April 12, 2007
When your ass calls for help
When I pulled up behind the farmhouse, I heard a sound that made my heart thump. Lulu was calling me.
[...]
Donkeys are not like dogs; they don't respond to commands. They will do what you want—amble into the barn so a farrier can check their hooves, for instance—but in their own time. You have to make them think it's their own idea. Carrots help.
Lulu's braying alarmed me. I dropped the bag I was carrying, turned on the truck's headlights to illuminate the barnyard, and opened the back door of the house to let out Rose, my border collie and herding associate. Then I hustled—slid, mostly—toward the pasture gate.
In general, I don't believe that animals talk to people, but that night I was sure Lulu was telling me she needed help. She was talking to me. I was sure of it, and it was eerie.
Go ahead and read the rest of the story; it's another great animal tale from Jon Katz.
Posted by Mike Lief at April 12, 2007 07:58 AM
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