Rosie May

Most people look at me in shock when I say that I was attacked by a coyote, some people don’t believe me, but its true. That’s why this story is about more than a pet, its about a four legged hero. I should probably start from the beginning.

I was nine years old. I was getting off the bus when I noticed something run into the shrubs across the road. I lived in rural Alabama near an old dirt road. If you only ever learn two things about dirt roads its that the county doesn’t know how to take care of them, and people dump unwanted pets on them. That is exactly how I got my first cat, but that is a story for another day.

A few days later I saw the same little something and a few days later again and again, but always at a distance. The little something never got close. After a few weeks of this had gone by my mom came in my room where I was watching TV to tell me that she saw a puppy hiding under our horse trailer. Naturally, just as any nine year old girl would do I rushed outside after grabbing a couple MilkBone dog biscuits from the box.

I knelt down by the front of the trailer and held out the treats in my hand. After weeks of seeing that little something from a far she finally faced her fear. She bolted from under the trailer straight to me. Completely ignoring the treats she practically knocked me over, smothering me in wet, puppy kisses.

We could see immediately that the poor baby had gone through something terrible. You could count every rib and vertebra. She was missing almost all her hair and was covered in cuts and scrapes.

The next day we took her to the vet. We found out that she was roughly six months old, at least half German shepherd and had a severe case of sarcoptic mange. We took her home with medicine, a weight gain plan and a new name, Rosie May.

Rosie's hard times weren’t over yet. Her hair had just started to grow back when she was hit by a car. We rushed her to the vet and were forced to leave her over night. The next day we were informed that she had broken her front left leg and pelvis. She hadn’t stood up even once so the veterinary staff wanted to keep her there to monitor her for nerve damage. After a week of her still not standing we were given the opportunity to bring her home for the weekend with the sad possibility of having to put her to sleep on Monday morning after saying our goodbyes.

We got her home and I carried her into my room, laying her carefully on her bed as to not jostle her too much. After sitting with her for a short moment I realized I had forgotten my ice cream in the car. I ran outside so I could get it and get back to her as fast as possible. Before I could get to the car I heard the click of puppy claws on hardwood. Rushing to catch up to me, after not standing for a week was Rosie. At the moment I knew she would be my best friend for life, little did I know that she would one day save it.

Four years after Rosie got her name I was home alone doing homework. My focus shifted from pre algebra to a commotion outside. My family's two herding dogs were viciously barking close to the back door. I picked up my feisty, furry alligator in jack Russel clothing and did that stupid thing.

You know the thing. The thing we yell at the television screen for when see the main character in the horror movie we’re watching do it. Yeah, that thing.

I went to investigate.

I walked down the steps into our open garage and turned to the left to exit into the back yard. Our blue Australian Cattle dog, Little-man, and blue eyed, red merle Australian Shepherd, Amber-lee trotted calmly up to me. I looked around and couldn’t see what they were barking at, I also didn’t see Rosie.

About one hundred feet away a tan, canine creature darted out of the woods. I didn’t have my glasses on and the size and shape were so similar I assumed it couldn’t be anything other than my k9 best friend.

I was wrong.

It was only thirty feet away when I realized that it was definitely not Rosie. It was an aggressive, hungry, wild coyote and it was running, mouth open, right at me.

My heart was racing. A bead of sweat ran down my back. I knew there was no way I could escape and I was terrified.

Ten feet.

That’s how far away it was when I resigned myself for what was to come. Just as braced myself for the pain Rosie came barreling around the house. She plowed into the coyote, full force, causing them both to roll. After a short tussle the coyote, realizing it was at a severe disadvantage, ran back towards the woods from whence it came.

Thankfully Rosie and I both were unscathed and we never saw the beast again.

Rosie-May crossed the rainbow bridge in 2018 but her paw prints remain etched on my heart.