I know I assume the good in all - and I have been taken for it. I choose to not let these things sour me. I would much rather be nice and get stolen from than not be nice and still have something. Well here is my latest, "Why the F#$k would someone do that" moment. . .
On the way up to Michigan we were staying at a hotel in Goodlettsville, TN. I had a hard time finding a place that would allow dogs the size of Olive that weren't a fortune to stay at. We just need a place to sleep for the night so we could head back out at 6am the next day. We stayed at the Red Roof Inn here. It was what it was - three beds (so no one had to sleep with octopus Evie) - it wasn't too nasty - and it was in a safe area.
We had a room at the back of the building, the car was parked out side the door, and on the other side of a very small marking lot was a fenced in grass area with a couple of trees. Great for the dogs! There was a fence around it and it was pretty much right outside our door. The only way to get to this area was through the Red Roof Inn's driveway and from the back of the building - so I felt like it would be safe to take her out there at night since the only people there would be from the Red Roof Inn.
Unloading the car the dog was very underfoot. She had been in the car for 13 hours as well and she didn't understand why. She was nervous and trying to smell everything. So - when I started loading the car up in the morning to go I decided to tie her to the tree that was in the grassy area 20 feet from our door. I to that when I grocery shop - put her on her extendable leash and loop it around the tree - that way she can be outside with us (which she loves), but I don't have to worry about her jumping in the very nasty pond behind the house. This tree and grassy area was straight across from our door and car - and I was going in and out. She was latched with her leash - which she can't unlatch. My only real worry was if she would somehow slip out of her collar - but it was nice and tight so I didn't see that happening.
So there I was packing the van - coming in and out. Olive was watching me, all happy to be outside. She was out there for 10 minutes max - and I was coming in and out the entire time. Every time I went out I waved to her and she was fine - tied up to the tree.
It was at the point where the kids were to come out to the van. I told them Olive was tied up to the tree out front. The girls are very bonded with Olive - they just adore her. . . So we walked outside the door and pointed to the tree where Olive was tied up to so the girls could relax. . . . the tree was there. . . but Olive was not there. I thought maybe she was behind the tree or something - so I started calling her name and walked over there. . . she was not behind the tree. . . . I started to panic - had she somehow loosened her collar and slipped it off her head? As I got closer I could see her leash was there - coiled up in a circle like someone coiled it up. I had a quick thought that maybe she somehow broke the latch that connected it to her collar, but when I looked at the clasp it wasn't broken. Someone had went out there and unhooked her from the leash. . .
Now remember - the kids are with me at this time. The girls are in full on panic, SCREAMING and crying because their dog is gone. I start calling her name. We were back there for another 5 minutes yelling her name while the girls are hysterical. . . I was at the point where I didn't know if I should start knocking on every door or call the police. At this point Gabe said, "Why don't we check at the front office to see if maybe they unhooked her?" I didn't see how that could happen because we were a full building away from the office, and we were in the back of the second building, but I figured it was worth a try. We walked around our building the only way you could (there is that fence there remember. . . Fence all around the back of the building where we were, parking lot and the grassy area. The only way to get to the other buildings was to take the driveway to it. . . .
So - we used the only way you could leave the fenced area and were part way to the other building where the office was - girls screaming because their dog is gone when suddenly here comes Olive running from the area we just were to us. I have never been so happy to see a dog in my life! The only thing worse than having her be gone from that tree was knowing that at some point we were going to have to leave that hotel and continue our journey - and I know how heart broken the girls would have been if we would have had to pull out of that hotel without Olive.
We hugged her and kissed her and brought her back to the room. Sitting there shaking it hit me - if she had been OUTSIDE at all on our side of the building we would have seen her. There was no way to get to the other side a different way - we know - we took her for a walk the night before and the fence was all around the back of the building, yet when she finally came running to us she came from that closed off side of the building. She couldn't undo the latch of her leash. . . her collar wasn't broken. . . the leash was still attached to the tree yet the part that was extended out was coiled up like most people would coil up a leash. All the time at home I tie her to a tree in the front yard like this - and she has never gotten off before. In the two minute between my last trip to the van (when I saw her still laying next to the tree) and when the kids and I went out to the van and found her gone someone had to have gone out there, unhooked her and brought her into their room.
Why the hell would someone do that? It was 6:30am. . . it wasn't amazingly hot out. She was out there for 10 minutes total - and I was going in and out that entire 10 minutes. . . I could see if you saw a dog tied up there for hours. . . or if it was really hot. . . but it wasn't hot and it was 10 minutes!!! Someone was either purposely trying to take our dog or they just were angry when they saw the dog tied up out there that they decided to teach the owners a lesson and take her for a little bit. Just - what the f$%k! Who ever took her had to be on our side of the building - thus they HAD to hear how hysterical the girls were. They had to hear us calling for her. Olive had to hear us as well in what ever room they had her in. . . And as soon as we walked around the building they must have let her out.
I am so thankful we have her back. I thanked God for that, but why the hell would someone do that. . . .
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