# Wow.. just wow... it took the icing off the cake



## Mrs.K (Jul 14, 2009)

I was out all day long and had the dogs with me. First I dropped off my husband at work, then I went home, took a shower, went to a client for obedience training, back on post to the dog park, to let the dogs run, then to a birthday lunch with a friend of mine. During the lunch, Nala must have gotten sick because when I came back to the car I could smell it outside that something was not right. I wasn't gone for that long. It was 40 degrees, sunny and I was gone for three hours. The windows and the sunroof were open and they had water, so nothing to worry about and they had releived themselves in the park. 

Anyhow, I came back and opened the hatch. MaDeuce had explosive Diarrhea and Nala had puked at least a day or two days worth of food out, lots of foam and Diarrhea on top. 

We live 20-30 minutes away from post and Nala was standing in her crate. There is no knowing how long she was standing there. She was completely messed up and covered in puke and poop. 

I called my friend and asked if she would turn around. I had to go to the car wash and rinse everything down. 

So off we went. Pulled out the crate including the dog, turned on the hose and rinsed it all down. I tested the stream, it wasn't hurting at all, it was enough pressure for the crates and for the dog but not too much to hurt and it was warm water. 

Anyhow, five minutes into hosing everything down, a guy came in, with his camera phone, and yelled at us that he's from the SPCA and Uno and that it's 40 degrees (she loves going into the water, even in 40 degrees, they have an undercoat for a reason) and what I'm thinking to hose my dog down with a pressure hose (My garden hose has more pressure and she loves chasing that), that he took a picture of my license plate and will call the police, that he's got a pit bull and what I "f*t dum* bitch was thinking and that I wouldn't rinse my fat as* down in 40 degrees, would I?

I explained that she is a German Shepherd, that she has an undercoat that she is not soaking wet and that she had puked in her crate and I had to hose her and the crate down. 
He continued to curse and cuss us out. "fa* bitch", *fat dumb bitch" that the MP's were on their way and then drove off. 

I first handled myself very well, remained calm and then tried to ignore him, even offered him to touch her, because she was not soaking wet. Her undercoat wasn't even touched by the water because I mainly rinsed off her legs and the belly. 

He said she was screaming. No she wasn't! It was Gizmo in the car that was screaming bloddy murder but he completely ignored the fact. 


Really? Really? 

We waited for MP's to show up but they never came. We then went to the MP station and explained the situation and the MP was completely with us and said that nobody called. If he would, it would go to the next floor and I'd probably get a call and that's about it. If at all. 

Anyhow, that guy was completely out of line and I am shocked the way I was treated. If you are from the SPCA... just behave yourself because you lose every and all credibility... 

I actually ended up flipping him off when he drove off because he continued to curse at us. Shouldn't have let myself down to that level but overall, we handled ourselves very well, except for flipping him off. 

Just unfrickinbelievable. I still am worked up over the entire encounter. 

Anyhow, when we came home, Nala drank some water and immediately puked that up to. So I loaded her up, it was 20 minutes past closing time of our vet, went there, walked in. Here whole stomach area is tender and inflamed. She got the heartworm medication and was dewormed and yesterday the bone which they are used to. The first thing the vet asked is if she was used to the heartworm preventative. She hasn't had it through the wintertime but now that it's March I put them back on, so it looks like she actually reacted on the Medication. However, I don't think I've ever seen THAT much puke and not holding the water down, that certainly got me worried. So a 165 Dollars, shot and medication later, a very lethargic Nala is laying at my feet. So no food for 24 hours for all three of them...


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

Mrs K could it have been the big "wolf" bone that upset Nala


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## Daisy (Jan 4, 2009)

Wow, what a day! I hope your poor Nala feels better quickly!


