Doggie Jail...

So, Max and Sadie spent some time in the doggie jail a week or two ago. Here's what went down:

After a visit to the in-laws, we all decided to go out to dinner. We chose to go to Trudy's, which was on our way home. We packed up the car with baby gear and pups, and went to Trudy's. Chris and I knew we were going to share an appetizer and not be too long, the sun was setting, and we parked in the shade. The dogs will be fine on this short excursion, right?!?

WRONG. The service was the slowest I have ever had in a restaurant. EVER. We even left before the bill came (thanks, Pops and Didi!).

But, when we got to the car, Chris looked concerned and started freaking out. "The dogs are gone!" I thought they had just crawled under the seat, like they do sometimes (when we are driving, not like we leave our dogs in the car alone all the time. geez), but then he found the hand-written note the 'police' left on our car (how professional?!?) letting us know that the dogs were in their custody. A rowdy bunch of ladies (who had obviously been enjoying  too much to drink) were yelling to us that we shouldn't leave our dogs in the car and they were making siren sounds (imitating the cops). And laughing. Seriously laughing. We are 99% sure these drama seekers are the ones who called the cops.

We called 3-1-1 and kept getting answering machines. I tried calling 9-1-1, but they forwarded me to the same answering machines.

That night was so long and lonesome for us. We felt so guilty and so bad that we had let this happen. I woke the next morning and made preparations to be at Austin Animal Center as soon as they opened at 11. I spent the morning searching their site for pictures of our pups, and nothing came up.

When we got there, I was greeted with screechy dog loving women serving their free time at the Center. "Are you and your precious baby here to get a dog?" they greeted me. "No, the police brought our dogs here last night after they took them out of our car." Their big happy-dog-lovin' smiles vanished and they people treated me like I was all that was wrong in the world. I was trying to hold back the tears... They did not make it very easy!

They told me to sit down and wait to talk to the APD DETECTIVE and told me they were not allowed to talk to me about the status of my dogs until I talked to him. Oh my word. Really?!? I love my dogs. Why do I have to defend myself? My friends make fun of my because I have framed pictures of them on my walls. Like, we really, really love our dogs.

I waited and waited and waited. Baby started fussing because she was getting hungry. I went and talked to the guy at the counter and told him my baby was about to get super fussy because she was hungry, and he went to the back to check on the status of the detective for me. I was about to feed my baby in front of them all-no shame. Take that, you crazy animal freaks!

The guy came back and let me know that the detective could not make it for awhile, and that I would just have to wait. Claire, as if on cue, started screaming. "She is so hungry from waiting here so long.It's just going to get worse." Good girl! This made the guy so freaking nervous, and so he went back to 'check again'... He came back and told me my dogs are fine and that I could go reclaim them in the office in the front. WHAT?!?! Whatever. I got my dogs and got out of there. Claire was happy to see them, and also happy to eat again.

Lesson learned. Don't leave your dogs unattended in a hippie city...