Free Days with George by Colin Campbell

Author:Colin Campbell [Campbell, Colin]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-385-68288-6
Publisher: Doubleday Canada
Published: 2015-05-11T16:00:00+00:00

Our only setback came a week or two after I first started letting George off his leash at the park. There was a man who frequented the park to walk his dogs but who never talked to anyone or even approached the main group. He was of medium height, and he wore tinted, thin-framed glasses, but apart from the glasses he was among the most nondescript people I’ve ever seen. His one distinguishing feature was the pair of snow-white Pyrenees, both nearly George’s size, that he walked side by side, never letting them off their leashes.

This was maybe the fourth time I’d seen him in my two and a half months of twice-daily park visits. He entered the park from the street I lived on and cut into a soccer field about forty yards away from where I was standing and talking with a handful of other owners. George was already in the field, exploring by himself, and as the man made his way across it, George took an interest in the dogs and strolled over to them. Trusting George more now, I stayed put as he went to say hello. George was about ten feet away, when one of the Pyrenees made a run at him. It reached the end of its leash in short order and stopped, snarling, baring its teeth and straining to get at George as the man held it back. The second dog stood back, staring at the commotion.

George had shown himself to be only a sweet, shy and gentle soul, despite his size and strength. He’d displayed no aggression at all in obedience school or when off leash at the dog park. Whenever he encountered an aggressive dog, even one a fraction of his size, George would always back away, leaving the other dog without a target. He never stood up for himself and never barked when confronted. Except this time.

George thundered a deep bark back at the Pyrenees. When I heard him, I began running toward him and the man, who was yanking on the leash to maneuver his one angry dog away from George and back beside its calmer partner. I’d taken no more than five steps, when I heard the man yell something at George that sounded like “Go away!” Then he ran at George and aimed a violent kick at his head.

George saw the blow coming and managed to duck it, the boot missing him by inches. I was still thirty yards away, so I broke into a run, yelling, “What the hell are you doing?” George had turned and bolted, wide-eyed, toward me, but not before the guy tried to take another kick at him.

“Get your dog on a leash!” the man yelled as I got closer. “This isn’t a leash-free park.” His two dogs were now growling and baring their teeth as I approached. George, meanwhile, ran right by me and stood ten yards behind, terrified.

“Are you out of your mind?” I said. “Your dogs are being aggressive, and you’re going to kick my dog for barking back?”

“My dog’s on a leash.

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