Vai.

"He's not an ugly, yeller dog, he's a Purty, yeller dog."
So said the kid from a tear-jerker, Walt Disney movie from years ago. The dog gets rabies trying to save the kid from the dog With rabies, and dad thinks he needs to shoot him, kid saves dog, dog recovers, lives happily ever after with the family and there isn't a dry eye in the house.

Meet Vai.

He ain't got rabies. He's not an ugly yeller dog, he's a purty, yeller dog. And he lives next door. And he's owned by a young, busy with his life, young man. Left with young man's dad, who don't want him. He's chained up for most of his days, and for exercise, they just undo the chain and let him out the door, and, oh boy, is he happy. He Runs. Jumps. Bounds up to all and sundry and let's them know how happy he is to see them. Of course, your clothes are gonna get dirty, and he might just knock over your kids. As an example, an unusual event down here in the East End of Bellingen.

A wedding, which is not so unusual in itself, but this one came down to us on a horse-drawn fancy wagon and had pics taken with the paddocks and the trees in the background. We went out to watch, cos it was lovely, you know? There was Rachel done up to the nine's with top hat and all, driving these two lovely bay, well behaved horses, and the wedding party step down to the ground for their lovely photographs to be taken.

And out comes Vai. Can you imagine the disaster of lovely, young, exuberant pup keenly embracing all and sundry with his dirty, material-snagging feet and claws. To make things worse, he looks like he's our dog. This ill-behaved, boisterous and very nice looking little dog.

Ah, well. Not to0 much damage was done, but the neighbours are getting bolshy. Our resident Vietnam vet has complained to the authorities twice. Once more and Vai's life is on the line. Merv will be down here like a shot, and .... just a shot...say no more.

Now that you get the picture, here is the conversation with dad. We're driving home, Sunday afternoon, and there's the lovely Vai out looking for a bit of action. Except that this time he's trotting up the main road. Now we're talking danger and disaster.

"Let me out," I say.
I call Vai, who comes happily bounding over to someone he knows and happily follows me back to his own house. Up the stairs we go, and there's dad leaning on the window sill. I say his name. Then I say,
"Some time ago, you told me that if I don't want the dog around my house, to chase him away. The reason that I didn't do that is because the chances are that he would wander onto the main road. I have seen dogs hit by cars and, I'm sorry, but I don't cope. He is now on the main road. That's why I'm here."
"It's a dog thing."
"Pardon."
"It happens."
"No. It's an irresponsible owner thing."
"So what am I supposed to do? Keep him chained up?"
"No. You're supposed to exercise him and train him."
"I don't want him."

You get the drift.

There it is. Just another unhappy dog story. We're well into this one by a number of months, so we just have to wait and see how it pans out. Just another dog with another bullet in the brain because some owners don't care? Let's hope that this purty yeller dog also has a happy ending.