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## Mrs.K (Jul 14, 2009)

carmspack said:


> Mrs K could it have been the big "wolf" bone that upset Nala


No, she is used to those. I always get them in the commissary and they get those and the marrow-bones regularly. The vet thinks it was the heart worm medication that upset her belly.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

I it possible that the new dog has introduced a virus or a parasite? Or maybe just the stress of a new dog in the pack set her off. But are both girls having issues?


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## Mrs.K (Jul 14, 2009)

Daisy said:


> Wow, what a day! I hope your poor Nala feels better quickly!


No kidding. I can't believe it myself and was glad that a friend was there and took a picture of his license plate just in case and I'm glad that a couple of Soldiers witnessed it as well. 

It's unbelievable the way people are behaving these days.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Oh, yeah the guy was a total nutter. Next time, accidently turn with the hose and spray him down but good.


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## Shade (Feb 20, 2012)

selzer said:


> Oh, yeah the guy was a total nutter. Next time, accidently turn with the hose and spray him down but good.


Honestly I was thinking the same thing, or bringing Nala over to "shake" right beside him :laugh:

Some people are just stupid, seriously stupid


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## Sarah~ (Apr 30, 2012)

Wow that's awful! He could have just talked to you about it calmly instead of screaming at you like that, even if he had been in the right (which he wasn't) no one will listen to you when you speak to them that way. Hope everyone feels better soon I'm sure the stress from all of that screaming didn't help.


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## Lauri & The Gang (Jun 28, 2001)

You used the hose from a car wash to clean a dog??

Am I the only one that finds that very disturbing??


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## Mrs.K (Jul 14, 2009)

Lauri & The Gang said:


> You used the hose from a car wash to clean a dog??
> 
> Am I the only one that finds that very disturbing??


I didn't wash her. The water was warm and clean and the pressure not dangerous at all. I tested the stream on myself and my garden hose has more pressure and what should I have done? It was the only option I had. She couldn't stay in that mess and I rinsed off her legs and the belly. That's it.


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## LaneyB (Feb 5, 2012)

The car wash near my house had different pressures you could pick, and some of them were pretty gentle. It didn't have to be like a firehose.


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## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

selzer said:


> Oh, yeah the guy was a total nutter. Next time, accidently turn with the hose and spray him down but good.


.....and then get shot. Most likely those idiots have guns.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

both dogs are sick, I'd be more concerned about them than the nutter spca wannabe. If I saw someone hosing down a dog at a car wash, I'd be concerned/and probably drive up and observe to be sure they weren't using a high pressure spray on them...if so, Yeah, I'd be PO'd. But I would probably do the same thing if I had no other options. 
There are different levels of spray pressure, but it still feels like pins hitting even on the gentle spray. At least a dogs coat deflects it some.


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## Mrs.K (Jul 14, 2009)

LaneyB said:


> The car wash near my house had different pressures you could pick, and some of them were pretty gentle. It didn't have to be like a firehose.


Yeah, I held my hand in it. It was more of a massage than anything else. 
There was no reason to act the way he did. All he had to do was put his hand in the stream and actually touch the dog. I don't know what that guy considers soaking wet. Butto me soaking wet looks different. 

The only other time I was treated like that was back in Germany and I was called fat nazi by some drunk soldier but that was years ago... however, this? If you are with the SPCA and UnO that is not how you represent your organization.


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## Mrs.K (Jul 14, 2009)

onyx'girl said:


> both dogs are sick, I'd be more concerned about them than the nutter spca wannabe. If I saw someone hosing down a dog at a car wash, I'd be concerned/and probably drive up and observe to be sure they weren't using a high pressure spray on them...if so, Yeah, I'd be PO'd. But I would probably do the same thing if I had no other options.
> There are different levels of spray pressure, but it still feels like pins hitting even on the gentle spray. At least a dogs coat deflects it some.


And I was. Took her to the vet. She got a shot, and medication. Vet said to watch her for the next 24 hours and if it continues to come back. He suspects the Heartworm Preventative since MaDeuce didn't have any of the bone and got sick too. But like Jen. Said it could be any of the dogs that came in and out of the house the last week. 

