How I stopped traffic in both directions on Rte 3A Saturday
I was driving up from MA to spend the weekend with my family... or at least part of it (I missed the rest of you, and wish you could've been there!). It was sunny and beautiful out, and I was cruising down a road I know I've taken a thousand times (mostly because it used to be how I got to work).
In the middle of Tyngsboro, I had to come to a screeching halt. I saw two dogs on the road in front of me, and was headed straight for them.
I slammed on my brakes, and turned on my hazards. There were 2 of them, and 1 of me... but they had collars with licenses, so I realized they belonged to someone. Not wanting them to get hurt, I parked my car, and coaxed the dogs to the side of the road. Traffic was stopped in both directions, but fortunately, everyone was super-patient.
It was risky... I had no idea what the temperment of the dogs would be. One was a bulldog (and was BIG for its breed), and one was a very HUGE St. Bernard. I got a glimpse at their tags... their names were Krypteau and Bubba.
They were very loveable dogs, luckily, but they were a handful! I just kept petting them, and kept pulling them away from the road whenever they tried to stray. Eventually, a couple of guys came and helped me. We called the dogs owners (from the number on their tags), but the call went straight to voicemail. We called the police, who attempted to contact animal control.
In the meantime, these sweet (but slobbery) dogs drooled all over us. It was gross, and I definitely needed to change after my encounter with them, but it was worth it to keep the dogs from getting hit!
Finally, their owner came looking for them. Her cellphone was broken, which was why we got voicemail when we called her. She seemed grateful that we found her dogs, but the dogs seemed even more grateful to see her! I have to say, I've never seen anything funnier than a St. Bernard attempting to get into an SUV unassisted. The dog climbed up the side of the car, over the driver's seat, and into the passenger seat, where it balanced itself on top of the purse that was there... kind of like a bird on an egg!
Bubba, being the smaller of the two dogs, was much more willing to accept assistance, so we hoisted him into the backseat.
And we all lived happily ever after...
Can't say it enough folks... always make sure your dogs have collars and licenses!