Ollie's escape

A man walking a collar without the dog

Ollie’s escape

Talking of strange things, have you ever seen a man walking down the street, walking his dog without the dog? There was a guy here in Halifax doing that very thing this morning. He had a leash in his hand and a collar dangling by his side but the dog part was missing. There he was, blissfully walking along, smelling the breeze, not even glancing down to check on his imaginary, erstwhile companion.

Then someone back at the corner started yelling at this guy loudly, very loudly, like he was doing something stupid, which clearly he was. Actually, it sounded a lot like obscenities, which it may have been. It came from a tobacco-stained toothless gent who had been standing on the corner a little earlier on. Ten o'clock in the morning and the drunk morons were already roving around in Halifax! Halifax never ceases to amaze me.

Then out of the blue, there was a dog running up the middle of the street; a loose limbed, curly coated pup. He didn't know where the hell he was yet sensed that this was not a good place to be; cars to the left and cars to the right in the nasty, frightening world beyond his collar. ...the same collar dangling from the man's hand. Then came the toothless, drunk moron (who was neither toothless nor drunk) roaring at the guy, trying to tell him that he was walking a collar without a dog.

Reality struck home and perhaps panic too, for the dogless man was suddenly down on his knees on the sidewalk, begging in doggie language for the pup to come to him. The dog inched closer but not close enough. Then, in total desperation, the guy rolled on his side (the human guy that is) right there on the Halifax city sidewalk, and whined like your dog does when it wants to come in the back door. Clearly, this guy was fluent in dog and knew just what to say for the pup to edge close enough. A hand flew out, grabbed the dog's leg and the day was saved! An amazing and unforgettable scene.

If it doesn't come out now, it will sometime. The dog was Ollie and I was that guy on the sidewalk. Indeed, unforgettable..