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I was 3 or 4 when I first had my one and only bad encounter with a canine. I remember it well. I was wearing my purple sunsuit and we lived in Michigan. There were tall steps to my back door which was just a yard away from my neighbor. They lived in a comfortable two story house with a basement. They had a son who was my playmate and they had a dog -- a boxer who was jealous of anyone and everyone outside the family. He particularly targeted me for some reason. I was a small innocent who had no idea that this big boxer (well, he was big to me)hated me so much.
It came to the point where he had to be tied up every time I came over to play in the basement with the little boy. I do remember skipping through their garden looking at tall sunflowers and going in through the basement entrance. The little boy had a playhouse and lots of fun things to do. My mom could watch for me out the kitchen window. She watched me like a hawk, but knew our neighbors and knew that I was in safe hands. We'd play and I'd leave, always to the loud barking of a very irritated boxer who hated my very presence.
Then one day, my mom watched me descend the stairs and cross the yard where the father of the little boy waited for me. My playmate and I skipped through the garden, as usual, with the boxer tied securely to the water spout in the back of the yard -- barking the whole time of course. I played until I heard my mother's voice calling and wished my friend a quick by-bye. I ascended the stairs on that fateful day, unaware that the boxer had somehow come loose.
I skipped again, merrily, could see my mom at the top of the stairs when all of a sudden from behind, something seized me. Vaguely I was aware that the boxer had sunk his canines into my back. Vaguely I was aware that my mother was yelling and running down the stairs two at a time. I heard the man shouting as I watched the world sail back and forth while the boxer shook me from side to side. I heard someone screaming and had no idea it was me.
The man somehow pried the dog off of me. I was bleeding from the punctures in my back. The dog was snarling and my distraught mother lifted me into her arms and carried me to the car. She only paused to grab her purse and keys and we were off for the hospital.
I remember crying my heart out because I was so scared and the puncture wounds were hurting. Mom got me into the emergency room and they took me right in. The doctor cleaned me up and they x-rayed the puncture wounds. I had escaped being paralyzed by 1/4 of an inch. Just a couple of seconds more, the doctor informed my mom, and I'd have been a victim of a spinal injury. I truly must have had a guardian angel over me that day.
I should have been afraid of dogs after that. ACtually never did have much use for boxers, but liked every other breed. Finally I made my peace with the boxers when a friend of mine got one who was so dumb and so loving, you couldn't help but adore him.
I've never forgotten that moment of being seized by those jaws. I've never forgotten the panoramic view of the garden as I was tossed from side to side. I've never forgotten that that dumb dog ruined my favorite purple sunsuit! Oh well, amazing what you remember, right?
