Lost Jaws
Posted on 11.09.09 to Personal, Pets by Joan
Jaws got lost over the weekend.
Clare was annoying Jaws on Saturday morning, by rough handling her and was tugging at her legs. I warned Clare many times not to do it lest she gets bitten. The kiddo ignored me (as a 3 going on 13-year-old would) and suffered the consequences when Jaws decided she had enough.
I told Clare that she totally deserved it and refused to pander to her hysterics. (It wasn’t a bad bite either, just a warning one.) And behind Clare’s back, I punished Jaws by smacking her once, so that she too knows that it’s not right to sink her teeth into anyone, particularly family.
Soon after, Jaws slipped out. When we realised she went missing, we searched the whole block and walked round the entire estate. We later put up posters at the lift lobbies.
This is not the first time Jaws left home. The strange thing though, she doesn’t have the inclination to run out each time the door opens because I usually leave the door open when I’m at home. It’s unpredictable behaviour and it really depends on her mood. The past 3-4 times that she’s walked out, we’ve caught her in the act, except for once when a neighbour found her and informed us he’s got her. What I find most bizarre about this latest incident is, Jaws has been very affectionate of late.
While she was gone, I went into this tirade about how I can’t stand the little dog for abandoning me and that I never want to see her again. When secretly inside, I was heartbroken.
The next morning, someone calls me to say that she’s got Jaws. What’s lovely about her is that she, too, has been walking Jaws around the estate in hope of finding her owners. We just somehow missed each other. She also explained that when her female dog was in heat, she, too, tried to leave home. I suppose it’s their animal instincts to look for a mate? (Yes, Jaws has been in heat for the past week.)
It was a pleasant surprise when the neighbour told us that Jaws was very affectionate towards her and her family, nothing like the crazy-hand-chomping dog I first brought home. (That is how she got her name!) I guess we must have been doing something right with her, and have managed to fix most of her distrust issues. And, unlike her previous owner, we didn’t lose her deliberately and made an effort to look for her.
A very sad thing about this incident though, is that someone removed most of our posters less than 24-hours since we put them up. Before Jaws was returned to us. In fact, we are lucky that the culprit didn’t remove the poster at the block where Jaws was picked-up, lest the neighbour wouldn’t have been able to contact me.
It’s very disheartening to see the ungraciousness of fellow Singaporeans. I can only speculate who might have removed them: [a] A member of the RC (Resident’s Committee) who feels that we didn’t get permission to put up the poster, hence, feels the need to uphold rules by removing them asap; [b] A cleaner who feels that the poster shouldn’t be up and/or doesn’t like dogs; [b] A disgruntled neighbour who thinks we are vandalising.
I can only count my lucky stars that whoever removed them, didn’t remove all and left one at the correct lift lobby.
Whatever it is, I’m just glad Jaws is home and I’m going to make her an ID collar with all my contact details. Thanks to all who helped by passing the word online, especially to Pat. We’ve got to set-up that doggy date soon!
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Comments ( 1 Comment )
I lost a dog over a month ago as well, and was similarly disheartened to see ALL my posters taken down within a day. From bus stops, HDB blocks & lamp posts. I do think it’s the cleaners/RC. Never found her :(
You’re really lucky to have gotten her back!
joy added these pithy words on
Nov 09 09 at
10:33 AM
