Ghost Dog!

Last Tuesday morning, before coming to work, John swung by Hoegemeyers Animal Clinic to pick up Buddy, a dog that we had rescued a week earlier, from the Kerrville pound, because Sara, who works at the pound, had called me—to ask if we could please help save this dog—because his time had run out!

Sara told me that Buddy was a surrender, and the owners who had taken him to the pound, had begged the employees, to please put Buddy down immediately— because he had been run over by a car, and his front leg was injured.

After hearing Sara’s story about Buddy, I went outside to discuss it with Tony and John. Within a couple of minutes, it was decided that we would save Buddy’s life! I then returned to the trailer and called the pound.

The next morning, John went to the pound and picked up Buddy, and dropped him off at Hoegemeyers to get shots, treated for any injuries, and neutered. Later that day, Susan from Hoegemeyers, called to tell me that they were treating Buddy for trauma! She told me that Buddy had no broken bones, and they wanted to keep him for four or five days before neutering him.

Susan called last Monday afternoon, to tell me that Buddy was ready to come out to the rescue ranch. So John picked him up, before coming to work. As soon as John arrived, he and Tony put Buddy in a pen, and then began feeding our dogs.

A few hours later, Tony and John came to the trailer to tell me that Buddy was gone—AWOL! It appeared that Buddy had found a weak part in the fence and had managed to escape. They told me that they had been all over the ranch and everytime that they spotted him—he would take off running—like he had seen a ghost!

Tony had some paperwork to do, so John and I went looking for him. Second verse, same as the first. Everytime that Buddy spotted us—he’d take off! We decided to wait him out and came back to the rescue ranch. It was decided that we would have to use a live trap to catch him.

“Nance,” Kinky said. “I just returned to the ranch and I was calling to let you know that there is a dog running loose on the ranch?”

“I know, Kinky,” I said. “We brought him in this morning, and before the guys could feed him—he escaped. He’s fine, as long as he stays on the ranch. Hopefully, we will catch him soon.”

Later that night, Kinky called, again. “I just saw that dog run by! He’s really fast!”

“I know, several times today, I would look out the window, and see him running by. In fact, he keeps coming through the rescue ranch and the minute he sees one of us—he’s gone. I’m changing his name from Buddy to Ghost Dog.”

Wednesday morning, there were several more Ghost Dog sightings at the rescue ranch, and even more reported from Kinky’s Lodge. “Hello Nance,” Kinky said. “I’ve got a great idea! Today, when Carl, Steven and Angie arrive—let’s gang up, between all of us, I am sure that we can catch Ghost Dog!”

“No way, Kinky,” I said. “Ghost Dog is scared, and he’ll go nuts if he sees a bunch of senior citizens chasing after him. Heck, that would even scare me. We need to let him be. Besides, he is starting to calm down, and is hanging around a little longer each time he does one of his— Ghost Dog run-bys. In fact, I have actually caught him on camera! And, John saw Ghost Dog go back into the pen to check the pans for food, but the wind blew open the gate before John could get there to latch it. Don’t worry—Ghost Dog is coming around. In fact, I’m sure he’ll be coming around the mountain anytime now.”

Thursday, Ghost Dog spent the day watching us from afar, and he quit running off everytime that we saw him. Then came the threat of the fire. After we had evacuated all of our dogs, Ghost Dog made several more appearances!


Friday morning, when the dogs were coming back, I put three of those pigs-in-a-blanket in a bowl in the pen that Ghost Dog had escaped from. And, sure enough—Ghost Dog took the bait. He had a fast food breakfast.

Well, this morning while John, Tony and I were out on the porch—discussing the dogs—we were pleasantly surprised! Carol drove up with her friends, Lorri and Malea! The three of them had come over to walk our dogs!

I invited them inside the trailer and we visited for a little while. During our conversation, I told them the story of Ghost Dog. Before leaving to go walk our dogs, I loaned Carol, my newly purchased ‘Grateful Dawg’ movie, and she was delighted and couldn’t wait to watch it. Then they left the trailer.

Twenty minutes later, Tony walks inside the trailer, “Ghost Dog has been caught.”

I stopped what I was doing (washing the dishes) and gave Tony my full attention.

"Carol and them were down at Betty White’s and Jack Kennedy’s pen ready to leash them up, when they spotted Ghost Dog. Lorri took off and went into the woods, then she sat down, and then Ghost Dog walked up to her. She started petting him and talking to him, and then he let her loop the leash around his neck. Carol told me that it was so touching that it made all three of them cry. They are out walking him right now, and he is doing great.”

I was so happy with Tony’s good news, that I immediately picked up the phone to tell Kinky! “Kinky, I have some great news! Ghost Dog has been caught!”

“That’s great news, Nance. How did y’all catch him?”

“We didn’t catch him,” I said. “Carol came out this morning with her two friends, Malea and Lorri to walk dogs...”

“That is great! Please thank Carol for bringing Lorri and Malea out. And, please ask them if they want to volunteer out here. I find it very interesting that Ghost Dog was caught because they came out.

“It was fate, Kinky. Pure and simple—fate. Ghost Dog would still be running around out here if they hadn’t come out.”


Later this afternoon, Bunny got adopted, Lana got adopted and Mae West got adopted to great homes! But unfortunately, Bunny was returned later this afternoon, because of a bunny. Their pet bunny is recuperating and doing fine, and our Bunny is glad to be back at the ranch.