A Fellow Dog Walker – Gone to Blue

Well, this happened.

Found a fellow dog-walker sitting in his car, gone to blue. I felt something was wrong the first time I passed his car. His bike was out and so was his dog, not completely unusual but it was morning and George was more an afternoon walker. Since his dog was loose I made a wide swing around him with my dogs and continued on my way, feeling all the while that something wasn’t right.

When I got the doggos back to my car, I drove over and saw him slumped over in the drivers seat. I honked the horn several times. Nothing. It was then I noticed his bike was heaped high with snow, snow that had fallen over night. He had been there that long so I knew horn honking wasn’t going to wake him up. His dog was guarding the car so I drove a ways off and called a friend.

We approached the car cautiously. His dog wary but not hostile. Once we got close enough it was kind of obvious George was gone. We knew if the cops came they would shoot the dog so we spent several minutes coaxing her near enough to put a leash on her. Not like George would mind the extra few minutes and I know he’d appreciate our effort to protect her.

She’s in the backyard right now. scared. confused but safe. I hope I can find her a good home, she’s a sweet baby and smart as a whip.

From my understanding, every dog George had over the years was a rescue, many found in the very park he spent so much of his time. In the early teens when I had my rottie Lugs, he rescued a rottie and named it Bear. Lugs and Bear did NOT like each other. If George drove by while I was walking with Lugs, Lugs would charge his car. When the roles were reversed, Bear would charge my car. For a year after Lugs crossed the rainbow bridge, Bear would continue to chase my car when I drove by.

I ran into George on the trail not long after Bear followed Lugs over that bridge. We talked a bit, dog talk mostly. What I remember about that talk was that near the end we suddenly said the same thing at the same time. “I love those rotties”.

They are a special kind of dog, the rottweiler. I miss Lugs every single day just as I know George missed Bear.

Go to the light, George, find the rainbow bridge. I’m sure Bear is there waiting for you along with a whole host of doggos you rescued, wagging their tails, ready for a good belly rub. And don’t worry about Girly, I’ve got it covered.