Dog gone

We went to see Liz Cheney speak at UB last night and I was going to write about that last night but then, when we were coming home, we saw two St. Bernards out for a stroll without supervision.

Beth let me out and continued home while I walked after them. Both dogs stopped half a block away and came to me. Given that a St. Bernard killed a woman in Lewiston this week, I was nervous but the boys were stinky, affectionate and happy to see me.

They looked like siblings but one kept mounting his brother. Both seemed unfixed. One had a collar. Neither had tags

A woman taking a walk at night followed me to the animals. Then a passing SUV stopped. A second car came. I called 911 and they said they would send someone. Then a neighbor showed up with his daughter.

I was skeptical because Niagara Falls police are notoriously understaffed when it comes to dog control. I’ve heard way too many stories of dogs left loose and people calling to be told “take the dog into your home” or “leave it where you found it.”

Our experience with Gord has been different. He’s run a few times. One incident, about 4 years ago, a Niagara Falls cop saw him running and almost hit him.

The cop came on our porch as soon as he saw me leaving, expressed concern and said “I’m not supposed to do this, but call me when you find him.” Then he gave me his mobile number.

That’s an officer that loves dogs, not a problem. The dog control issue is an administrative one unrelated to the rank and file animal lovers patrolling our city.

As we stood on the street, waiting for cops who would never come, 10 people bonded and the dogs hung out. The neighbors went for water. Someone else, called by a friend, showed up with dog treats.

Suddenly 30 minutes passed. I contemplated leading the beasts to our fenced yard but they would torment Gord.

Finally, we heard a man calling in the distance. He might have been saying Cooper. I never worked it out. 

A boy was on an e-bike looking for the dogs. The neighbor and I walked to where the man was calling. The boy came to the dogs. The man followed. An SUV pulled up with a woman driving. The animals hopped in.

I walked back home with the dude who had been looking for the lost dogs. His major concern was, given what happened in Lewiston, people would panic because of the dog breed and he wanted his dogs back.

I still don’t know if those dogs were licensed or not but hey, at least they were fed and they seemed healthy and happy. I am glad to live in a neighborhood where 10 people gather for 30 minutes of fellowship around two dogs galavanting with a random sense of mischief. It was way more interesting than Cheney.