Driving along the back road from the Home Depot today, I encountered a young pit bull loose in the traffic. Nobody around trying to catch the dog. Nobody looking for the dog. The poor thing was terrified and running in and out of traffic. So, I had to pull over.
She was a bit traumatized, and wouldn't come to me, so I'm thinking about what I've got in the truck. I'd just been to the dollar store, and got a small bag of animal crackers. When I got the bag open, her interest was piqued enough to keep her from running back into the street, even though she wouldn't come near me. I sat down on the curb in the elementary school, and started throwing cookies her way. Aaah, cookies. She liked them. She came a little closer, and a little closer. I held out a cookie, and she slowly came up and took it out of my hand. This whole process took about ten minutes....she really liked the cookies, and decided that I was ok, and let me pet her. Once I did that, she crawled up into my lap, seemingly so happy that somebody was saving her from the busy street. I was relieved that she didn't eat my face off. I was a little hesitant, honestly, but what are you going to do? I had to try.
I got up to get the leash that I keep in my truck, and she wanted no part of that, so we went through the cookie thing again, until I could get the leash on her. I got her to jump up into the truck, and wondered what the hell I was going to do. She seemed sweet and loveable, but I didn't know if it would be safe to take her home overnight. The humane society is closed until tomorrow. I decided to try and find out where she lived. I locked up the truck, and started walking with her. Someone suggested a house where she might be from, and there were two other pits in the back who didn't seem to happy to see me. All I could think of as I went into the gate was please god don't let their chains come loose. I rang the bell, and I knocked on the window....no answer. So I went up and down the street, hoping someone would recognize this little girl.
Finally, out comes this woman from the first house, saying that the dog was hers. The dog seems to know her, and was happy to see her. Honestly, the woman could have been a little more grateful, actually.) But I couldn't let that poor little girl be darting in an out of traffic and not do anything about it. Goodness she was a sweetheart. I wish I could describe how she was sitting in my lap and loving being petted.
See, that's why you should always keep cookies and a leash in your car.
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