Breaking and Entering

[Jeff]

We had no idea that there was a stranger in the house other then I told the dogs repeatedly to lay down and shut up when they started fussing this morning.  I told them it was just Stacy. I guess I was wrong.

I got up this morning and walked out of the bathroom, and looked across the hall into the spare bedroom, and was about dumbfounded to see this stranger making himself right at home, sleeping on the bedroom floor.  I said something like "what the hell are you doing in my house?" And he got up rather quickly, rushed in my direction and KISSED MY HAND! He then pushed passed me and went out and stood in our kitchen as if it belong to him. He seemed a bit bewildered and when I checked, he had no identification and clearly he was going to be unable to tell me who he was.

I'd never seen the culprit in the neighborhood before and have no idea who he is or where he came from.  He came in by breaking out the rails and screen of the back screen door. We had left the regular door open last night to get some fresh spring air in the house and neglected to shut it. 

Turns out he is really a friendly guy, and pretty old and I think probably suffering from some sort of Dementia. Once Icey found out he was in here though, we knew we better ask him to go outside, because she was not at all impressed with his presence in our home.  Right now he is out laying on the floor of the cabin. He obviously thinks he is where he is supposed to be, as when he first went in, he climbed into bed with Stacy and kissed her nose. I guess, even though he looks like he wants to be here, some family somewhere is missing him. He's obviously not been missing long as he seems to be in pretty good physical condition.  Even though he seems harmless, I guess I better call the Sheriff's Department.

[Jeff]

I took some photos of the damage to the back door, and of the perp in case the law needs them to help identify him later on if he some how wanders off before the authorities can come help resolve this matter.

[Burlkraft]

WOW...It could only happen to you!

Who's dog is that?

[Mooseherder]

He could sense that the house was full of animal lovers.

[Jeff]

WOW...It could only happen to you!

Who's dog is that?

No Idea.  I called the Sheriff's department and they are sending a deputy out to get him to take him to the shelter. We'd keep him here, but you know how Icey is with other dogs.

[Tom]

You're lucky the guy is demented and apparently not dangerous.   You'll have to follow up on him because, if the Police Dept. is like ours, you'll not hear anymore from them.

Maybe you should have waited to see if the guy did dishes. 

[fishpharmer]

Demented or not, that's still freaky. 

[Jeff]

Well, the perpetrator has been collared. They just hauled him away in a squad car. He was just as friendly with the Deputy as he was with me and offered no resistance.  The Deputy said that if someone showed up to bail him out, he would point them in our direction and tell them it would be nice if they would offer to fix our door.  A closer look at the actor showed a slight injury to his abdomen from pushing past the broken bottom boards in the door.

The Deputy was highly amused with the situation and said it was an interesting way to start the day.  I agreed.   I plan on keeping tabs on this by calling the shelter next week.

[Tom]

I sense an adoption in the offing.

....and he licked their platter clean.

[sawdust]

You had me going! I was thinking homeless human, even after seeing the photo. Maybe I do too many psyc transfers?

Hope he finds his way home.

david

[Jeff]

I sense an adoption in the offing.

....and he licked their platter clean.

We are pretty soft, and would take him in, but Icey is not and she is the deciding factor here. She simply has no tolerance for other dogs.

[ibseeker]

You had me going there for a while...kissing your hand? That brought some strange images to mind! Poor old dog must have really wanted some company. What did Stacy say about the kissing on the nose in the middle of the night? That must of been a real surprise.

[Norm]

Does Icey and Scooter get along Jeff?

[Jeff]

Not really.  Scooter is mostly Yorky, and believes he is king. Icey knows she is the queen, but not Scooter's queen.  There have been several incidents in the last 4 years where I've suffered collateral damage pulling them apart. Scooter many times is the instigator but never the victor. He's been to the vet 3 different time to be reassembled. One time, the worst time, he had to be opened up to have his diaphragm fixed.  Ive been bitten clear through one finger and out the nail and had to physically pull my finger off of ice's tooth on which it was impaled. Ive had scooter bite me clear through the web of one hand and in the crook of my arm once too.  The dogs never mean to get me, but I have no choice but to dive in with out regard to my own well being to keep scooter from getting killed.  Scooter is the type of dog that will come home from the vet with 20 stitches, then go get Ice's favorite toy, then find ice and shake it and growl in front of her face.

Then there are times where they lay here sleeping next to each other like they are best friends. Go Figure.

Ice has a mean streak when it comes to other dogs and I would never trust her around small kids.

[Dave Shepard]

Boat horn in a can gets everyone's attention pretty quick, fighting or not.

[Jeff]

Yep, if you happen to have one in your hand at the moment.  These things happen in a split second. There is no time to think or it will be to late.  They get along fine when left to them selves.  Its only when you put people into the mix and they start competing that problems can occur.  Sad part is you never know.  They can go for 6-8 months and you think they've got the pecking order down, then wham, out of no where there's a brawl.

[Mooseherder]

Boat horn in a can gets everyone's attention pretty quick, fighting or not.

I'd hate to have one of those around cause dares always a smart aleck that would use it when it weren't needed.