Guess that is the downside of boarding...


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

sorry your dogs aren't feeling well. the guy wasn't
from any agency. nobody knows how much pressure
was in the hose you were usuing. you wouldn't have
used it if you thought it was to much pressure.


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## Courtney (Feb 12, 2010)

Oh no, what a mess...poor dogs...and you for that mess to clean up.

I would recommend fasting them for at least 12 hours, if not 24. Offer small amounts of water, but don't allow them to chug the water. Of course dehydration is a concern esp when it's coming out of both ends...you know to check gums & the skin on the back of the neck.


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

Well if he did not know that I could see where he was coming from. 

All the car washes I have ever seen had only one very high pressure, and the water is cold not to mention residual chemicals and recycled rinse water. (They have to recycle that water, at least here) --it would be nice to find one that did not blast so hard and actually had warm water! For my car, that is.

I sure hope everything settles down for the dogs. I've never had a reaction to HW medicine before.


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## Mrs.K (Jul 14, 2009)

jocoyn said:


> Well if he did not know that I could see where he was coming from.
> 
> All the car washes I have ever seen had only one very high pressure, and the water is cold not to mention residual chemicals and recycled rinse water. (They have to recycle that water, at least here) --it would be nice to find one that did not blast so hard and actually had warm water! For my car, that is.
> 
> I sure hope everything settles down for the dogs. I've never had a reaction to HW medicine before.


You are in the South and there is no need for warm water to keep the pipes from freezing. As for recycled water I honestly don't know but they get another baths in a couple of minutes.

Courtney, I will fast all three of them for 24 hours.


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## Anitsisqua (Mar 25, 2012)

jocoyn said:


> All the car washes I have ever seen had only one very high pressure, and the water is cold not to mention residual chemicals and recycled rinse water. (They have to recycle that water, at least here) --it would be nice to find one that did not blast so hard and actually had warm water! For my car, that is.


Around here, we actually have combination car/dog washes, so this would be nothing unusual...


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## Courtney (Feb 12, 2010)

The car wash by my house is actually warm in the winter. There is a pressure called "spotless rinse" it's a very light rinse....almost mist. I can certainly understand the guys concern at a glance...but not his foul mouth.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

I don't usually start cussing out strangers like he did, that's a bit much, but also you have to consider how it looks. Not just to other dog owners but if you are trying to market yourself and your business doing obedience training and dog boarding. Am I likely to board my dogs with someone hosing down their stuff, with the dog inside, at the car wash in the winter? Probably not. I've certainly done my share of hosing dogs down on my back patio or using the floor drain in my basement, even when it's cold out and I don't have warm tap water but it's in my home or behind my 6 foot fence. When I bathe my dogs at the pet store we often get people stopping to watch or knock on the door so they can comment on the dogs and meet them, ask about them and their training, do I offer any training or recommend anyone locally.... If you want to maintain a certain image in the community, just something to think about.


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## Sarah~ (Apr 30, 2012)

jocoyn said:


> Well if he did not know that I could see where he was coming from.


Yes me too but he didn't have to scream and curse at her like that, he could have talked to her and I'm sure she would have been happy to show him the water pressure and temperature, and that she was not soaked to the bone just rinsed off.


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

Anitsisqua said:


> Around here, we actually have combination car/dog washes, so this would be nothing unusual...


That would be way awesome. I longingly looked at the car wash the day it was in the 90s and Grim took a cooling dip in a big mud puddle just like the pigs do. He was solid red and the entire back of my truck matched. It was quite the mess....He did get the garden hose before I let him in the house though.


