The night LaKota saved my life

by Kimberly Guy
(Illinois)

I had spent many years with my beautiful, goofy Pry. Everyone used to say he was dumb as a rock. I didn't argue with them, I had never seen anything to the contrary. All I knew was that I adored him, woodwork chewing and all. He put up with the Yorkie who thought she ran the house and let my children use him as a floor pillow. We would go for our nightly walks around the small lake and it was the most peace I would have all day.

One night started out like all the rest, we went late so that we could meet up with a great horned owl who we would encounter every other night or so. Getting to the far side of the lake, LaKota suddenly stopped. That was unusual because he was known for dragging me around the lake and I had to resort to a training collar so that I could walk him.

I asked him what was wrong but he just stayed still. Then I heard the noise. I glanced around desperately trying to figure out where it was coming from. It surely must have been what made LaKota stop.

When my mind cleared, I realized the sound was coming from LaKota. It wasn't a bark, it wasn't a growl. It was a sound that I had never heard come out of my baby before and I was suddenly scared of my own dog. It started out low but slowly gained volume until it was as if the gates of hell had opened.

I was terrified and didn't know what to do. That's when I saw the man come out of the reeds. LaKota started towards him and training collar and all, it took everything I had to hold him back.

He wanted this man's throat...badly. I think he scared the man as badly as he scared me. He asked me if LaKota was friendly. As scared as I was, I remember thinking "Really dude? Right now I have Cerberus on a man-made leash and you're asking that?"

I said "No. I'm really having a hard time holding him right now. You may want to move away." He left. I know I must have looked back several times trying to figure out where he went or if he was following us but I just got us home as fast as I could. I couldn't even relate the story to my husband right away.

LaKota was back to his goof ball, air head self, but I now knew differently. When needed, I was walking Cerberus, the three headed dog from hell.