Tales from the Bark Side

By Keith Ross | The Daily Journal

Published Saturday, July 28, 2007

Welcome back to the bark side of life here in Ottertail where the mercury in our thermometer, has once again, risen to the occasion.

The sprinkling system across the road that irrigates a field of corn squeaks and groans and if you stand still and just listen you can hear the trumpeting of dinosaurs or elephants and maybe on a good day, whale song. The self-adjusting water pressure systems of those mechanical monstrosities emit some pretty strange sounds indeed.

This week, I have a good one. Randy Nelson of Perham shared his tale about unconditional love, but instead of from pet to the human, this one is all about a human's love for their beloved pet. You might want to have a tissue handy.

It was a balmy summer day in 2004 and the water on Devils Lake, (N.D.) was like glass. The world was reflected upon the water like a mirror.

Randy and Teri Flip were taking their time crossing the lake in his Lund fishing boat. Their canine companions (Tucker the Yorkie and Hunter the Maltese) were racing back and forth on the gun rails with the wind whipping through their wispy hair. Life was good and the day had been picture perfect, up until then.

Randy slowed the boat down with a simple flip of the lever next to him and Tucker lost his balance, slid across the bow and fell into the water with a splash and a yip. At first it was a bit comical, but seeing their buddy treading water with stubby legs not meant for swimming, they were instantly concerned for Tucker's safety.

Meanwhile the boat was floating away from the dogpaddling canine.

Randy seeing this put the motor into reverse and began to close the distance between boat and Yorkie.

Teri was beside herself with fear for her faithful friend when Tucker came dangerously close to the propeller and then went out of site completely. She began screaming at the top of her lungs and Randy checked each side of the Lund looking for signs of Tucker for what seemed like an eternity to the frenzied couple.

Throughout this manic moment Hunter the Maltese barked and scurried about the boat looking for his buddy. There was no sign of Tucker anywhere.

Randy was just about to swim under the boat himself to rescue the Yorkie when Tucker popped out from behind the craft looking like an over inflated inner tube. His belly was bloated and distended with all four legs stiffly extended from his body. Randy didn't hesitate a second. He dove into the water after his dog.

After clamoring into the boat, he began to press gently on Tucker's stomach and water squirted out his nose and mouth. Next he did something I think very few of us would ever try — he gave mouth to mouth (maybe it was mouth to muzzle) to the dying dog.

By placing his hand around the muzzle connecting the thumb and forefinger, He was able to get an airtight grip and blew life saving air into the dog's lungs.

Within a wink of an eye, Tucker responded with a raspy gasping for air and a loud whimper of thanks to his master.

Looking like a drowned rat, the Yorkie never looked better to his two ecstatic owners. Hunter also barked loudly his gratitude for bringing his pal back to life.

Things went from a wonderfully calm boat trip to a critical canine calamity and returned back to a sense of overwhelming joy — all within a few minutes of a gorgeous summer's day.

Randy called several vet clinics and the one in Battle Lake responded immediately. After discussing the ordeal with the Veterinarian, he was told that Tucker needed to be kept warm and he would be just fine. Teri recalls just how happy they all felt when they had their dog back from harm's way.

With the warmer days upon us, it behooves us to be ever mindful of our pets while out on the water. Both Tucker and Hunter now wear “doggie life jackets” when out on the boat with their loving owners.

Thank you Randy and Teri for such a wonderful heartwarming tale of love and dedication to one's pet. That is truly the definition of unconditional love.

If you have a tale, e-mail me at info@rosswoodkennels.com or write to me at Keith Ross, Richville, MN 56576. You can also phone in your tale to me at 218-495-2195. Remember folks, the “best critter tales” contest ends at the end of the summer, so get your entries in soon.

Keith Alan Ross writes from his home in New York Mills.