lou on the lam.

we ran some errands today. one took us up in the neck of freehold to the mall to grab some stuff for a care package.

while traveling to this mall on the highway, we were nearing our destination's exit when i spotted something that struck fear into my heart.

coming off the 'on ramp' in the other direction were 2 greyhoundesque dogs, running down the highway at top speed. a golden retriever and a black lab were tearing down the road in traffic. i said to chris, 'oh my god, we have to turn around'.

turning around wasn't so easy, we had to exit, take a couple jug handles and sit through a couple lights. my heart was pounding the entire time. by the time we had resurfaced onto the highway there were at least 4 cars stopped and people out of them chasing these dogs. someone had gotten a hold on the golden, but the black lab was escaping rescue continually. he was running back up in the direction we had originally been headed, still on the highway. i said to chris, 'pull over!' i jumped out of the jeep and sprinted across the highway to the other side only to watch the black lab's rear end bounce up the highway. he was already back up where we had originally exited. do-gooders littered the highway, which was at a dead stop on that side. the black lab would have none of anyone who tried to call to him or grab him.

i sprinted about half a mile up toward where they'd all convened. i decided to lay back in case he escaped them. he did. he headed back towards me and past another lady on the original side they'd been running on -- cars were now coming from that direction. i hopped the median as he ran in my direction. i was now alone in this, the 15 other people including chris now behind him. i dodged the oncoming traffic and stood on the shoulder as he got closer and i whistled. i didn't yell or wave my arms, i simply stood still and held my arms up at my sides to make my body appear bigger, hoping to mentally trick him into stopping. it worked. he paused, put his ears up at my whistle, then decided that jumping the guard rail was his only option.

i could see from my position that it was a steep embankment, covered in brush where he had entered. i could also see that there was about 50 feet of fence now keeping him from the brush where he was tumbling through and another busy road that went under the highway. there was only one option.

i vaulted over the guard rail and ran down the embankment, slipping and sliding as i went. i curved my path around his, watching him the entire time as he stumbled through. i headed him off at the bottom where he pushed through a final bush and held my arms out as i had done on the road above us. i said nothing as i approached him slowly, him watching me. he slowed his movements and i gently said, 'down, down' while i kept motioning my palms to the ground. a miracle occurred and this unstoppable dog lowered his body and crawled toward me, exhausted and panting. i didn't know this dog, so i was unsure how he is going to react to me touching him. i quietly talked to him (i forget now what i said), and slowly reached out to him as he came within a foot away of me. i saw him give me a little lip, so i paused and let him come to me as i crouched before him -- no eye contact. i felt contact with his fur and slowly slipped my hand around his collar and recited, 'good boy. good boy. good boy.' he immediately laid down on his side, breathing heavy and foaming a little. i sat next to him on the hill and just gently stroked his fur as i caught my own breath. my heart was still pounding and i could feel his doing the same.

the owner magically appeared a couple minutes later, distraught and frantic. i called up to ask what her dog's name was as she repeatedly said 'thank god. thank god.'

turns out that lou and his golden buddy had slipped out the gate her son had left open in their backyard a few miles down the road.

did i mention i did all this in ballet flats? phew. someone get me a drink.