned under the tub and he knew it.  He bent down in a play bow, tail wagging happily, only to be defeated once again because he was too big to follow Knuck.

After that day,  when Lisa took a shower, the bathroom door was always locked and the cat door was always unlocked.

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Filed Under: CATS, Dogs, Humor, Meanderings, Sampson, Ultimate Blog Challenge Tagged With: Delilah, Dog, dog training, Humor, Jodi Stone, Labrador Retriever, Obedience training, Pet, Sampson, sampson and delilah, Writing

Follow-Up Friday

April 13, 2012 By Jodi

For those new to the blog, my follow-up Friday provides me with an opportunity to update or revise a post from the previous week.

You know sometimes you post about something and you need an update but it doesn’t warrant a whole blog.  Or sometimes someone made a comment that really resonated with you.  Yup, Follow-Up Friday baby!

Reflections – Author’s Note

Most of you said your dogs weren’t interested in the laser light (except for you, Snoopy!)   It’s really weird because we won’t notice it for a while and then BOOM, you’re walking across the room and the light catches your watch, and she’s off!

Miss Lily – Author’s Note

Yes, I realized as I was hitting publish that it was Easter and I was talking about reincarnation and Lillies!  LOL I didn’t plan it but it was appropriate, no?

All Is Revealed – Author’s Note

I’m glad that Ron and Mary found Magnum and vice versa.

Big Al had a good point, with a name of Magnum, I think I’m going to start calling Mary, ‘Dirty Mary.’ 🙂

What Happens When The Mama Goes On Vacation – Author’s Note

I think you are all right, the dogs will probably always run back and forth in their yard.  I ‘m sure they do it with every dog that walks past.  My goal will still be to get Delilah not to react to their posturing.

The Trouble With Bobby – Author’s Note

Someone asked about the puppies, as far as I know they were all just fine.  He had one puppy that he couldn’t sell, Diesel who was about the sweetest dog I’ve ever met (besides Sampson.)  I BEGGED Hubby to let me keep Diesel (he only wanted $100 for him) but Hubby said, “No.”

I won’t tell you what I promised Hubby in exchange for the dog, but will let you use your imagination. 😉  Apparently Hubby knew it was an empty promise too. 🙂

The last I knew, Diesel was just fine.

I also think the date of the incident was 2010 instead of 2009.

You Can’t Make This Up or The Trouble With Bobby – Part 2 – Update

I did get a hold of the records department and apparently I’m not entitled to an incident report because it’s an ongoing investigation.  I was referred to the Town Attorney.

I also spoke with the front desk (like it’s a freakin hotel or something) and asked why neither Hubby or myself was notified so we could lock up and why would they leave the house unlocked.  They didn’t have an answer and referred me to the 2nd shift supervisor.  Which I haven’t done yet either.

No doubt about it, this guy is all kinds of stupid.  I’m thinking I may attend his hearing, just to hear if the charges stick or not.

Don’t forget to check out this guest post on The Writing World.

That’s it for me, hope you had a great week and you have an even better weekend!!

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Filed Under: Follow-Up Friday Tagged With: Delilah, Dog, dog training, Follow-Up Friday, Jodi Stone, Labrador Retriever, Obedience training, Pet, Pet Writing, Pets, Recreation, Sampson, sampson and delilah, Writing

You Can't Make This Up….or The Trouble With Bobby – Part Two

April 12, 2012 By Jodi

You may remember I was in Florida last weekend.

I arrived late Thursday night.

Friday I went and visited with the gal’s from the corporate office of the company I work for, then got in my rental car and headed over to the Clearwater area where I would spend Friday and Saturday night.

Friday evening after crashing attending the rehearsal dinner, I called Hubby then settled in to write Saturday’s blog post and watch the new episode of In Plain Sight.

About 10:30 (give or take) Hubby called and said, “There’s been some trouble at the other house.”

(One side of the duplex is vacant.  Our tenants left at the end of February and we’ve been working over there, trying to get it ready for new tenants.  Well ok, mostly it’s been Hubby that’s been working over there, but I paint!)

I said, “What happened?”

“Apparently Bobby got inside and barricaded himself in the attic.”

WHAT?

For real.  WHAT?

Me trying not to lose my cool, “How does that happen?”

Ok, for the sake of getting you the entire story, I’m not going to share our back and forth conversation.  I contacted my tenant to ensure she was ok and asked her what happened.

Between Hubby and my tenant the gist of it was, apparently Bobby was wanted on some charges and the cops showed up so he ran.  Next door.

