Looking Back: The White Dog

Looking Back:
The White Dog

Years ago, a few years ago.. I forget how old I was.. I think I was maybe 12?

Between 1998 and 1999..

There was this family who used to live up the road from us..

There were 3 kids.. All around my sister and my age..

We used to hang out heaps and such, and then one day they moved to a small town called "Junee"..

It was a small typical country town..

You had your typical cliche bogans driving their typical cliche Holden and Ford V8 utes.. People walking around with beer cans, flanno, jeans, etc..

Feral cats everywhere, dirty streets, quiet, etc..

It was a hole basically..

We would go visit them randomly, about a 6 hour drive south..

Staring out the window, bored in the car, with good ol Aussie classics blasting out of the stereo.. With the random "Carpenters" song popping up every now and then.. Classic music, music of my childhood thanks to my father.. Some good ol' rock stuff would come on, some Queen, and such..

Good care free days..

One particular time I remember going there, it was a nice sunny summer day, wasn't too hot.. Summers have gotten hotter and hotter since, must be global warming or something..

It was myself, my mum, my sister and the 2 boys (the other was a girl, just a bit older than me, she was off elsewhere).. We were going for a walk, as the boys wanted to show us this tree they climbed and made a tree house in..

On the way this small white doggy appeared.. I forget its name, or its breed.. Small little white thing, I think it must have been part Jack Russell.. It was a good natured fun little dog..

The boys knew it, and knew of its owners.. It followed us.. We walked all around the town, most of the town was in walking distance of itself.. And back then I actually used my legs for other things.. Not just pedals in a car anymore like now!

I was an active kid back then, before I discovered the ease of having a drivers license..

We got to this tree, and climbed and just hung out.. All us being happy and joking like families do.. Think of the cliche "mother with her kids" type scene.. It was that.. Just a fun beautiful day..

We decided it was time to head home, and try to be home before dinner time.. So we got our stuff and started walking.. There was no footpath so we were walking on the edge of the road..

These were wide roads, could easily fit atleast 6 cars next to each other across the whole thing, big wide road.. We were fine.. We had seen maybe 3 cars driving on the way there.. I remember this.

I was a little further behind.. My mum ahead of us with my sister and the dog (no lead, it was running free, thats how it found us)..

I was with the older boy (my sisters age) and the other boy was walking in the middle of the group..

We had walked slightly slower and were trailing a little behind.. A car had drove past us, a black mini 4wd (Toyota Rav4).. It was going quickish.. Then all of a sudden.. It came to a halt..

From where we were, we were on the top of a slope.. We could only see the top of the car.. Nothing below the rear window level at this time.. Something wasn't right.. The car was just sitting there..

I couldn't see anyone else yet.. Then the car drove off.. It had been sitting there for a few seconds.. I could see the heads inside discussing something actively.. Then they drove off..

I hurried a little, and saw what looked to be the doggy.. The cute small little dog.. My mum running up to it, and the other 2 running to it..

We ran..

Then there it was, the cute little dog.. Slightly out of shape.. Blood coming out of its mouth and eyes..

I was shocked, I had never seen a dead anything at that point.. Especially just hit.. It looked so surreal..

Mum asked the boys if they knew where it had lived.. They knew.. She picked it up, and we headed there..

Upon arriving, I was still slightly shocked at the whole thing.. We knocked on the door, A man came out and looked at us.. He must have been confused as to why there was a random lady with a group of shock faced children staring back to him..

Mum held up the dog, and explained what had just happened..

The man sighed, as mum passed the dog to him.. He looked at it, shook his head a little.. Walked up to a garbage bin and just dumped him in it!

This added to the shock so much more,
"how could you just do that??" I said to myself..

He thanked us and went back inside.. We headed home..

That night, laying in bed, all I could see was the dog, I couldn't sleep.. When I did manage to sleep, I dreamt of that.. The next day, I asked the others if it were the same.. They agreed with me, and had the same..

It was depressing, an experience.. A terrible end to such a beautiful day..

It wasn't for years later (2005) that my own dog would pass away, Arthritis.. The poor dog was yelping in agony one night.. So my parents made the decision to take him to be put down, taken out of his misery..

I dearly miss him.. Still, I loved that dog so much.. Everyone did.. Beautiful well natured dog.. Almost person like.. Loved people.. Never attacked anyone, always happy and playful.. And had the strangest habits..

He also said "Hello" in the cutest growl way.. "Haroooooooo"..

RIP Sammy..