Odd Choice of Signage

I had to take a dog to the South Hills Animal Hospital the other day for work, and I haven't been inside there for a few years, so as I was taking in my surroundings, something jumped out at me. On their front-desk counter, there is one of those plastic signs with engraved letters. You would expect it to say something like "payment is due at the time of your appointment" or "cancellations require 24-hour notice" -- you know, something generic and office-like. No. Instead it says, in big, bold letters -- "GRAPES AND RAISINS CAN KILL YOUR DOG!"

Um...okay...

So can lighter fluid, but you don't have a sign posted about that. I know that grapes and raisins have been the "trendy" item lately for people to make you worry about, but to have an engraved sign about it posted at the vet hospital? It just seemed strange to me.

Mad Mama

I have never been as angry at my dogs as I am tonight. Guy is on a business trip to Virginia, so I'm home alone with the ladies, and usually they are good for me, but tonight is an exception. First of all, Lola has been on this kick lately of squeaking out any door that we open, so she constantly gets out without her leash or collar on. It's not really a problem when she goes out the back door because she usually just runs up the hill and comes back in a minute or two. But tonight, she decided to make her escape out the front door. A black dog on the street in the dark is not a good thing. Now, the reason Lola even had the chance to get out the front door is because of Lily, Miss "I will whine to no end about having to go to the bathroom, but when you let me out, I won't do a thing." I literally let Lily out about 6 times within the span of an hour and a half, and she did absolutely nothing. I knew she had to go number #2 because this is a typical routine with her. I decided to give her one more chance and take her down the street for a change of location. Ideally, Lola would have gone in her crate so I could handle Lily and her poop bag by myself, but not even Nut-tastics could tempt Lola into her cage. She knew something was up.

So, I tried to just get out the door without Lola following, but she got out before me and took off down the road. There I am, screaming her name (to no avail) with Lily on her leash coming along for the chase. Every time I got close to Lola, she just took off further, till she eventually started going into the adjacent townhome plan to ours. It was at this point in time that Lily decided she was finally ready to move her bowels and a nice young couple walked up the road and attracted Lola's attention. I am struggling with Lily while trying explain to them that, yes, Lola is friendly, but that she got off her leash and I'm trying to catch her. They bend down to pet her, only sending Lily into a frenzy because she wants attention, too. As they leave, I'm finally able to pin Lola down to the ground, but there was no way I could walk Lily back home, carry Lola, and carry the poop. So, unfortunately, I had to leave the poop on the ground. I feel really guilty about it, but I couldn't even find it again after the fiasco with the couple, so I just hope nobody steps in it.

At this point, I am about 100 yards from my house with a 45-pound dog hoisted in my left arm and Lily pulling me along on her leash. I pretty much died on the walk back home. At least I don't feel as bad for eating that Dairy Queen cupcake now.

In conclusion, it took all the mental strength I could muster not to strangle both of the dogs upon arriving back home. I am so sick of these issues, which, in my opinion, could be solved by having a house with a fenced-in yard. Can someone please buy me a lottery ticket?