A Dogs Eye View - Corky and Fly in the Great Escape - article 9

A Dog’s Eye View – Corky Shares his County Animal Shelter Experience…and the story continues

The Tales of Corky and Fly – Article 9

Corky,  the rambunctious little Jack Russell Terrier who  loved  to chase a tennis ball all day long, lost his favorite tennis ball and was positive that the sneaky Australian Shepherd, Fly,  down the street must have stolen it.  Well, Corky went to get his tennis ball and got lost and ended up at Pinellas County Animal Services. The whole experience was kinda scary but also ended well.  The people at Pinellas County Animal Services got him to a safe place with catering and housekeeping while he waited for his owner to come find him.  It turned out to be a really good experience.

Each month the BLOG continues the story of Corky and Fly.

To read the 1st 6 articles of Corky and Fly’s experience with Animal Services see May 21, June 30, July 3, July 11, July 19, August 1, September 5  and September 18 blog.

Waiting for the sun to go down was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do.  I mean its round like a tennis ball and I’m a Jack Russell Terrier!  My name is Corky.

Fly, my best friend the Australian Shepherd, told our dog park gang to get muddy so that people would not see us at night as we went to free the trapped Pomeranian in an abandoned house.  Pinellas County Animal Services was trying to contact the bank to come open the house.  They could not just go kick in the door because something called the Constitution governed what they could do.  Well, we are dogs and WE have our own rules and we were going in to free Lucy the red Pomeranian!

When the sun finally went down, I went out through the doggie door and ran to my owner’s compost heap.  I rolled and dug in it to get nice and muddy.  I nosed open the gate and followed the moonlit sidewalk to the dog park or “Central Command” for “Operation Freedom.”  The whole gang was already muddy and already there.

I bounded up to Fly the Aussie and barked “I’m here!”

“Shhh Corky!” snapped Fly, “We don’t want our owners to know we are out!”

Fly stepped close to me and then quickly backpedaled “Jeeez Corky! What did you roll in?  You smell like a long dead grouper dipped in yogurt and wrapped in banana peels!”

               I grinned and said “I rolled in my owner’s compost heap where he recycles leftover food!  Why?

Fly chuckled “Now I know why Barry the Basset started to howl and went to the back of the dog park ten minutes ago.  He could smell you from your front yard!  You reek little brother.  You stay at the back of the group – downwind.  That dead fish we found on the beach when we met Bella smells like roses compared to you.”

I started to growl but Fly winked his one brown eye at me.  His blue eye glowed bright as he said “Everyone meet at the abandoned house.  Barry the Basset and Jack the Afgan Hound stand guard at each end of the yard.”

“I got you covered” said the Afghan grinning at his joke as we went to work.

We all arrived at the house and Fly went to the top of the porch so we could all hear him call out “Lucy!  Can you hear me?”

I heard a sigh of relief from inside the house as Lucy came to the window.  She panted “You came back for me!”

Fly grinned “OUR pack works together and you are a part of our pack.  Here’s the plan.  Balto the Husky will pull back a loose board from the fence and Rosco the Doxie will squeeze through and go in through the back doggie door and lead Lucy back out.”

“What about me, Fly?” I asked.

Fly wrinkled his nose and said “Just stay down wind and watch for loose tennis balls.”

“Got it” I said as I found a watching place.

Things were going great until Rosco came back and reported in “It’s no good.  There is a skunk at the back door and it won’t leave.”

“Corky come here” ordered Fly

I was excited and came running.  The gang parted for me since I am Fly’s right paw dog.

Fly frowned as he whispered to me “Corky, I know you think I’ve been stealing your tennis balls but I just found out that there is a skunk in the backyard who has been stealing them for years.  Rosco told me he saw the skunk with your red and yellow one.”

               “That’s my favorite one!” I bristled and growled.  “No one takes a Jack Russell Terriers ball.  NO ONE!”

I charged into the back yard with Rosco right behind me.  I ran toward the skunk who ran away into the night screaming something about the foul smelling mud monster.  I found out later that Fly and the others laughed so hard that most of them had accidents on the porch.  I never found my tennis ball though.

Rosco and I entered through the doggie door where a grateful Pomeranian approached and coyly said “My heroes!”

“Let’s get out quick before the skunk returns” I said.

“Oh..I, umm” stammered the Pomeranian.

“What?” I asked.

The Pomeranian blushed “I thought you were the skunk.”

Rosco howled in laughter “Wait till I tell the rest of the gang!”

We headed toward the doggie door but we saw two big shadows through it as a masked face poked in.  They were Raccoons!  They must have waited for the skunk to leave and then trapped us!

Raccoons, skunks, and bats are all possible carriers for a very dangerous virus called rabies.  Dogs, cats, and people who are not vaccinated for rabies and who are exposed to it almost always die!  This is why Pinellas County requires dogs and cats to have an inexpensive rabies vaccine regularly.  This could save your pets life!

The masked intruder spoke while liking its lips and drooling “We’ll let the smelly dog and the long dog go as long as you give us the Pomeranian.”

“No! You can go” I growled as we ran through the kitchen toward the front door which led to the porch.  I barked through the door to Fly “We’re trapped inside by a pair of raccoons!”

“Quick” barked Fly, “Stand on Rosco’s shoulders and grab the door handle so I can push the door open and let you out!”

Rosco protested “I don’t think so! Corky is filthy and smelly!”

Fly growled “So are you Rosco!”

I heard from behind me “What silly boys.”  When I turned around I saw Lucy, the red Pomeranian jump onto my shoulders and into the air.  A bright light stabbed though the nearby window and lit her up like the sun.  She bit down on the door handle and her momentum turned the latch.  The door opened and we were FREE!  Almost…..

The whole gang was on the porch facing the street.  The whole porch was illuminated by several Pinellas County Sherriff Deputy patrol car spot lights.  There was a Pinellas County Animal Control Officer truck pulling into the driveway.  The Animal Control Officer took off his cap to scratch his head.

A Sherriff Deputy yelled “I told you!”

The Animal Control Officer yelled back “I just couldn’t believe it.  I can’t fit all these dogs on my truck.  I need back up!”

When two other officers showed up, they just could not believe it when our whole gang had already separated ourselves into three groups and had lined up single file (with me at the back of course).  Lucy was safe at last and we all sang songs and laughed about the whole adventure as we rode back to Pinellas County Animal Services.

Coming up next……..Lucy needs a foster home.

Pinellas County Animal Services is located at 12450 Ulmerton Road in Largo. Normal hours of operation are Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., with the adoption center closing at 5:30 p.m. Saturday hours are 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and services include adoptions. Rabies vaccinations are administered on Thursdays from 1 to 4 p.m. The facility is closed all Pinellas County holidays.

For information on how to adopt, donate or volunteer, join Pinellas County Animal Services on Facebook. To learn more about the shelter, visit www.pinellascounty.org/animalservices, or call (727) 582-2600. The lost or found pets hotline is (727) 582-2604.

For more information about Pinellas County services and programs, visit www.pinellascounty.org, now with LiveChat, or create a shortcut to www.pinellascounty.org/mobile on any smartphone. Pinellas County government is on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Pinellas County complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act.