Jess the wonder whippet

[Hedge]

Hi,

you may have heard about my Whippet cross dog Jess in my previous posts. Well, at the moment we are having our windows and doors replaced and for my own peace of mind and my workmen's ear drums sake, I arranged to put Jess into the local kennels on a day visit basis. This went fine on Monday and Tuesday, but yesterday she appeared at the front door by herself - no lead attached, just in her collar. The man working outside looked around for me or my son to see if we had gone to fetch her, when he realised she was alone, he got Simon to come to the door. At that moment I came in from the rear garden and was amazed to see her and said so!

She had obviously been running, she was thirsty and panting slightly. We rapidly concluded that she had run away.I phoned the kennels and only got the answer machine and left a terse message asking for an explanation.

Twenty minutes later one of the workers at the kennels turned up asking if Jess had turned up. Apparently she had leapt in the air in a seven foot high run onto the cattery roof adjoining it, and jumped down the other side and run all the way home. He had chased her but couldn't get near her and gone back for his car.

The owner of the kennels came up after evening meal and apologised in person, visibly concerned for Jess's well being.

I am not sure she had considered all the implications of an escaping dog. Once you start to think about what could have happened, it doesn't bear thinking about. She was too early to have been caught up in the school run traffic, and we live in a quiet village. But what if we'd been away, and she hadn't known her way home, or caused a fatal accident? As it is we are only a mile and a half away.

I knew she could jump, but not that high! They said she had been in that run before, which makes me think there must have been a squirrel or local cat on the cattery roof.

Meanwhile, we are just relieved to know that she loves us enough to come straight home!

[Cewal]

I'm glad Jess made it home safely. She sounds like an amazing dog.

[Triffid]

Glad to hear Jess is all right, you so right about how it could have been worse.

I feel slightly (but only a little) sorry for the Kennel owners. I bet they had had their hearts in their mouths. Just goes to prove you should underestimate the Houdini qualities of dogs.

Give Jess lots of love from us, she sounds extra special to me!
Perhaps you should get her a Superman cape

[Amanda L]

WOW!!! Definitely an amazing dog! There is no question that she loves her family! I agree with Triffid, she needs a superman cape!!

[PaphMadMan]

No cape! If it made her more aerodynamic you would never be able to keep her on the ground. Glad she's safe.

[LinhT]

Isn't she the one you rescued? She was underweight when you got her and you nursed her back to health, right? Or maybe that was somebody else's Whippet, on OB...don't quite remember.

Anyhow, your girl LOVES you! Looks like she's willing to jump 7 feet high and run all the way home to her person. That was a close call, though. Unfortunately, there are always risks when placing one's pet in a kennel service or doggy daycare, especially for those who are fast runners and high jumpers. Glad she found her way home to you and is safe.

[Hedge]

Originally Posted by PaphMadMan

No cape! If it made her more aerodynamic you would never be able to keep her on the ground. Glad she's safe.

Thanks, everyone, for your kind words. Jess is absolutely fine and apart from an insistence on sleeping on my bed during the day, has got on really well with the window fitters and it makes me wonder why I bothered with the day visits in the first place!

Yes, Tracey, she was a rescue dog,and did take some time getting back to her proper weight, but as you say she obviously loves me! We have had her for over four years now, and doesn't seem anything like that long.

Here she is with me when it snowed back in December (back to rain now boo hiss)

[Daethen]

Glad to hear she is ok. If she would like to play in the snow, we are getting ANOTHER 3 to 5 today.

[Hedge]

Jess would love to come and play in your snow! Oh, Jonada, I don't know how you cope!


Mind you at least yours doesn't keep thawing in between and making slush. There are still a few piles of extremely dirty ice where people piled it up to clear car parks etc. even though it's been above freezing for over a week and has rained. Back to a frosty start tomorrow - hurrah!!

[bnaz]

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