So this evening, three unfamiliar dogs showed up in my yard and asked to be let into my house. I was in the middle of assembling some Ikea, but I grabbed some slip leashes that had stowed away in my work scrubs and had my boyfriend help while dad went door to door.
The first dog was really friendly and let me lasso him no problem. Worn-down tags had his county number, but Animal Control office had closed for the night and none of the rest were completely legible.
The second dog was tempted over by a peanut butter sandwich that I had microwaved for optimal good smells. His collar had no tags.
The third, smallest dog continued to dodge, weave, and bark at my approach. We loaded the other two into the back of my car and he followed them in.
My boyfriend and I drove them to the vet I work at, having called ahead to tell them because it was closing time.
Microchip in the first dog, confirmed with tag number match, gave an address and phone number. Receptionists got ahold of her, confirmed that all three were hers, and we loaded them back in my car and took them home.
Turns out, the owner’s got some construction on her house, and the workers had for whatever reason found the old, sagging gate way in the back of the yard (pretty common in my neighborhood, pretty much a thick chunk of fencing on wrought iron hinges) and left the damn thing open. The dogs were let out in the yard less than an hour before we got them all home.
And now, I’ve got a check for $40 made out to my work as a thank-you.