Hostage, perpetrator not caught. I was taking care of two dogs and fish at a neighbor’s about 1,000 feet away from my home. I went over there to take the dogs out and feed the saltwater fish and instead we spent six hours outside with SWAT teams in a hostage situation.
They moved the dogs to the garage after breaking the front window and bombarded every place with tear gas. The offender was two doors down. I asked what tear gas would do to the dogs and they said they moved them to the garage, they will not feel the effects. What about the fish? Fish will not inhale tear gas.
They paid me $10 for this pet visit. I spent six hours waiting to get in to perform my duties. I lost time at work because of safety concerns. SWAT team told me these were the wimpiest dogs they had ever encountered, after breaking through the living room window.
I tried to call the owners but they would not answer. The shooter shot himself, leaving the hostage. A young man who we hired to help us move a few years later (we moved in two doors up when we married) and he lived there, across the street from his parents.
That day will be remembered. Everyone but the shooter was OK. Oh, spending six hours standing on the street with police everywhere was above and beyond my $10 call of duty. The pet owners never even said thanks, even for the fish. Dee
Cooking with Dee 