Recounting the moment
I will never forget.
A phone call at 0023. Bonnie was spotted behind Rays Grocery on Michigan St. The caller went around front to the Laundromat in the shopping center at Hwy 101 and 42S to find our flier. The witness said Bonnie was headed north. Thank you! Hung up.
Gasp. Was Bonnie trying to get home?! I’ll go spot. Kristin stayed to hold the fort, door open, deck lights on.
I fumbled for my glasses and stomped into some shoes. Quick! Open the gate, get in the pickup. I backed out to the road in “Lil’ Black & Blue” headed south on N. Ohio street. Hope only a litter glimmer that I’d see her in my high beams.
Slowly, 15mph? I idled south past a couple of small hills and some curves. I saw her eyes first. Slowing further I kept moving forward.
Bonnie showed in the headlights 250 yards ahead. Headed right for me. I stop. Open my door & call her. She turns around a couple of times – almost ready to run, maybe? Then she stopped in full right profile center of the road. I’m praying that nobody else is out driving after midnight. Almost instantly, snap! There was another car, briefly. Headlights south of her but they turned into the avenues near the fitness center. Bonnie remained frozen.
I call several times, laboring to keep my voice even, happy and inviting. I know from outside advice and other’s experience, that pursuing her is futile. So … it’s all about her making choices on her own.
I realize I need to move my beams off of her… so I lazy-like – no threat here – get back in the truck and slowly roll forward 25 yards. Then point the Tacoma down hill onto a side street. I’m quartered away from her now to the right side of the road. Popped on the cabin light and stepped out into the street in the side light. I hope that now she can see me.
I call, encourage and clap gently, she begins her three-legged bump bump. She’s coming my way, unusually slow, but steady. As she gets closer I can see an unfamiliar gait – hind quarters twisting a bit. The wait is killing me. And I really, REALLY hope nobody comes driving along…
Eventually she’s at my feet. Was it a couple, three minutes? Forever.
She cautiously approached, closer to me – turned about to face the same direction I was looking and leaned against my leg. Obviously exhausted. I rubbed her neck and grasped her collar after a few moments of pets and pats.
Bending to her, all I could do was hold her head in my hands and cry. Several times her snout came up to my face and I say ‘good girl. It’s okay now.’
Holding her collar firmly but with no pressure, we move the few steps to the door of the truck. She scenting, head up assessing… ‘Do you wanna go?!’ She looks at me. Always the signal… “Load up.”
Up and into the cab she labored. I cringed knowing she was badly hurt, frightened and very tired. But I wasn’t confident she’d let me pick her up. So I let her negotiate the leap.
She curled up in the passenger seat. Treats were in the door pocket. The bag crackled dragging them free of the clutter. She was immediately interested. But her ears didn’t come up like usual. She took them from me carefully, not greedy. Chewing happily she put her head in my lap.
Door closed, I doused the cabin light and pulled gently forward, scouting a way up ahead to turn about. I tried to ignore knowing she was wounded… I would look once home.
omg.
To the Veterinarian in the morning!!!
For the discerning reader, Kristin remained at home – the greatest probability was that I would not see Bonnie, but that if she was headed home? Someone needed to be there for her.
Overnight
By 0100 we’re cat-napping in the living room with Bonnie. She was too wrung out to get on the couch. We begin to realize how incredibly blessed we are.
She stirs every hour or so to preen the gaping hole where a shooter flayed her butt.
In another (private) thread I’ve shared the entrance and exit trajectory information (below) with others, whom I’d assign the qualification ‘expert.’ The details are according to the medical report of our Veterinarian. The consensus emerged that the wounding likely took place as the result of a warning shot ricochet.
It’s up to the reader to assess the character of a person shooting at a stray dog in the teeth of a violent wind and rain storm.
That encounter took place in the vicinity of North Avenue and Fourth or Fifth street. VICINITY. Fact. Eyewitnesses saw her emerge from the woods, freshly wounded in crisis – panicked full flight – just after 4PM near there. We have multiple witness reports that she crash-collapsed (blacked out?) into a pond of water in front of $General. She got up and fled away. She’d only been missing from our place for 15 minutes? at that point.
Next Morning
At 0700 our Vet(!!) Dr. Kelliann Hitner, Bandon Veterinary Hospital, called to say she’d caught Bonnie on her security camera…
I told Dr. H that we had just found Bonnie. Could we bring her in? We were asked to arrive for treatment first thing.
True story, you can’t make this stuff up. We were just dying, holding our breath – waiting to call the clinic! So, naturally …she called us?! Wow..
Oh, and also it’s their usual morning to be prepared for surgeries. No kidding.
Where
The route home began by coming out of the area she was last seen and recently (day before) scented by a tracking dog. That was Michigan and Third St. It’s apparent (at least to us) she was headed home.
Interesting to me is that we aired a box of Bonnie’s belongings in the driveway of a neighbors home for an hour Monday. It was warm and calm. I was hoping the scent would help her find her way back into familiar geography.
Bonnie’s route home from BVH.
Special Thanks to:
In reverse chronology:
Jolene for calling us early Tuesday morning to report Bonnie’s movements. The $500 is yours to share our joy.
Mayor Mary for the detailed inclusion of our trauma in her newsletter, “As I See It.” published Monday March 24.
Annavey and Em – Their tracking dog “Ghost” was a blessing Sunday night. After four inches of rain to rinse all scent away we availed ourselves of their offer to explore. We learned very quickly that Bonnie was still moving around, not deceased. It propelled us to wait for her… per the next person we need to thank. Babs.
For Babs Fry. (https://www.awayhomefordogs.com/) who shared her wisdom “DO NOT APPROACH! CALL!!” with us Saturday evening. We posted signs on Sunday morning with the message. She forcefully conveyed the concept that “It’s up to her” which greatly tempered my behavior when Bonnie and I found each other on Ohio Ave.
To the Bandon police officers who took our report and later spoke to us …
For everyone who searched Thursday & Friday… Gina, et al. Ruth. Jennifer. Susie. Jeff… If I left you out, it’s not intentional…
For Craig (another GSP nut like us) who tried so hard Wednesday in that awful storm to collect Bonnie… and all those other well-meaning folk who stopped and tried to help!
For every social media friend, neighbor and group for spreading awareness… I hope this present sense of community endures.
Please Pardon us
If we haven’t been in touch enough? Or distracted? Or nutty? Please forgive us in our dismay.
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