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## Mrs.K (Jul 14, 2009)

Liesje said:


> I don't usually start cussing out strangers like he did, that's a bit much, but also you have to consider how it looks. Not just to other dog owners but if you are trying to market yourself and your business doing obedience training and dog boarding. Am I likely to board my dogs with someone hosing down their stuff, with the dog inside, at the car wash in the winter? Probably not. I've certainly done my share of hosing dogs down on my back patio or using the floor drain in my basement, even when it's cold out and I don't have warm tap water but it's in my home or behind my 6 foot fence. When I bathe my dogs at the pet store we often get people stopping to watch or knock on the door so they can comment on the dogs and meet them, ask about them and their training, do I offer any training or recommend anyone locally.... If you want to maintain a certain image in the community, just something to think about.


Yeah, only that I had no choice. You didn't see what it lookes like. Anne and I did. It was impossinle to drive her half an hour in that much amount of puke so in that case, screw the image and clean the dog. 

I did what was right for her and not what is right for me. This was not normal and I certainly wouldn't have done it if it was just some bile but that was two meals, foam and explosive diarreha of one dog and just explosive diarreah of the other dog. I had to clean out everything, the mats, the water cases, the crates and the dogs. She was inside the crate because my friend couldn't hold all three dogs. I did not have enough hands and that way it was simply easier. Later I bound Nala on a pole, put her into a down, while my friend held Yukon and MaDeuce so I could clean everything else. 


Sometimes people should mind their own business, seriously! Or at least ask, without the cussing, threats and inappropriate behavior. Its not like she spent hours out there, it was a matter of 15 minutes.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Sarah, just don't go trying to run for president, LOL!

I missed the part that this was a car wash, but then, the last time I used a car wash for anything was like 10 years ago, so it wouldn't have probably phased me. I thought he was ticked that you were hosing the dog off in 40 degree whether. 

Whatever, everyone's a hero when there is no danger.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

I keep a 24 pack of scott towels in my Explorer and a big thing of Clorox whipes. If necessary I would have used the chlorox whipes on the dog, then put her in the car and went to town with paper towels and the chlorox whipes on the crate. I probably wouldn't have considered a car wash, just because it probably wouldn't occur to me.


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## Mrs.K (Jul 14, 2009)

Sarah~ said:


> Yes me too but he didn't have to scream and curse at her like that, he could have talked to her and I'm sure she would have been happy to show him the water pressure and temperature, and that she was not soaked to the bone just rinsed off.


And I did. I explained that she has a protective undercoat and that she is not soaked at all. Even offered him to pet her and see for himself.


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## Lin (Jul 3, 2007)

Some people jump to assumptions. I admit it looked strange but the guy shouldn't have flown off the handle. 

I ran into this hilariously crazy woman when I was homeless years ago. Yes, myself and my 2 dogs were living in my car. I was posting here at the time and working hard trying to find a foster/temp home, so for backstory the dogs were VERY well taken care of and got more freedom, fresh air, and exercise than if I'd been living inside somewhere lol. I was working at 2 stables and they were loose at work and the rest of the time was scheduled completely around their needs. 

So, one morning I'm woken up at 6 am by a woman screaming at me. It had been a very cold night, still was pretty chilly, so all the windows were up on the car and I was under a blanket as well. She's screaming at me that my dogs need air, roll down the windows. I told her we are all fine. She wouldn't stop screaming at me that I was abusing my dogs. I wanted to go back to sleep, didn't have much time left TO sleep. She wouldn't leave or stop screaming so I cracked 2 windows about an inch each and yelled THERE. HAPPY?! She keeps yelling that I'm "suffocating" the dogs and the windows need to be rolled ALL THE WAY DOWN. Yells that she's calling the police, because I'm suffocating my dogs. I'm thinking how much I'd LOVE to be listening in on that conversation. "ma'm, you say she's suffocating the dogs inside her car? where is she? wait, she's in the car with them? but she's suffocating them?" I rolled the cracked windows back up lol. Waited a while but no police came, she wouldn't leave (this was in a park btw) so I eventually gave up and headed off to one of the barns I was working at. My friends and I had quite a good laugh over that woman after.


