Saturday, August 20, 2016

For Love of Horse and Dog

I remember vividly the day that my aunt went tearing out of the house into the rain to chase after her horse.
My prim and proper aunt, never a hair out of place, came back soaked to the gills
but she came back with her horse. 


 What you would do in order to rescue your animal?



I meant to tell you this story ages ago, but I never got around to it. 
I have pictures because I was cataloguing the moment for a blog post that never came. 
  We were out at the lake. 

Lake Bob Sandlin, Drought 2013

The lake was very low that summer, as we were in the throws of one of the worst droughts. 



Dixie doesn't love jumping into the lake but she will walk into the water. 
She did it quite frequently during the summer of 2013. 

Lake Bob Sandlin, Drought 2013

Normally, the Sea Doos are on the lift but essentially every boat house on our side of the lake was dry docked. 

Drought, Bob Sandlin, Sept. 2013

Each time we were done with the water craft they had to be driven around the to boat ramp. 


One person had to push the craft into deeper water before it could be started. 
You can see Dixie in the water. 
She really hates these machines. 
I was on the shore in my clothes ready for the trip home. 
Bill jumped onto the other Sea Doo and they took off. 
I'm not sure why I was alone at this point, except that someone had to meet them at the ramp. 
I think it took a while to get one of them started but when they were both running, Dixie wouldn't come out of the water and she swam after them. 
 
Lake Bob Sandlin, Drought 2013

 I yelled and yelled and she continued to swim farther and farther away from me. 
    I dropped my camera and ran down the shore calling to her. 
She just would not give up and come to me.
Occasionally, she looked like she would swim toward me but then she would head into deeper and deeper water.  
 I debated going back up and around to get a life vest but I was worried that she would get farther away in the meantime. 
 I knew it wasn't wise but I waded into the water and swam after her. 
 
Stumps, Drought, Bob Sandlin, Sept. 2013

There was a stump near by where I was able to reach out and grab her collar. 
I yanked her and myself to the stump to rest for a minute before I heaved her toward the shore. 
Once she was headed in that direction she was okay and she abandoned the quest to follow the evil, water devils.


The whole time I knew that it was dangerous.
 I knew that I was potentially at risk by swimming after a 50 pound dog without a life vest but I just could not stand on the shore and watch her struggle to keep swimming. 


Dixie is our "empty nest" dog. 


She makes me crazy sometimes. 

She is our constant companion. 
I talk to her when I leave the house. 
"Okay, Momma has to go bye-bye but I'll be back soon." 
She gets a "cookie" each time I leave the house. 

 I could not let anything happen to this dog. 



I got back to the house, soaking wet and crying.  
I was furious with her and scared for what might have transpired but I kept asking myself, 
"What would Aunt Susan do?"
She would have jumped into the lake after the dog. 
Katie 

Linking With,
Peeking Through The Sunflowers

15 comments :

  1. That was brave of you! You must have been scared... Sweet Dixie is lucky to have a owner like you♥

    summerdaisycottage.blogspot.com

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  2. What lovely pictures and story Katie.

    Hugs diane

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  3. Sweet Dixie is lucky to have you as her mom. I would have done the same thing. That motherly instinct just kicked in for you that day. You would do anything to save your sweet pup. Glad you were both ok. LOL I say goodbye to Cooper our dog just like you do and then give him a cookie too! Gotta love these little lugs of love. Have a great new week ahead.
    Kris

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  4. What two wonderful stories!

    God's blessings on you and little Dixie.

    Love & hugs ~ FlowerLady

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  5. I can't swim, even though we live on a lake, so i wouldn't have been swimming after my dog. :( We had a black lab that would follow my husband & son out when they went fishing. We always had to pen her up because she'd jump in the lake to 'fetch' their lures when they cast. She jumped in the lake for everything ^ anything!

    My empty nest dog is a little Morkie & she doesn't like the lake. She sticks close to me pretty much where ever we are, except for when she sees the foxes run through the yard.If she's outside she goes off after them. She thinks she's a big German shepherd then instead of a little 10 pound pup.

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  6. We don't have a dog...but love our son's dogs...they are almost as big as I am and we live no where near a lake. However, we do have a pool right outside our door and the dogs don't go in it...unless they fall in...in that case, they just swim to the steps and get out..one is a big brown Lab and the other is a beautiful Great Dane...and both are able to swim...just don't like the pool...maybe the chemicals??

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  7. Oh my goodness, you are brave and I don't think I could have done what you did. That is awesome. Thank you for sharing your sweet story at Dishing it and Digging it link party. We love having you.

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  8. She is just precious! I can see why you went after her. I would have done the same thing for my dog but then I probably would have been upset after it was all over too. Our pets really become members of our families, don't they? Glad you were both okay!
    Shelley

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  9. An amazing story! I felt your fear, your anxiety as you watched Dixie swim farther away. And your relief when you caught her. You're a great story teller!

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  10. Dogs often do the worst thing out of fear. I do hear they make doggie life-vests. I'd never trust my dog in a big body of water on her own. She needs a leash just to go outside. My dog before her had more sense and he had more freedom.

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  11. I'm so glad you had a happy ending! Our poor dog's back legs are not working very well these days because of disk disease. We take him to a dog chiropractor! Anyway, swimming is considered therapy for him now. He loves it when someone goes in the pool with him because he can move around much better than on land.

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  12. Thanks for the happy ending story Katie. I needed one on this blue Monday.

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  13. OMG, I would have done the same thing. Waldo and Lili are my babies. I always tell them mama will be back going to the store, etc. and they are waiting at the gate for me to come in. I always give them baby carrots - they love them.

    I am so happy that this had a happy ending. Give Dixie a hug from us.

    Mary, Waldo and Lili

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  14. They are like family and we'd do anything for them!
    Thanks so much for sharing at AMAZE ME MONDAY!
    Blessings,
    Cindy

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