BUSTED IN BOULIA

Well .. like Johnny Cash I have walked the line. Yep. I am a jail dog. It happened like this. In the little Queensland town of Boulia, Dad visited the Min Min Museum and, as usual, left me outside to wait. They wouldn't let me in because I am a dog.

Yes. I know. Dad SHOULD tie me up but he likes breaking the rules.

Everything went well for ten minutes or so. There were some school kids who patted me .. a lady passing by gave me a bit of sausage roll. It was fun like it usually is. I barked at some people who were coming into the Museum liked I owned it.

Then the local Council drove past. My number was up. Three men in brown uniforms got out and walked towards me. Hello boy .. where are you from?  I think they were all playing the good cop role. Either that or they were all nice.

They asked the lady in the Museum if she knew who owned me. The Council bloke said I obviously wasn't a stray because I was so 'well kept'. I know what he meant but its hard to lose weight when you get older. She didn't know so they arrested me. I had to jump in the back of their ute and then into a solitary confinement cage. Its times like that I wished I could speak English and not just blog it.

My life flashed before me. It had been so good, so rich, but had it come to this? Dad was still inside the Museum as they drove to the Council lockup to start my stretch.

Jail grub wasn't bad in Boulia. They gave me some food and water and patted me. But still, jail is jail. A dog torn from his master can never be happy.

Anyway, after about ten minutes I heard the Toyota coming. Dad jumped out and was so panicky he stood right in front of me and asked the men if they'd seen a blond cattle dog. I was too excited to bark. My jailers laughed and said like this one? My tail was wagging so fast I think I put my hip out.

Now I knew what Janis Joplin meant - Freedoms just another word for nothing left to lose. Well I didn't really but its a great song.

Dad was so happy to find me. We went to the park and had a bit of a bonding session. He told me what a good boy I was which was a bit confusing given I'd just been to jail.

I am thinking of going on the talk show circuit and sharing my experience with other dogs. I might even write a Country and Western song - Busted in Boulia.

Woof

Tommie xx