Success - I have attached the photo of the Scooby-Doo Mystery Van. It took me a while but, I finally found the van at home. Parked my car in alley; jumped out and had to endure the cat calls from the kids at South Garland Senior High as I took photos. I am not sure what they said, but I was not about to detour from my mission of getting a least a good shot of the van. There was one thing that I thought funny was a faded,weather-worn "Jimmy Buffet for President" sticker on the back bumper. I picture Shaggy as a Parrot-head, but not sure that Velma and Freddie would have approved. And to confirm, I would have gotten more pictures, too, if wasn't for the meddling kids.
So I am driving down Miller Road with no particular place to go (hey, isn't there a song there?) and a Garland Animal Control truck goes whizzing by me with its lights flashing. First, I didn't realize Animal Control trucks had flashing lights - I guess for emergencies and; Second, in my day, didn't we just call it the dog-catcher no matter what they were "catching"? Like a mosquito drawn to fresh skin, I decided that I had to follow the truck and see first-hand what the emergency might be. I stay just far enough behind it as not to impede the hunt. And what to my wandering eyes do appear, another Garland Animal Control truck, parked in a turning lane, with its lights on. What the heck could they be after that would require two trucks??? I told myself, by dang, I was going to find out. About that time, a "dog-catcher" went running into traffic chasing a big ol' black and brown dog that looked like a Mastiff to me. The truck I was following pulls over; flashers on; jumps out pole in hand that had a noose on the end and takes off in full sprint after the dog. Two men chasing a dog that is going in and out of traffic and when they tried to close in - it was just like a cartoon. He went right in between them and took off in the opposite direction. Both dog-catchers (dc's) run back to their trucks, make u-turns and head back in direction of dog-on-the-run. I go up to the next available intersection and make a u-turn and follow in quick pursuit. It was really like watching a cartoon because every time the dc's got out to chase him or try to corral him - he would dart off in the other direction. When they juked; he jived. He went right; they went left and then he would do the fake out and head back to the right. At this point, I was rooting for the dog! I slowed my car down and actually got stuck behind him as other cars went around me. But it did allow front row action. And all of sudden, that crazy dog was heading right toward my car and for a second, I thought it was going to jump across my hood. It was like slow-motion. He came toward my car - his head was going side-to-side, his jowls were flapping and with turn of his head big wads of dog spit would go flying. I could have washed my car with the amount of spit that flew onto my car. The dog goes by and the dc goes by and looks at me like "don't even think about getting out of your car." Trust me dude, it never even crossed mind once I saw the size of the dog and his teeth. This cat and mouse game went on for another 15 minutes and I finally found a spot in a parking lot to watch the dog and dc dance. They finally got him corralled in a front yard and my dc "roped" him and drug him to his truck and loaded him in. I was on the other side of the road and down a bit so when he pulled away - I knew that I had follow him and make him my stranger for the day.
By the time I cut across traffic and going in the same direction, I thought I had lost him. But I finally found him parked in an alley behind a warehouse. I pulled up behind him and he probably thought I was the dog's owner. But as I approached him I said, "So you guys finally got him." He said, "Yes, I am just cooling down. That is about the most excitement we get." I asked if a owner had called the dog in missing and he said that a school over on Dairy and Centerville had called to say there was a dog running in and out of traffic and school was getting ready to let out. Now mind you, when they caught him he was at Miller and First streets which was a heck of a haul for a dog being chased. I said, "My name is Donna" and extended by hand. He did the same and I was shaking hands with Drew of the Garland Animal Control Services. I asked what kind of dog it was and he told me it was a Rottweiler and went on the say to me, "Man, I got hot chasing him so I had to pull off my jacket." I nodded in agreement and said, "Yeah, I saw that." Then, an awkward pause of silence and realizing I really had noting less to say - I wished him a good day and good luck with the dog.
The one thing I pondered, as I headed toward home, is how many Animal Control officers would it take if there had been a loose coyote??? I don't even want to know, but I hear it on the scanner - I 'm there!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment