THUNDER vs. THE MUSKRAT

Yesterday afternoon a friend & I packed up the kiddies and took them to the corn maze in Deloraine. DH called while we were heading back. He started by saying "Your never gonna believe this." This never means anything good at our place. He said Thunder was freaking out (barking which really isn't freaking out but some would tell you he's been aggressive and intimidating at the fence). He said he looked out the front, no one walking by, no one in the driveway. So he went to the back and there was Thunder, more like yipping than barking, as a muskrat chased him around his dog house!!! My darling husband decided to look for the camera quickly. He ran out to the garage to get his muzzle as he is no longer permitted out of his run without a muzzle and leash. Personally I would have just opened the gate and coralled him into the house. He got his muzzle on and brought him into the house. He said there was blood all over the muskrat and some on the dog as well as all over his own clothes from brushing up on the dog.

When I got home we attempted to locate Animal Control for the area as we weren't sure if the thing was rabid or not. My friend that was with us said it was very unusual to come up so far from the creek and right into the dog run - it must have crawled under the gate.

Anyways, DH went out there and started poking around in the dog house. He figured with the blood on the dog, rat & himself that the thing was probably bleeding out in the there. So he started poking around at it while it laid there with its eyes closed. And then they opened. And my dumb ass husband had the gate shut on the dog run. You predict this thing is rabid and then you lock yourself in with it! I thought about leaving it closed and watching him scale his ass over the fence but ran out and opened it.

We decided we had better call someone with some fire power and called the office. One of the guys we have had the pleasure of meeting and dealing with came out. They hauled the little bugger out and he appeared fine. So they netted him and carried him back to the creek.

Our big baby has 3 good cuts on him. DH has them all cleaned up and has been putting polysporin on them. We called the vet this afternoon and he doesn't need a rabies booster. We just need to monitor the wounds for infection. Thunder has been real somber. He was looking at me with those big puppy eyes yesterday when DH was cleaning him up and I damn near started crying.

Here's a picture of our furry boy taken this Spring. As much of an ass he comes off to be, he is the best dog. He loves his kids, he's kind and gentle to us. My poor boy.