It happened at 5am this morning on my daily jog with my two trusty hounds. As we approached the Municipal offices, I looked up and in the half light saw a ghostly grey, shape of a dog about 50 metres ahead of me in the parking lot. I blinked but there he was …a German Shepherd type standing his ground - very strange behaviour for a stray as they usually hot foot it home, especially when confronted by what they may think is a three-pack-’posse’.
My first thought was to avoid a face off with my two dogs so I told him to push off, but he stood his ground which I thought was odd because I speak fluent Doglish … in fact he was actually calling me!

So I put my two in a down stay and as I reached the German Shepherd, he dabbed my hand with a quick lick of respect and beckoned me to follow him to the Library veranda where he lay down in a corner … and there to my amazement, hardly noticeable on the terracotta tiles, was a large reddish dog lying on it’s side!

Injured mate

“Are you okay?!” I gulped, completely caught off guard while the Shepherd dog was lovingly kissing her on head which indicated to me the poor thing was hurt … if not dead. Then unexpectedly the ‘body’ slowly and with great effort lifted her head and wagged her tail. There were lacerations on her upper arm and her eyes told me she was in bad shape.
My dogs were obviously in on the whole thing as they hadn’t budged and as we ran home I saw the Shepherd return to guard his beloved mate.

The rescue begins

I raced back in my car with water and when they heard the engine they both stood up expectantly thinking their folks had come for them. The Mastiff had a very sore front leg but it didn’t put her off snorkelling up about 2 litres of water, obviously dehydrated, while her buddy stood back and waited.

They were left in the holding kennel at the Kloof SPCA and given the red carpet treatment. The injured party was examined by the vet, given a clean bill of health and recuperated on a blanket in the reception area. And a couple of days later the ecstatic pair were reunited with their beloved owner.
But, initially I was dead wrong about one thing - even more amazingly they were both males!

A big thank to The Kloof SPCA staff for their help and compassion … you’ll all go to heaven with wings