Snovali Creations - Mackie's Story

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Mackie's Story

Here's Mackie's shaggy dog story...
(or the Tale of the Dog That Ran...)

Mackie managed to get out of our 4 foot high 45' x 45' dog yard on Wednesday, January 9, 2008, around 11:30am... (he had only been here for a day before he got out) He did this while the other dogs either were watching or they ignored him because the other 8 dogs that were out there stayed in the pen. We are on 24th St (rural dirt road) near 142nd. He was sighted Weds evening near 30th & 144th. During the daylight hours of Weds & Thurs we were plastering the area with flyers with his photo and our number on it (we distributed around 400 flyers in 2 days). We received a call this morning (Friday) saying he was sighted last night at dusk around 27th & 146th. So this afternoon (I had a meeting I needed to attend in the AM unfortunately) we went out and re-plastered the area where he was last sighted. (just for reference, there is approximately 1/2 mile between each numbered street. 142-146 are East-West and 24-30 are North-South)

While we were distributing flyers this afternoon, we saw a car drive into their driveway and the people went into their house with the car still running. We pulled in behind them and Mom went up to talk to them and give them a flyer. Well, they said that they had JUST seen him not more than 10 minutes before and they led us (with their car) to where they had seen him. We drove into a driveway of an old farm that appeared to be abandoned and we started to call for him and we finally SAW HIM for ourselves out behind the property on a dirt track that is intended to get to one of the oil pumping rigs that are very prevalent in the area. We called to him and I started to follow him. I got within about 50-75 yards of him and called him and he stopped, looked at me, and ran the other way. (the little brat) I walked about 1/4 mile in what can only be described as "mud pudding" before Mom called me and told me that he was too far ahead and I would never catch him.

After that, we continued searching in the direction he was going, stopped a couple more people and gave them flyers, one of which said they thought they heard him barking across the road from them (where we saw him) the night before. A little ways down we drove into a dairy farm, all the way to the back of one of the barns where we saw a man loading feed into a feeder for the cattle. I walked through more mud pudding, this batch flavored by manure, and gave him a flyer and he said he had JUST SEEN HIM a couple minutes before going around the barn and down a gravel driveway towards the road. We immediately went back and started looking down the road very slowly and then eventually we got to a point that we figured we had gone too far and turned around. The guy that was loading feed had gotten on his 4-wheel ATV and was actively trying to help us search... We saw him coming toward the road and as he came up he said that he was going to go investigate another farm across the road but that we might want to drive in the driveway of this other house who has dogs in the back.

We pulled in the driveway of the house he pointed out, all the way to the garage. Mom calls out "THERE HE IS! and I think he is INSIDE the FENCE!!!" and proceeded to point him out to me... Turns out this was one of the VERY FEW houses that actually has a fenced yard for their dogs. The gate had been left open since the dogs were confined to their kennels behind their second (detached) garage. I took Alex (our resident bitch in blooming heat) and a leash and collar and went into the enclosure to try to catch him. Mom followed and latched the gate behind me and guarded it. At first, Mackie tried to escape out the opposite corner of the fence but he couldn't. I think he must have gotten a whiff of my girl Alex because he stopped trying to escape and came to check her out. I slowly started working my way towards him but he noticed and ran off again. Not quite as far this time though. I just squatted there petting Alex (mind you, it is starting to sleet out by this time) and Mackie puts his head down and slowly walks up behind me on the opposite side from Alex. I just start to pet him and after a few seconds of that, I grab his fur and then slip a collar over his head. I could actually feel Mackie relax as I got the leash and collar on him.

Mackie jumped into the car like it was the greatest place in the world and promptly curled up and started to doze. He knew he was now safe. Mackie is muddy, matted, and full of BURRS but he appears to be unharmed and none the worse for wear. (I swear he picked up every burr within a 3 mile radius!)

Mackie will be getting some serious OBEDIENCE lessons in the coming weeks.
Watch for him to compete in RALLY later this year.

Mackie says thank you to all who remembered him in their prayers and offered his family support and advice.

Mackie also promises to NEVER do this to us again!!!
(believe me, we will be keeping him under a VERY close watch!)

BEFORE BRUSHING:

AFTER BRUSHING:

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