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## Mrs.K (Jul 14, 2009)

[ quote=selzer;3064922]I keep a 24 pack of scott towels in my Explorer and a big thing of Clorox whipes. If necessary I would have used the chlorox whipes on the dog, then put her in the car and went to town with paper towels and the chlorox whipes on the crate. I probably wouldn't have considered a car wash, just because it probably wouldn't occur to me.[/quote]

I had neither. The car wash was right across from the px and all I thought was "water" I need water. Maybe I should have taken pictures for proof but it did not occure to me that I need to proof and justify myself for rinsing out two crates...:wild:


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## Sarah~ (Apr 30, 2012)

selzer said:


> Sarah, just don't go trying to run for president, LOL!


Haha, you never know!


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## Lauri & The Gang (Jun 28, 2001)

Mrs.K said:


> ... but they get another baths in a couple of minutes.


Then how come you couldn't give her a bath in the first place?

I understand hosing out the crate but I'm sorry, I STILL don't understand taking a dog to a car wash (warm water or not) in the middle of winter.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Ya know what? 40 degrees out is raining here. When it is raining, it is wet. While my dogs have houses in their kennels, and shelters, sometimes the like to stand out in the 40 degree rain. And they run back and forth through puddles of melting snow and rain water. They do not shiver, they are not cold. They love it. They are made for it. Rinsing some foul liquid poop off the dog before putting the dog back in the warm crate in the warm car so that everyone in the car can breathe on the way home makes sense to me. 

Lauri, you have those little hairless dogs, I wouldn't expect them to handle weather extremes on either side. But a GSD can get soaking wet in February, take a dip in a river or pond, and be perfectly fine outside.


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## Mrs.K (Jul 14, 2009)

selzer said:


> ya know what? 40 degrees out is raining here. When it is raining, it is wet. While my dogs have houses in their kennels, and shelters, sometimes the like to stand out in the 40 degree rain. And they run back and forth through puddles of melting snow and rain water. They do not shiver, they are not cold. They love it. They are made for it. Rinsing some foul liquid poop off the dog before putting the dog back in the warm crate in the warm car so that everyone in the car can breathe on the way home makes sense to me.
> 
> Lauri, you have those little hairless dogs, i wouldn't expect them to handle weather extremes on either side. But a gsd can get soaking wet in february, take a dip in a river or pond, and be perfectly fine outside.


Exactly! If they can't handle that, they sure as heck ain't German Shepherds. They colder and more wet it is, they more they love it. Last year I posted pics of them going through a lake that only existed because of melting snow water. It was a full blown pond of snow melt. They didn't care how cold it was, they went through that pond like crazy pups and couldn't get enough of it.


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## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

Mrs.K said:


> I didn't wash her. The water was warm and clean and the pressure not dangerous at all. I tested the stream on myself and my garden hose has more pressure and what should I have done? It was the only option I had. She couldn't stay in that mess and I rinsed off her legs and the belly. That's it.


I think you did the best you could and to me it was a clever idea. We have to trust others here on this forum to use common sense, which I think you did. Not every car wash is the same. She didn't put her dog trough these rotating bristle monsters..
WD swims freely in any body of water, doesn't care about the rain, snow or sleet. Our GSDs are not made of sugar......They are supposed to be hardy animals.
I once had to rinse a very short coated dog off in the ocean surf (cold Pacific water!!!) after he had rolled in a decomposing sea lion. The stuff was stuck in his hair and collar. No way would I have waited until we got home to clean him. A puking driver is very dangerous so you choose the best option. He probably was cold but so am I sometimes and since he was healthy enough to roll into that c**p, he survived.


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## Muneraven (Sep 4, 2012)

Lauri & The Gang said:


> Then how come you couldn't give her a bath in the first place?
> 
> I understand hosing out the crate but I'm sorry, I STILL don't understand taking a dog to a car wash (warm water or not) in the middle of winter.


