Here’s the story:
My co-worker “Vicky” (her real name) found a dog in her backyard a week ago Tuesday. It’s a black and white male cocker spaniel, and she said it played nicely with her two big dogs and three little boys. When it was time for her dogs and boys to come in the house, the cocker followed them. It was good around the cats, didn’t bark, and was very cuddly and affectionate. It spent the night in their house and didn’t have any “accidents.” She made it sound like the world’s most wonderful doggy.
Vicky called the Humane Society and the Cocker Rescue, and checked the lost and found ads. No one had reported a missing cocker matching its description. The dog had no collar and looked like it had been on its own for a while (she said it looked thin and it’s fur was matted). So Wednesday she asked me if I’d be interested. My husband and I have discussed getting a second dog to be a companion to our dog Jimmy, but for every “pro” we could think of, we could think of a “con,” too (for example, our local Humane Society charges $80 to adopt a dog, niether of us want to get a puppy and go through teething and potty training again, etc.). So I said, sure, we’d come take a look at it at least.
However, Wednesday evening, before we went to Vicky’s house, she called me to let me know that her boys had accidentally left the cocker outside unattended and her rotten neighbor had picked it up and claimed it as her own. Vicky said the neighbor had even called the H.S. to claim that Vicky and her husband had stolen it (from who, I don’t know). Vicky said she called the H.S. and the police, but since she didn’t own the dog originally, they didn’t have any more claim to it than the neighbor did. I guess possession is 9 tenths of the law, and the neighbors now possess the dog.
But I had my heart set on seeing and falling in love with this dog. The neighbors put a “Lost Dog” flyer up at the local grocery story Wednesday night and told Vicky that if no one answered in a week, they’d give the dog back to her. It has been a week today, but Vicky’s husband is doubtful the neighbors will keep their word (they haven’t proven themselves to be particularly trustworthy).
So Mr. Gr8Kat and I have been trying to come up with harebrained “Lucy and Ethel” schemes for stealing this dog back from the neighbors. The most obvious one is to call the number on the flyer and proclaim, “That’s my Muffin!” or something (Mr. Vicky said the dog answered to whatever they called it; he liked “Joe,” but I’m found of “Muffin”). It’s probably the easiest and most likely to work, but I was wondering what plots, advice, or suggestions the TM might be able to offer.
(I’m trying to tell myself to forget about it, there are other nice dogs out there, but it’s still fun to scheme.)
A little more violent than something Lucy and Ethel would have done, but it’s gratifying.