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This is a story about a lost dog...
I'm in San Diego currently and yesterday I went for a walk down by the water. There's a trail of sorts that I know about that goes along the water and winds in through a neighborhood and then ends at this small local beach. This is along the bay, not the ocean.
So I'm in the neighborhood section, heading toward the beach and I come across a very large but very cute older Golden Retriever. The dog, however, is clearly distressed and clearly looking for his owner and about to get hit by a car. So I grab him and can see that he's fairly wet so he obviously just came up from the beach. So I take him and head toward the water, half expecting to see someone come chasing after him at any minute. Nope.
We get to the beach and there is nobody around. So we sit for a couple minutes and then I start calling phone numbers on his collar. There are three of them. Nobody answers. So I walk him down to the main part of the beach where people are, thinking somebody there will surely claim him. Nope. It takes me four or five minutes to get over to the main part, we're there for a few minutes, and then I walk him back. All together this is a good ten minute exercise.
I start calling the numbers again and this time the first one answers. The woman says the dog is there with her adult daughter, that she's the last number on the list, and to go look for her because, "she has to be around." Not, "Oh my god you found my dog!? I'll be right there to get him." Sigh
I call the last number again and no answer. So we grab a piece of sand and sit an wait. Five or six minutes go by and I see a couple way down the beach slowly walking towards us. It takes them a good five minutes or so to get close to me and they're stopping along the way, taking their time without a care in the world.
When they finally get close enough they see me with their dog and realize there is a problem. The conversation went like this.
Me: Is this your dog?
Them: Yes, is there a problem
Me: Yup. I found him wondering up in the neighborhood looking for you and he almost got hit by a car.
Them: Oh that's strange, he usually just swims.
Me: Wait...you left him alone in the water and walked off for 20 minutes?
Them: We weren't gone that long!
Me: Are you guys drunk or stoned?
Them: *silence*
Me: NO REALLY! ARE YOU DRUNK OR STONED!?
Them: No!
Me: ARE YOU STUPID!?
The Guy (puffing up his chest): DON'T TALK TO ME THAT WAY!
Me: Dogs are like kids. You never leave them alone and especially in the water. ANYTHING could have happened! He could have a medical emergency while swimming and need help. He could get hung up on something under the water that we can't see. Somebody could come along and take him. Or he could do exactly what this one just did and wonder up into the street and almost get hit by a car! What the hell is wrong with you people?
Them: *silence"
Me: You guys have no business owning a dog!
Is it me? I was just stunned. Would you ever just walk off and leave your dog in the water at a public beach for 20 minutes? I'm usually pretty cool about things but when it comes to animals and people being irresponsible with their dogs, I get pissed. I gave the dog back but I sure didn't want to. He was a cool dog. And he certainly deserves better owners.
I'm in San Diego currently and yesterday I went for a walk down by the water. There's a trail of sorts that I know about that goes along the water and winds in through a neighborhood and then ends at this small local beach. This is along the bay, not the ocean.
So I'm in the neighborhood section, heading toward the beach and I come across a very large but very cute older Golden Retriever. The dog, however, is clearly distressed and clearly looking for his owner and about to get hit by a car. So I grab him and can see that he's fairly wet so he obviously just came up from the beach. So I take him and head toward the water, half expecting to see someone come chasing after him at any minute. Nope.
We get to the beach and there is nobody around. So we sit for a couple minutes and then I start calling phone numbers on his collar. There are three of them. Nobody answers. So I walk him down to the main part of the beach where people are, thinking somebody there will surely claim him. Nope. It takes me four or five minutes to get over to the main part, we're there for a few minutes, and then I walk him back. All together this is a good ten minute exercise.
I start calling the numbers again and this time the first one answers. The woman says the dog is there with her adult daughter, that she's the last number on the list, and to go look for her because, "she has to be around." Not, "Oh my god you found my dog!? I'll be right there to get him." Sigh
I call the last number again and no answer. So we grab a piece of sand and sit an wait. Five or six minutes go by and I see a couple way down the beach slowly walking towards us. It takes them a good five minutes or so to get close to me and they're stopping along the way, taking their time without a care in the world.
When they finally get close enough they see me with their dog and realize there is a problem. The conversation went like this.
Me: Is this your dog?
Them: Yes, is there a problem
Me: Yup. I found him wondering up in the neighborhood looking for you and he almost got hit by a car.
Them: Oh that's strange, he usually just swims.
Me: Wait...you left him alone in the water and walked off for 20 minutes?
Them: We weren't gone that long!
Me: Are you guys drunk or stoned?
Them: *silence*
Me: NO REALLY! ARE YOU DRUNK OR STONED!?
Them: No!
Me: ARE YOU STUPID!?
The Guy (puffing up his chest): DON'T TALK TO ME THAT WAY!
Me: Dogs are like kids. You never leave them alone and especially in the water. ANYTHING could have happened! He could have a medical emergency while swimming and need help. He could get hung up on something under the water that we can't see. Somebody could come along and take him. Or he could do exactly what this one just did and wonder up into the street and almost get hit by a car! What the hell is wrong with you people?
Them: *silence"
Me: You guys have no business owning a dog!
Is it me? I was just stunned. Would you ever just walk off and leave your dog in the water at a public beach for 20 minutes? I'm usually pretty cool about things but when it comes to animals and people being irresponsible with their dogs, I get pissed. I gave the dog back but I sure didn't want to. He was a cool dog. And he certainly deserves better owners.