[Dave Shepard]

I keep one here by the computer. The dogs regularly like to start howling and making a lot of severely painful noise whenever there is a lull in the action. I muffle the horn so it's not too loud, but they know what it means.

[Norm]

I wondered that Jeff as they both have such strong personalities. I can just see you taking them to  the vet and all three of you have to have distemper and rabies shots.

[OneWithWood]

Jeff, after I got bit in the thigh breaking up a dog fight a neighbor showed be a trick.  Pour water on the dogs and they will disengage, especially if you get it in their noses.

[Jeff]

I'm sure that would work too, but again, when you have a 70lb dog with a 10lb dog in its mouth bent on making it into 10 1lb patties, there is only time to dive in and pry mouths open. I'd much rather go get water or an air horn, but I might as well just site and wait for the ultimate outcome.  Both times Scooter got me was after I'd pried him out of Ice's mouth and he turned and went back after her and got me instead.

[forest.c]

wow you had me i thought you were talking about a human intruder.

[Jeff]

 

I just got a call from a very relieved young lady that lives about a quarter mile from here. She and her boy friend had been looking for "Duke" all weekend.  She said she had been crying for two days.   I'm mighty glad to hear he has found his home, and happier yet it's with someone that obviously cares for him. She says he's done nothing but laid around since getting him home. I'm sure he's pretty relieved himself to be home.

I think she was initially concerned what she was going to hear from this end when she called, as the Sheriff's department apparently had embellished the amount of damage the dog had done, and she was really worried about it.  This sounded like a young gal, going to school, perhaps just getting out on her own. She's wanting to pay for the damages, but I let her know if she could that would be great, but if she couldn't, her calling me and letting me know that Duke was okay was a pretty good substitute.  She says shes going to drop by and bring us something on it. 

Anyhow, somethings are right with the world today.

[Mooseherder]

That is good news for Duke and his owners.
Glad there is a happy ending and looks like you'll meet some nice folks outta it.
He kinda looks like a Duke.

[mcfcfan]

Hey Jeff,

Glad nobody came to any harm and your stranger was not dangerous.
But how about this.
My wife and i moved into our new home just two weeks ago last Friday. We have what you call a sleepout n New Zealand out the back where our lodger resides, she had her little flat broken into the day before we moved in and they took 42" tv etc.
Last Monday my wife and i got home from work at 5.15pm only to find our kitchen window smashed, kitchen door wide open.
They must have been watching as my wife only left home at 1.00pm so between 1 - 5 they took our 42" TV 32"TV, dvd recorder, jewelry and had been through every room and in broad day light, the next door neighbors daughter saw them and a truck backed up our drive way when she arrived home from school but did not think anything of it as we had been moving things in over the last few days.

It makes my blood boil to think that some no good local has spent time in our private domain .
They should think them selves lucky i did not get home from work early 
We have now had an alarm fitted as the police think they may well return once the insurance have paid out and items replaced.

[Paschale]

One of my colleagues had her purse stolen last week, with the keys to her house and vehicles, along with her wallet.  She and her husband had the presence of mind to change the locks in the house, but didn't move on the cars immediately, or think to undo the battery cables.  Sure enough, the very next morning, they woke up and saw that their van had been stolen.

Now, the perp ain't all that smart.  He, or someone he knows, lives right near my friend's daughter (which is where my friend was when the purse was stolen).  The guy was sitting in the van, not more than a block or two away from the scene of the purse snatching.  My friend, Martha, is a feisty sort, and wanted her van back!  She called the cops, and they came right away, but she had made her presence known, and the guy drove the van a block or so, and ditched it. 

It's just a matter of time before they find him.  If his prints are in the system, he's going to jail.  Your average criminal isn't that bright, it seems to me.   

In the case of Duke, however, I'm glad he avoided a long term stay in the jailhouse.   

[Toolman]

About 13 yrs ago, right after I built my house. I had a car pull into my driveway just about at sunrise.The car was occupied by an elderly guy with Maryland Tags. When I checked to see what he wanted, he told me I was trespassing and ordered me to leave! He told me I was interfering with his view of the Bay. I figured this guy had dementia or something. I called the local police. Turns out the guy had alzheimers and was reported missing by his family. He was about 70 miles from home and thought he was looking at the Chesapeake Bay. He was actually looking at the Conewago Creek.....that was a creepy experience!

[TimRB]

Well, you had me going.  As it happens, around here in the past weeks we have had several people in various mental states wander off only to be found dead in a few days.  So I'm glad this story had a happy ending.

On a somewhat related note, though...

We live out in the sticks, and our neighbors had been in the habit of leaving their house unlocked.  After a time, they started noticing small things out of place (never missing) but husband and wife never thought anything about it, each thinking the other had done it.  After a very rare snowfall, where they found tracks around their house, they figured out that someone had been entering while they were gone during the day.  On various occasions he had watched TV, cooked and eaten food from their refrigerator, and taken showers.  He has since stopped coming by (they think).  Lock those doors.

Tim

[customsawyer]

You had me going pretty good so once I figured it out I called Lorraine in and let you get her to.