One Day, Two Happy Endings

The baby mouse, I freed from a horrible sticky trap (using cooking oil) on Friday evening; kept in a large plastic tote overnight with some water to drink, a bit of cut-up cheese and grape, and a couple of socks for bedding; then transferred to an oats container, drove to Belle Isle and released. I pray that the rest of your life is full of joy, little one.

As I arrived home, I saw a Yorkshire Terrier evading three people. I carefully parked in my usual spot on the street, as the dog sprinted near the front, side, then back of my car. As the dog ran close to one of the bystanders, they grabbed him but let go upon getting bitten by him. I grabbed a pair of work gloves I keep in my car and went over to see if I could help. The person who'd been bitten and one other of the three then started walking away down the street. The other person was on the phone. The dog was getting dangerously close to busy, six-lane Gratiot Rd. A little distance from him, I crouched down and called him to me, and he came over and let me pick him up! I hadn't even put the gloves on but he didn't bite me.

Since the people were mistaken about who in the neighborhood the dog belonged to, I spent the next few hours taking care of him (including giving food, water and a shower), posting him on Nextdoor, and contacting a no-kill rescue, Rebel Dogs Detroit, who were willing to take him the next day (Sunday) and scan him for a microchip. He had a collar on, but no info tag. I had a couple slip leads (that I keep in my car for just such a situation), so I connected them together, tied them to his collar and took him for a walk. It was again divine timing, as after a few blocks and one left turn, his owner showed up in a truck. He had escaped around 3 that morning. I verified through pictures on her phone that she was indeed the owner and handed off the little man, named Max, to his mama.

It was a wonderful, sunny Saturday!