He ran next door to my tenant’s house and knocked on the door.  My tenant’s son opened the door where upon Bobby pushed his way thru, ran down their basement steps, up the other basement steps, and up the stairs to the second floor, where he pulled down the attic stairs and locked himself in.

The police tasered him and escorted him out.

That was the story I had Saturday morning.

Sunday morning as I was traveling across the state to visit family and friends, I called my sister and we were discussing the events at the other house.

“He’ll go away for a long time” she said, “he assaulted a police officer.”

“He did?”  Why doesn’t Hubby tell me these things?

“Oh yes, a police dog is an officer.”

I about ran off the Beeline.

I’m pretty sure I was shaking my head in disbelief.  “He hurt a dog?”  “In my house?”

Yup, now you know why Hubby didn’t tell me.

That was the story I had Sunday morning.

Monday I flew home and immediately took my puppies for a walk, deciding to deal with this incident in the morning.

Tuesday I placed a call to the police department asking to speak with the arresting office.  As of today’s post, still no call.   I stopped by the police station yesterday to pick up a copy of the report, but I missed the Records Department by 18 minutes.

Last night I got a hold of a copy of the police blotter (thanks to my tenant) and think I can give you a fairly clear story.

Bobby and his girlfriend had broken up.  On March 31st he broke into her house and sexually assaulted her (according to the police report.)

Here is the information I have from the Judicial website.

On March 27th there was a 6th degree larceny offense, a reckless endangerment offense and a 3rd degree criminal mischief offense; all misdemeanors.

On April 3rd there was a false incident report charge and a misuse of emergency 911 charge.  The false incident report is a felony.

I have also read the press release and am surmising the story in this fashion.

Friday Bobby went over to his ex-girlfriend’s house and said he’d been attacked and beaten on April 3rd.  He was high on PCP and they fought and he threatened her so she called the police and he ran.

That brings you up to speed on what I’ve already told you.

From what I’ve read he went up into our unfinished attic and using a live electrical cord, tied the attic stairs up.  (It’s a pull down ladder/stairs.)

(Process that for a minute and think about what happens when you take a 2oo (give or take) pound man high on PCP and put him in an unfinished attic.)

The police cut the electrical wire and sent the dog up.  Bobby threw a box that might have had a computer in it (previous tenants left it) at the dog, knocking the dog down the stairs where he was caught by the police officer.  The police officer then sent the dog back up the stairs and the dog attached himself to Bobby’s arm, wherein both dog and Bobby tumbled out of the attic.

Bobby was then whacked a couple of times with a flashlight (supposedly) on the leg and eventually tasered and removed from the premises.  The dog was taken to the emergency vet hospital where he was treated for injuries to his right hip and nose.  He was given anti-inflammatory medication.

After removing Bobby from the house, the police went back inside and took pictures.  They then left the house, without benefit of locking the doors and never notified either Hubby or myself.

On April 6th, Bobby was arrested for 2 counts of 1st degree burglary, 2nd degree sexual assault, interfering with an officer, assaulting a public official, 2nd degree reckless endangerment, cruelty to animals, 2nd degree criminal trespass, 2 counts of 3rd degree criminal mischief, breach of peace and threatening.  Five of those charges are felonies.

Unfortunately in CT the cruelty to animals is a misdemeanor U, whatever the hell that means.  Basically on the website I found, there was no recommended sentence for a misdemeanor U.

Hey CT, I don’t like that, do you hear me?  This blogger doesn’t like the misdemeanor U!  And U will be hearing from Me!

According to my calculations if he gets convicted on all charges his minimum sentence will be just shy of six years.  If he gets the max, well he just may never see daylight again without the benefit of fencing.

On April 6th, we were left with cut electrical wires and holes in our ceilings.

I’m not whining, I know this could have been a whole lot worse.  If Hubby and I had still been living there, it’s a very real possibility that Bobby would have been shot.

My one regret is that I wasn't responsible for at least one of his black eyes. (Photo courtesy of Manchester Police Department)

You can’t make this shit up.

Author’s Note: I was so busy trying to process and deal with this issue, that I forgot to mention I did a guest post.  If you have a minute, go on over and check out The Writing World.

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Filed Under: Truth is stranger, Ultimate Blog Challenge, Writing Tagged With: Delilah, Dog, dog training, Humor, Jodi Stone, Labrador Retriever, Obedience training, Pet, Pet Writing, Pets, Recreation, Sampson, sampson and delilah, Writing

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About Jodi

jodiHi, my name is Jodi. Thanks for stopping by and checking out my blog! I have all kinds of fun writing about my two crazy pups, Sampson and Delilah. Find out more!

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Heart Like A Dog by Jodi E. Stone is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.
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