It's official

I am that crazy dog lady who takes the neighbors dog because it's "lost". Thankfully tonight ended up not being the embarrassing moment it could have spiraled into. This pretty little red merle Australian Cattle Dog shows up in our front yard. Her name is Katrina. She has a phone number on the tag on her collar. Shit, around here just having a collar, let alone the tag, is something to celebrate. Do you have any idea how many dogs are lost in Phoenix? Go on CL and check out their pets board. Subject matter at hand... I call the number while giving her dried chicken treats (they're super tasty but bland so her stomach won't end up suffering, you know? Crazy dog lady knowledge.) and of course the mailbox is full. I text the number. I lure her into the house and Mr. F begins the reverse search on Excite. I keep commenting on how familiar she looks. Have we seen her somewhere? Tabitha was beside herself with glee and as much as she wanted to gang buster the dog she did get a warning snarl and then she got me backing up Katrina. She listened and was relatively calm while vibrating about the fun new friend right in front of her in our house. She's polite, but a puppy nonetheless and I didn't want her being a total ass to the point her face was chewed off. Katrina took it all in stride. Jim watched and gladly accepted proffered chicken treats but it was extremely evident he was not impressed and wanted this new dog out of the house. Look what happened the last time he allowed a dog into the truck. She came home and stayed with us. Foreboding was seeping from his very pores the entire time. I love that guy. Speaking of loving guys, can you stand it? Mr. F was so cool about the whole thing. Doing the check, offering treats, correcting Tabitha AND actually making his voice higher when Katrina seemed all worried when he talked. Come on! Just come on. Man oh man. I am so IN.

Subject at hand. Seriously. Katrina lives on the other side of our complex. She can fit under the gate and often times comes over to see Tabitha and Jim OR just checks out everyones driveway before running back to her smaller and more apprehensive friend who never comes under the gate and sometimes barks at nothing. I'm not so big on him.

So I am panicking that maybe, just maybe we have our poor neighbors dog. Besides, what the hell are we going to do with her if she isn't his? Right. No harm in lurking in the darkness to see if he calls her. While hanging out in the bushes by the gate I hear a quick whistle and then see her little buddy come out and start looking for her.

I let her out of the house, walked her toward the gate. Once she saw her friend she was all "oh yeah, I forgot because of the chicken!" asked for once more chicken treat before squeezing back under the gate and frolicking with her buddy all the way home. Ah home. Is there any better place?