Easy As Falling Off A Bike pt 2430

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The Daily Dormouse.
(aka Bike, est. 2007)
Part 2430
by Angharad

Copyright© 2014 Angharad
All Rights Reserved.
  
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I returned and showered, got the bits of twig and stuff out of my hair—okay, someone’s dog was tangled up in some netting and going crazy. I could hardly leave it, could I? At the same time as I approached it, it snarled and barked at me waking Lizzie, who then began to wail—in my ear. It was like being jammed in front of a siren, not a pleasant place to be.

Taking Lizzie off me, I hung the papoose from a nearby tree and hoped that the dog wouldn’t kill me when I began to free him—assuming I could. I also hoped I placed Lizzie beyond the canine’s reach.

If you throw positive energy at something frightened or angry, it’s supposed to quieten them down, calming them. That was what Katy did next, only it didn’t seem to be helping, the dog was still yelping, barking and snarling at me enmeshing itself in the netting even more as it struggled—like some giant spider’s web.

The netting was a combination of wire and nylon and I could see the blood where the animal had struggled and torn itself against the wires. No wonder it was angry and frightened, I’d have been just the same and as a human I supposed to be capable of rational thought—that is using human rationale—greed, self interest, selfishness and so on. Okay, I know I’m preaching to the converted, we’re the good guys on the white charger, gaming armour and so forth—look I’m just playing for time, to think how to release this poor creature.

Swiss army knife—Biggles had his chewing gum and elastic band, Dr Who his sonic screwdriver—I have my SAK. Um—well I thought I did, except I didn’t. I checked my pockets—it wasn’t there. Oh poo and double poo. I took my belt off and took off the camera pouch, and my water bottle, my binoculars and another pouch. My multitool. Perhaps there is a cod after all, ’cos this dog is beginning to look as if it’s had its chips. It had succumbed to exhaustion or asphyxiation. It was panting like mad then it suddenly stopped.

Using the pliers I started cutting wires. There had to be one near its neck, but I couldn’t find it for the animal’s thick fur. I probed the throat of the lifeless beast with fingers that seemed unable to locate the means by which the creature had effectively garrotted itself. I found something thin and tough—it wasn’t wire, it was nylon cord and I couldn’t get my fingers under it so my knife blade wouldn’t go either. Oh poo, what now—if I didn’t get it off in the next minute or so, the dog would be dead or so brain damaged it might as well be dead—assuming I could start it breathing again.

With my eyes shut, I felt for the cord moving away from the throat—it was so damned tight it was like trying to trace wires in a wall. I found a looser part and slipped the knife under, pulled and the thing got tighter. It took a couple of goes to cut it. Nothing happened. Back to the throat, I discovered a second cord and tried to trace that. I cursed my fingers for being so useless. Why couldn’t they feel this thing, then I felt wet stuff, it was blood, the cord had cut into the skin of the dog I was going to have to do the same—it was taking too long to do it the kind way.

Hoping that nothing vital like blood vessels or nerves were in the way, I began picking at the nylon—it seemed to be taking hours, suddenly there was a release of tension and something parted and my knife slipped deeper. I pulled it back immediately—there seemed more blood about now. Oh well, like CPR, if you don’t do it your patient is dead already. The cord stripped away and I could feel a wound right round the dog’s neck where the string had cut into it. Now it was free except the animal wasn’t breathing. I cut some more cord and wires and placing the dog on its back, held its mouth shut and blew down its snout twice. Then hoping its heart was somewhere near where I was pushing, I began compressions.

Probably the blue light I was pouring into the poor animal helped, but you know me, belt and bracers kind of girl, so I zapped it with everything. In all the excitement I forgot about Lizzie and when I looked up at her she was laughing—something was amusing her. Small bubbles of blue energy were floating from the unconscious dog to her and she was trying to catch them. Back to my veterinary patient. I gave it a dozen more compressions sat back exhausted and one of its hindlegs kicked back and knocked me over. Scrambling back I could see it was now panting again—so something had worked.

A swig of water helped me recover a little so I dripped a little on the dog’s tongue. It swallowed, so some reflexes were working but I wasn’t going to look at its pupil response given the eyes are relatively close to two rows of large, sharp teeth. Even if it didn’t want to bite me, it might do so by reflex.