I must have lived way too long in Alaska because this whole "Omigod it's 40 degrees and the wet dogs will die" talk has me baffled. The dogs were getting back into a warm car! She was just rinsing puke off the dog, not baptizing them repeatedly in ice water.


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## Syaoransbear (Sep 25, 2008)

Hehehe, my german shepherd willingly goes swimming in the lake when there's still ice on the shores, so I'm getting a kick out of people worrying about a dog being cold in 40F. Even if that was too cold for a german shepherd, it's not like they were forced to stand outside in the wind.


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## Mrs.K (Jul 14, 2009)

Muneraven said:


> I must have lived way too long in Alaska because this whole "Omigod it's 40 degrees and the wet dogs will die" talk has me baffled. The dogs were getting back into a warm car! She was just rinsing puke off the dog, not baptizing them repeatedly in ice water.



It actually felt like a warm spring day because the sun was out. It was a beautiful day. 

We trained them through a Blizzard. They didn't want to come back into the house during Nemo... it is ridiculous to think that they will die from a little water in 40 degrees. :help:


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## Mrs.K (Jul 14, 2009)

Syaoransbear said:


> Hehehe, my german shepherd willingly goes swimming in the lake when there's still ice on the shores, so I'm getting a kick out of people worrying about a dog being cold in 40F. Even if that was too cold for a german shepherd, it's not like they were forced to stand outside in the wind.


Mine too. See the ice swiming on the melt water? Gosh, they are dying, what am I thinking to let them have some fun. Granted the picture is a year old though... from last February.


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

Not sticking up for the guy and what he said, but honestly,,if I saw someone I did NOT KNOW, hosing down their dog IN a dog crate at the carwash, I'd probably be pretty shocked and think it was not appropriate either. 

Again, not saying what the guy said was anywhere near right, but he didn't know you.

Hope they all feel better soon


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## Mrs.K (Jul 14, 2009)

But you probably would have walked up and asked, right? And not just stood there yelling at the person and throwing profanities at them. 

She is doing better, has a her spunk back but she's still not back to normal and MaDeuce is her normal self.


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## Lilie (Feb 3, 2010)

Mrs.K said:


> During the lunch, Nala must have gotten sick because when I came back to the car I could smell it outside that something was not right. I wasn't gone for that long. It was 40 degrees, *sunny and I was gone for three hours. The windows and the sunroof were open* and they had water, so nothing to worry about and they had releived themselves in the park.


I would worry that someone fed my dogs something while I was gone. Maybe not intentionally attempting to make them ill, but something my dogs normally wouldn't eat. Since both of them were ill.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

First....people are crazy. If I'm threatened by someone like that, I'll call the police myself anymore.

Second....lets get this straight....so you were at training, 30 minutes from your home, when MaDeuce had diarrhea and Nala threw up everywhere. So instead of taking them home, as is...slipping and sliding in their own mess during the ride, you went to a car wash. There, you tested the water to ensure it was warm and that the pressure wasn't so high that it would harm them? Then you pulled the crates out, dog and all, and washed the crates and sprayed off the dogs legs and bellies?

Would I wonder what the  a person was doing? Yes. Would I ask? If I thought the dogs were being harmed, I would. Is 40 F so cold our dogs with their undercoat can't get wet and be ok? No. Do I find this disturbing? No. I would have taken the dogs out of the crates and washed them off separately, and maybe found a different way to wash them off. But I wasn't there so am not going to judge that.


I don't have an issue with you being questioned but again....people are crazy and that man's reaction was way over the top.


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## Mrs.K (Jul 14, 2009)

Lilie said:


> I would worry that someone fed my dogs something while I was gone. Maybe not intentionally attempting to make them ill, but something my dogs normally wouldn't eat. Since both of them were ill.


From those windows, you can't reach the crates, and I doubt someone climbed onto the van. I thought about leaving the sliding door open but with 40 degrees that would have been over the top.


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