Monday, May 22, 2006

The best dog story

This is the best dog story ever, and unfortunately, I wasn't there for it. This may lead you to believe that this is a borderline urban legend, the sort of story that at the very least has been embellished until it shines. This is not the case. If this story weren't true, it would dim the light in my life significantly. You'll see.

Police dogs.
The camp I have most recently worked at is scheduled week by week, and by disability. One week it will be children with epilepsy, and the next week it will be adults with traumatic brain injuries. So each week has its own very distinct flavor, which can change drastically the awesomeness of any given activity. The week in question was camp limberlost, for at-risk youth.
This camp is at the same time one of the most touching events in many counselor's lives, and a good reason to develop a twitch. (That makes it sound like you would develop a twitch on purpose, and maybe some people would, I don't know) Kids at limberlost are oh so very good at pushing buttons, ignoring your every basic wish, cussing, running wild like caged animals in the night, and needing you so badly in their lives in more ways than you will ever know or think possible.
So. For this particular camp we have a lot of public servants come in and speak to the kids, police, firemen, the military, so on. Like all thirteen year olds, or children gripped early by the spirit of Christmas seventh grade, they go to Herculean lengths to convince you and everyone near them that this is totally gay, can we please leave? However, with all the assurance of a man who himself has worn a mullet (true) and had a ponytail with the sides shaved up three inches above the ear (true) in an effort to rebel against something, I deny my past and insist that this is good, this will build character. Trust me.
The air thick with the desire to be somewhere else, the police come. And they do the police-for -kids dog and pony show. Talking to strangers? Bad. Drugs? Bad. Listening to authority? Good. And then the Police bring out the K-9 unit. If you've ever seen the K-9 unit in a calm and explanatory manner, then you know how fucking utterly frightening those dogs are. A 105 pound German Shepard? Holy balls, It gives me the shivers just sitting here typing. Then again, I have a history of dog fear, only overcome in the last 5 years or so. So a big actually scary dog is like, ten times worse for me. Anyway.
The police show off what the dog can do. It can follow a trail around the field. It can find a small amount of drugs from hundreds of feet away. It can listen to commands in German (which does not in any way make these dogs less scary) and lay down and so forth. Last, and most assuredly not least, these dogs can bite the ever fucking shit out of you and yours. This is always saved for the finale, as it is the most visceral example of police power able to be displayed legally to children.
So they send one officer away, while the other one holds the dog and talks to the children about what is going to happen. The other officer then comes out from behind the truck with the bite sleeve on, brandishing some sort of club. The dog starts to seriously freak the fuck out, and the cop lets him go. He sprints to the bad guy cop, and bites the sleeve.
Ha. That wouldn't make this the best dog story ever, now would it?
No. The dog sprinted over to the bad cop and bit the shit out of his other arm. Blood was let copiously. Muscle was torn from bone, and exposed to the air. The dog bit the shit out of his unprotected arm, and the good cop had to run over to him, yelling in German. All the while the dog was thinking it was a game and continued to hold his bite, thrashing back and forth, spraying blood everywhere.
Two things. One. These children will never be criminals. Two. I wish so Fucking hard that I could have seen this. This is the lighthouse on the foggy shore of my life, leading me onwards.

4 Comments:

Blogger Erin said...

I started reading thinking, "How can anything top Jake jumping out a forty-foot window?"

That's how. Fuckin' A.

And the dog in that picture looks like a goddamn grizzly bear. Holy shit.

23/5/06 7:04 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

the kids still talk about it. so fucking intense.

AmyChop

23/5/06 8:57 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

on behalf of the filthy feral masses, i demand more bible coloring book pictures.

23/5/06 9:37 PM  
Blogger Bluebeard said...

Yes, dog man, yes. Patience. More will come soon.

Is the house on paper street clean? Or do you still have birds flying around your room?

23/5/06 11:18 PM  

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