Murder on Highpaige Way

What do you think would be the worst thing you could come home to? Cheating spouse? Fire? Grizzly Bear? (Hey, it happens) My answer, until recently would have most definitely been fire. It's scary, practically irreversible, damaging, and expensive. That changed Friday night. After a long day at work, Kev and I went to dinner in the West End. We stopped at Michael's to get a cake pan for a friend, and then stopped back at my work to try to print off some things for Kevin's class (which was unsuccessful). As Kev drove off to school, I drove home, eager to see the pups, who have been home alone a little longer than usual. I am not prepared for what awaits me.


I open the door and immediately try to shuffle everybody outside so there are no accidents in the house. As I do this, my eyes shift towards our ivory microfiber couch....which is spattered with blood. I look at the wall- also spattered. Oh No! Who is bleeding??? And how does that splatter pattern occur?? A ruptured artery? I go out and see that Nala has blood on her face, paws, and body, but doesn't seem to be wounded. My attention is now on Neo who is also covered in blood. Head, paws, and body. I run my hands all over him and still come up empty. Neo is now crying so I know it's him...I just can't find the problem. Lastly, I touch on the very tip of his tail and now I'm covered in blood. Ah Ha, so it's his tail. I put pressure and paper towels on it, but it seeps right through. I try again and the blood seems to be coming out even stronger. "Oh God" I think. I am going to have to take him to the emergency vet...over a 1/2 hour away. Suddenly, the sound of cash registers dance in my head. It'll be at least $100 just to step foot in that place. Oh well. Nothing is working, so I pack up Neo (in my tan interiored car) and off we go. To make matters worse, it is pouring outside and what do dogs do when they get wet? Yes, that's right...they shake....their tails. So now there is blood in my car.

At the ER, I am a nervous mother. Demanding that they take us first and pacing the halls until the doc finally examines him. She suspects a condition called "happy tail." This is when a happy dog wags his tail into something like the wall or a corner, repeatedly. I'm not buying it...I am a disheveled mess, with blood on my shoes, shirt, and jeans. They shave his tail, dermabond the wound, discover it is a puncture wound from my other dog, and charge me 150$. As Neo comes back to me, he slips on the floor and opens his tail again. "Forget it." I say. I just want to go home b/c it's almost 10pm.

Arriving home, Kev is already there and I notice the couch is still spattered with blood. I inquire why he hadn't started cleaning yet, and he responds "Started? I haven't stopped since I got home!" I didn't realize this at the time, but there were blood splatters on the hardwood floors, the tile, the walls, the windows, the kitchen cabinets, the fridge, the furniture, and anything else that was downstairs. It took lots of cleaning, but eventually we got it all out. However, when Kev and I arrived home Saturday after running AN errand, we found a very familiar mess. I am convinced the absolute, worst place a dog can be injured, is their tail....because they will wag that thing no matter what!!