Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities

Nipper never could turn down a ride

I heard a story on the news this week about a dog that loaded up in a police car while the officer was out and sat there waiting for a ride. It reminded me of our dog, Nipper, who had a similar affinity.

This dog came to our household shortly after my wife and I were married. Her momma was a sweet Springer Spaniel and her daddy was a fence-jumping Labrador. We raised her from a pup until she died in her 15th year.

I let her ride with me in the pickup pretty much anytime she wanted to go, which was anytime she knew I was going.

As she got older, she rode in the back of the pickup and went all over town with me as I sold newspaper advertising. When I parked at a business or went inside the newspaper office, she would unload and lie in the shade of the building or vehicle. Then when I came out, all it took was a quick, “get in,” to get her loaded and ready for the next stop.

I don’t think I’ve ever met a more social dog than Nipper. She loved everybody and everybody loved her. She had a regular route of people and places she visited in our neighborhood. She learned to jump the neighbor across the street’s back fence, where she would then go through their dog door and have breakfast with the neighbors.

She was a big hit at the nursing home down the street, and the butcher at the corner grocery saved her bones and looked forward to her visits. Kids at the Tastee Freez loved sharing ice cream with the friendly black and white dog.

The neighbor with the dog door was a chimney sweep and had a crazy work van with a chimney on top that he transported his chimney sweeping gear in — he also regularly took Nipper with him for rides.

That gentleman wasn’t the only one that gave Nipper rides. I finally quit freaking out when I saw my dog going down the street in someone else’s pickup. In fact, I frequently met people that knew my dog’s name but didn’t know me.

Things began to get a little out of control one summer night. In those days, my wife and I kept a police scanner on at home all the time. We were paying attention when a call came just down our block. Suddenly, the scanner crackled with an exclamation from the officer on the call, “Hey, a dog just jumped into my unit.”

I stepped out to the front porch and whistled for the dog, which immediately came running. The perplexed officer came back on the radio, “he got back out.”

Whew, close call with the law!

Later we weren’t so lucky. We couldn’t find her anywhere one morning, so my wife called the dogcatcher with Nipper’s description. Yes, she was there.

My wife reported to doggie jail to post Nipper’s bail and she was sputtering at the officer and not the least bit happy.

The dogcatcher, tiring of the mistreatment, reported politely, “But Ms. Terry, I didn’t pick up your dog.”

“Then how did she get here,” replied my wife indignantly.

“She jumped onto my truck seat while I was chasing another dog.”

Karl Terry writes for Clovis Media Inc. Contact him at: [email protected]

 
 
Rendered 03/15/2024 06:58