Dog Park Story

Hi everyone,

We sure have been having fun at our local off leash park. Fort Steilacoom Dog Park is a wonderful place and is well taken care of by the park maintenance workers. The park is 22 acres, all fenced in for the dogs and their people to roam. The entire park is 340 acres and is just beautiful. If you are in the Puget Sound you should definitely stop by.


Lately I have been showing you all of the fun of our park adventures. Today I want to share a little story of an adventure gone wrong.



Last year around this same time Hubby and I thought a trip to the dog park would be fun. We packed up the puppies and headed out. We decided that a picnic would be fun and stopped at Subway for sandwiches and sodas. We were on our way!


We arrived at the park and got all the leashes on the dogs, always an exciting time. They all get so excited to be at the park and see their leashes that they just hop back and forth from the back seat to the front until we get them all sorted out. We finally got out of the car and walked to the gate, dog leashes and picnic in hand.

There is a nice spot in the back area of the park with a bench that we set our sights on. It looked like a great spot for a picnic. Out in the open with plenty of room for the dogs to wander. We started to walk towards this bench having a good time looking around at all of the cute doggies, saying hello as we went. Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye I saw a Labrador sized dog heading to us at a pretty fast run. They next thing I knew was that dog was slamming into my legs, right at knee level. His shoulder hit the side and back of my knee so hard that I just toppled over.

I went over like a tree. Whump!! Face forward, arms akimbo. Dogs were surrounding me along with their people. I fell so hard I literally lost my breath. I have fallen a lot over the years, but this was the hardest landing ever.

I got myself up, dusted myself off and took stock of the situation. I was pretty shook up but I still had my lunch. I took a look around at all of the dogs clamouring for my sandwich and decided that maybe a picnic in a dog park wasn't such a great idea after all. I looked at Hubby and said "I'm going to eat in the car". I walked back to our car, turned it on so I could have some air conditioning and music and had my picnic in the car.

When we got home I looked for any damage to myself from the fall. I hit the ground so hard with my chest that I had bruised my boobies!! The top of my breasts and my chest were a lovely shade of purple that lasted over a week.

Lately I have noticed some new signs in the dog park. They are really big with a long list of Do's and Don't's. And one of the Don't's, right in the middle of the huge sign "Do Not Bring Food into the Dog Park". I think they should put my picture on the sign as a grim reminder of what can happen if you don't follow this rule. Take it from me, it's not worth it, have your picnic outside the off leash area!!

take care everyone!

hugs,

puglette

:o)