far be it

Far be it from me to continue to imprison this poor dog whose life's goal is to escape the borders of my property. In my house he is provided with only the highest quality CANNED dog food, bottled water to drink, 2 warm beds which are washed weekly, a closet full of toys (many of which he, being a Chihuahua, is suspicious of) a young human playmate, hundreds of dollars worth of veterinary items and training gear (flea medicine, hair tonic, combs, vitamins, leashes, collars, harnesses and treats) and unlimited floor surface, both hardwood and carpeted, on which he feels free to eliminate. Yet somehow, that's not good enough. He just wants to leave.

Even though it's Saturday, a day most people consider "off", I must haul ass into work. The Holy Basil makes the early mornings just a tad more challenging, as if I'm sleepwalking for the first couple of hours. The dog eased his way out the door when I retreived the newspaper. My house is situated on a city park, and of course I had to take off running, in my pajamas, into the city park, after the Chihuahua, yelling as loudly as the Holy basil would allow. My neighbor, calmly walking his (adult) dog on a leash, was rendered speechless for the first time since I met him. It occurred to me that this didn't make sense. Who am I to wreck this dog's life by containing him? I offered this thought to the neighbor, whose eyes enlarged but voice remained silent. "Maybe I should just let him go...", my Holy Basil muttered.

I'm leaving for work now and the Chihuahua remains at large.......