See Spot Run: A True Story
By Patrick Ahern
Spot was a good dog, but not too smart when she gets away from home. One day she ran out into the road. Jane was driving her pickup, and the next thing you know, Spot was underneath the truck, howling and crying. To pay Jane back for hitting her, Spot jammed her head into the space between the gas tank and the rear axle, just to make Jane feel real bad. Then Spot realized she couldn't get her head out of there.
Jimmy was driving by from the other direction and stopped to see what happened. Jimmy likes dogs, so he tried to help He crawled under the truck and saw Spot's head twisted one way and her body the other. "Yikes" says Jimmy. Then Suzie drives up, and Danny comes out of his house. They heard Spot's cries. Then some other folks arrived. It was a neighborhood gathering, but without the food.
Jimmy said, "We need a jack". Tommy brought one, but it didn't help. No one said "dumb idea" except Jimmy. Jimmy said "call 911". He was thinking "jaws of life". No one said "dumb idea", but Jimmy thinks he heard a chuckle. Jane said "Well, they rescue cats from trees!," so she called 911. She should have told them there was a cat stuck in a tree, not that there was a dog stuck between the gas tank and the rear axle, but they were very polite anyway. Jane said she'd call them back once she found a cat. There were plenty of trees around.
Jimmy was running out of dumb ideas. He had Spot's blood running down his arm. He was scared that Spot would twist hard and break her neck. Suzie said she thought Spot was going to lose her left eye. Jimmy kept saying "good boy" and scratching her ears to keep her calm. She wasn't offended that Jimmy couldn't tell the difference between boys and girls.
Then Jimmy remembered some dirty jokes he had heard, and that if something was in a tight spot, you needed to grease it up a little. He asked someone to get some oil. Danny ran back into his house to get some. He grabbed a bottle of virgin olive oil, and a bottle of canola oil, deciding which one would be best. Jane was with him, and suggested that since they weren't cooking pasta, the cheaper one would do.
Suzie pours the oil over one side of Spot's head. Jimmy tries to pour it over the other side, but can't get the bottle high enough. Suzie reaches around the axel and pours it on the other side, and all over Jimmy's arm. Jimmy would have preferred the olive oil, since he likes pasta. Jimmy then gives Spot's head a little tug, and she pops out. She staggers out from under the truck and over to Mary's car. Mary is her owner, and takes her to Doctor
Vern, the vet. Dr. Vern said she would be ok, and he didn't need to do anything major, except take Mary's next rent payment.
Spot is doing great, and will be bringing Danny a bottle of really cheap cooking oil next week. And they all lived happily ever after!
For another perspective on this true “tail,” see How Friends and Neighbors Helped Save a Dog in the Skyline Ridge Runner, Jan. 2015.
By Patrick Ahern
Spot was a good dog, but not too smart when she gets away from home. One day she ran out into the road. Jane was driving her pickup, and the next thing you know, Spot was underneath the truck, howling and crying. To pay Jane back for hitting her, Spot jammed her head into the space between the gas tank and the rear axle, just to make Jane feel real bad. Then Spot realized she couldn't get her head out of there.
Jimmy was driving by from the other direction and stopped to see what happened. Jimmy likes dogs, so he tried to help He crawled under the truck and saw Spot's head twisted one way and her body the other. "Yikes" says Jimmy. Then Suzie drives up, and Danny comes out of his house. They heard Spot's cries. Then some other folks arrived. It was a neighborhood gathering, but without the food.
Jimmy said, "We need a jack". Tommy brought one, but it didn't help. No one said "dumb idea" except Jimmy. Jimmy said "call 911". He was thinking "jaws of life". No one said "dumb idea", but Jimmy thinks he heard a chuckle. Jane said "Well, they rescue cats from trees!," so she called 911. She should have told them there was a cat stuck in a tree, not that there was a dog stuck between the gas tank and the rear axle, but they were very polite anyway. Jane said she'd call them back once she found a cat. There were plenty of trees around.
Jimmy was running out of dumb ideas. He had Spot's blood running down his arm. He was scared that Spot would twist hard and break her neck. Suzie said she thought Spot was going to lose her left eye. Jimmy kept saying "good boy" and scratching her ears to keep her calm. She wasn't offended that Jimmy couldn't tell the difference between boys and girls.
Then Jimmy remembered some dirty jokes he had heard, and that if something was in a tight spot, you needed to grease it up a little. He asked someone to get some oil. Danny ran back into his house to get some. He grabbed a bottle of virgin olive oil, and a bottle of canola oil, deciding which one would be best. Jane was with him, and suggested that since they weren't cooking pasta, the cheaper one would do.
Suzie pours the oil over one side of Spot's head. Jimmy tries to pour it over the other side, but can't get the bottle high enough. Suzie reaches around the axel and pours it on the other side, and all over Jimmy's arm. Jimmy would have preferred the olive oil, since he likes pasta. Jimmy then gives Spot's head a little tug, and she pops out. She staggers out from under the truck and over to Mary's car. Mary is her owner, and takes her to Doctor
Vern, the vet. Dr. Vern said she would be ok, and he didn't need to do anything major, except take Mary's next rent payment.
Spot is doing great, and will be bringing Danny a bottle of really cheap cooking oil next week. And they all lived happily ever after!
For another perspective on this true “tail,” see How Friends and Neighbors Helped Save a Dog in the Skyline Ridge Runner, Jan. 2015.
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