Talking to it seemed to calm it down, even though I was speaking a language it probably didn’t understand. I stood and the dog watched me as I walked round it. Another pull on my bottle cleared my mouth and throat. Then I remembered I just been kissing a dog’s snout and I was promptly sick, which required more water to clear the taste—I know, TMI.

I helped the unfortunate canine sit up, so it could breathe more easily. As I collected up my stuff and clipped it back on my belt, the dog struggled to stand and finally it staggered away without a word of thanks. Oh well that’s dogs for you...like some people I know. I finished the rest of my water washing canine gore off my hands though my clothing was quite marked.

By the time I’d replaced Lizzie on my back the dog was nowhere to be seen, I hoped it was able to find its way home. It would need some TLC for the next few days. Lizzie grumbled as I bent down to collect up all the rubbish that constrained the dog, I’d take it back with me and chuck it in the bin.

I’d finished my shower, dressed and was doing the vegetables for the casserole before I was discovered by the children who seemed pleased to see me. They’d had great fun playing in and around the pool and told me all about it as I made the dinner. Thus ended the first day of our holiday.

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Comments

Had the same sort of experience with horses.

My X's horse had been trying to wade through the stock fence and gotten his ankle wrapped up, but not cutting him yet. He was struggling but when he saw me, he calmed down, and let me get him loose. He was particularly obedient to me afterward.

My own horse, one trained for dressage, got herself stuck in the same fence, but did not have the sense to stop struggling. By the time I got to her, her hide was cut through all the way around her ankle. The vet said she was ruined for dressage, and I should put her down. On the other hand, should I want to, I could give her antibiotic shots, and soak her ankle in Epson Salts every night and every morning and she might heal and not be lame. She was a pretty horse, but crazy loco in keeping with the breed. Once she tried to buck me off over a gum wrapper. After that, when calm, she was obedient and seemed to like me as long as I had a treat for her.

Suspect this isn't the last we'll see

of the dog. Good to have local friends when you're traveling. Believe Cathy just made a very loyal one.

Good job, Cathy! Good karma

Good job, Cathy!

Good karma will accrue from this act.

Kris

{I leave a trail of Kudos as I browse the site. Be careful where you step!}

Good Samaritan.

Aaww! Poor dog.

Bet it turns up later. (Hope it turns up later - if only to express it's thanks.)

Still lovin' it Ang and thanks.

bev_1.jpg

A Lucy Van Pelt moment?

*BLEAH* Dog germs!

And you know what is the favorite part of the body they like to lick *turns green*

Plus dogs are not my favorite animals, especially when they start pooping in my front yard.

Some animals will stay

Some animals will stay around, almost forever, after you have helped them; others will take off and disappear as this dog did. I am wondering if Cathy just might be seeing the dog again if she has anything adverse and outside the norm, come down on her or the girls.

One thing

you could never level at Cathy is a lack of compassion, Faced with a dog who would surely have died without her intervention she acted above and beyond what many would consider necessary, I guess given her background we should not be surprised at her actions but in this day and age of ill treatment of animals its a good example of how to act...

Kirri

Rabies?

Podracer's picture

Something to consider in another country. I shall refrain from comment upon Cathy's perceived state of mind ;)

Robbie the grey gelding was tied to a fence as the ponies were fed, so they wouldn't argue over feed buckets. When dad looked round, he had disappeared! Never the brightest or most sensible beast, he had put his foot through the sheep wire, then jumped over it. He was upside down in the ditch, foreleg across his chest, and incapable of further movement apart from waving rear legs. I had to run and fetch tools to cut the wire, fortunately his cut leg healed cleanly after we led the dazed and wobbly lad from the hole.

"Reach for the sun."

Menorca

Angharad's picture

like most islands is rabies free.

Angharad

Ah, good.

Podracer's picture

(small sigh of relief)

"Reach for the sun."

I it's been a whioe

It's Been A While since I last let you know that I was still following the adventures of Cathy and her Crew.

I'm still here although I'm no longer on a Mac based devidence but now it's Android. Considering I started on a PC, that's quire a distance.

And so have you, my dear. It must be getting close to five years yo u very been doing this. Thank you so much!

Yours from the Great White North,

Jenny Grier (Mrs.)

I

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Yours from the Great White North,

Jenny Grier (Mrs.)