Puppy Rescue

It was an exhausting day at school.  I don't know what got into the children, but I was so exhausted I didn't even want to work out...and lately, that's saying a lot.  I was drinking a Stella with a Tylenol chaser after walking Bear, dinner simmering, when my daddy called. 

Usually a call from Daddy means an invitation to dinner out.  Not this time.
 "What are you doing?" he asked. 
"Uh, nothing really." 
"Can you go help your mother?  I'm on my way home, but she's there with Beau and his head is stuck in the fence." 
Yikes! "Yeah, I'm out the door right now."

I ran out the door and into the car.  My parents only live about 5 minutes away. 

After tailgating an elderly gentleman in a blue pick up who clearly didn't know I had an emergency, I screeched  to a stop in my parents' driveway.

My dad said the dog was caught in the fence, so on my drive over I have been imagining the scenarios where I extract the little fella from the wooden privacy fence that surrounds the yard.  I wasn't quite prepared for what awaited me.

My mom sat on the couch holding the dog and the decorative, fleur de lis iron fence that they have around a flowerbed.  Beau was squirming and squealing a little...partly in distress, partly in joy to see a new person in the house. 

I flopped on the floor in front of the problem and immediately saw why my mom was so worried.  The fence is quite sturdy iron and in curls, several of which are now curling into Beau's neck. 

I looked up at my mom.  "I know it's cliche, but let's grease him down and see if we can slip him out."  She agreed on that plan and away I flew to get the cooking oil from the kitchen.

FYI, it IS as cliche as it sounds.  It will deliciously cook your food, but it will not extract a curious puppy from an iron prison. 

Ok, what to do?  What to do?  It didn't help that every time I looked at his pitiful little face, I started giggling.  It was serious, but very funny, in a way. 

I asked myself, "What would my friend Tim do?"  Tim is a man of action and has two mischievous dogs.  I decided that the only way to get him out was to bend one of the bars back.  Now I needed a tool to assist me in that endeavor. 

I flew out the back door and into the pool house where my parents have their plants for the winter, and Daddy keeps his tools.  The palm goosed me a little as I squeezed past and grabbed some pliers. 

I landed back in front of the puppy predicament and then had to decide what part of the fence to try to move.  I decided on the top piece and began pulling.  Beau wiggled and whimpered as I worked. 

It didn't take too long before I had pulled enough on the piece for him to just roll his giant puppy head right out.  He shook his floppy ears several times and Mom picked him up and hugged him. 

I took him to the kitchen sink and gave him a quick bath to get the oil off of his head.  He was a little indignant, but no longer oily. 

He seems no worse for the wear, and seems to actually enjoy the attention he received.  Mom and Dad are quite relieved.  Their little bundle of joy is safe to play another day.

So, I may not have made any great strides in education today, but I saved a puppy.  So there.