Temporary Heart Failure - for ME! pics added #21

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

A little background:
Last winter when we were in Arizona, we were near a small airport. The planes took off right over us, but they were small private planes so it wasn't really a big deal. It took CJ a while too get used to them though - and he most definitely did NOT like them!

Last week we were right by another small airport. However, some of the planes taking off were the huge lumbering planes they use for fighting forest fires. They were LOUD and LOW - I felt if we were on the roof of the motorhome we'd have to duck they were that low!

One time I had CJ outside when one took off and he literally freaked out! I was able to pick him up and calm him down though, so it wasn't that big of a deal.

Well.......we're now no where near an aiport. So yesterday I was out walking him and I faintly heard a helicopter but didn't really pay attention. It decided to swing by us at the last minute (or so it seemed to me) and CJ freaked again, only this time he broke free from the rope! Turns out the knot I have attaching the rope to the collar came untied! Right behind us is a very wooded/overgrown area and someone at the campground reported seeing a cougar, so the minute he broke free all I could picture was my little boy being dinner for a cougar.

Fortunately he was a very good boy. He did start walking away from me, but he didn't freak and run away really fast. I tried to remain calm - at least on the outsdie - and kept calling to him, slowly moving toward him. He stopped to sniff something and I was able to catch him - whew!

I put him inside and I had to sit down because my legs were shaking so much! Then I retied the rope, using a pliers to make sure that knot was tighter than ever! It never even occurred to me to check the tightness of it, but you can be sure I'll be checking that every single time I take him out from now on!

Oh, and of course, after I grabbed him he complained as if to say "What's wrong, I was just sniffing over here - hrmph!"