I am too old for this.

[F, Calla & Luca]

That was my recurring thought. Along with "It's always something" . No one will believe this on the heels of Roger Rabbit.

But here's my tale only this time it was a head. And in case you're squeamish, despite all odds it has a happy ending.

I came home from a few hours at work and took the dogs right out. I went with them since Calla has been digging a lot lately. Soon they were fascinated by something, never a good thing. A poor sparrow had caught it's head in the fence, between two layers of fencing really.

I was screaming like a banshee, yes I know one should be calm. Leave it , here, sit, nothing worked for long. Luca was by far the worst. He had that poor little sparrow in his mouth a couple of times. Trying to capture two dogs, hold them by their collars and get them into the house is nearly impossible. We've done this drill before. Calla I had because she is more compliant/obedient. Then I'd go to get Luca and he'd circle behind me to get to the bird. Luckily he seems to have a poor sense of spatial relationships and it took him a while to find the right spot in the fence so I had time to head him off again. If I don't finish this story it's because the neighbors heard me and have called the men with the nets. Future think I may leave leashes outside.

Finally I got the dogs into the house. Grabbed my camera because It's hard to believe my own tales anymore. I put on heavy duty gloves. I gathered the sparrows wings, one of which was now also caught in the fence. It was easier than I thought it might be to separate the fence. After I set the sparrow down, which looked remarkably uninjured, it flew off. I was so glad since I had visions of a mortally wounded bird that I would have to euthanize. Just a few downy feathers left in the fence. No doubt it is traumatized as I am but the doodles are fine.

[Janice Hammond]

Wheww!! Good for you and good luck for the bird.Our girl Sadie was once obsessed by a mouse swimming in our ornamental pond.It was a real circus getting her under control and rescuing the mouse before it drowned.

I am not a big mouse fan but just couldn't let it go under.

[F, Calla & Luca]

I know what you mean.

[Ginny Nightingale]

wow--weird! But TRUE! Glad you saved the poor little thing--good for you! I had a similar situation when two of my doodles discovered a rabbit's nest with three baby bunnies in the garden. My DH was trying to held off the dogs while I ran around trying to catch all the bunnies. They were all saved! Why would a momma rabbit put her nest (or whatever you would call it) in my yard!? Nuts!

[F, Calla & Luca]

Mama bunnies are the worst. They put these superficial nests in the most outlandish places. No wonder they have to multiply like rabbits.

[Sue, Lola, Pongo & Hubby]

Poor little guy!!! That would be a terrifying experience for the sparrow!! Thanks for setting it free!!!!!!!

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

I think things in New Jersey are off a little since the hurricane.  It disrupts nature   :(

So glad this has a really happy ending.   Before you let Mr. Sparrow go, you should have taken a moment to show him the rabbit's head and told him to behave around your yard

[Lisa, Daisy & Dexter]

Seriously F. you are in danger of being the mishap wild animal DK Lady for sure.

I have an animal story as well, you may have heard about it as it made national news.

Here in OH but in the Southern region a man opened all of the cages of his exotic animals setting them free and then apparently killed himself. Those poor animals have been tracked down and killed except for a few that are still missing. I am not sure how many there were but well over 50. So sad. Tigers, Bears, Cheetahs to name a few. I wonder if this guy thought he was setting them free to live in the wild or was trying to do harm to others. They were apparently not domesticated at all.

[F, Calla & Luca]

My sister just told me this sad story. She said my sparrow was just a little thing : ) I was wondering the same things about this man, though. I'll have to check out the news.

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

I just read this on FB. I know a girl who grew up in Zanesville and we used to stop all the time to antique there. How sad for those animals. I think they said tonight they are still missing one monkey.

[F, Calla & Luca]

He'll probably be in my yard tomorrow.

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Don't touch him.  The monkey has herpes (B) :(   It is all sad.  

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

I'm terribly sad from the stories coming out of Ohio today.   All those rare tigers shot.  Almost all of the 52 wild animals were hunted down and shot.  

They closed schools and the entire town of Zanesville because of this story. 

At least someone saved a few of them and Jack Hanna, now has taken them into the Columbus Zoo