Stray

This morning I had an interview out in Arlington, and I was driving along I-30 on my way back when I saw this large, white dog trotting alongisde the highway, limping just slightly, but going steadily with his tongue lolling out one side of his mouth.

The dog was on the left side of the freeway, in this sort of grassy median that turned to a really wide asphalt shoulder a few miles up. I looked at the dog as I went past at 70 miles per hour, and I briefly considered pulling my car over the trying to pick him up. Where was he going to go? How was he going to cross three lanes of traffic to get off the freeway? I didn't notice a collar, but I was going pretty fast. Maybe he belonged to someone. Maybe he didn't. Maybe I should have done something.

I have really, really intense guilt when it comes to stray dogs, and especially dogs who seem in a situation where no one is going to help them and they're going to get killed by being hit by a car. Cats are something else--I think of cats as more able to take care of themselves, and when I find a small stray kitten (like the little one on the exit ramp near University, or the one that lived in the bush near Dan's apartment), I can easily pull over, catch it and put it in my cat to take it to a shelter.

It's not the same with dogs. I have a small two-door, and a dog would be in awfully close quarters with me while I'm driving. What if it starts pacing around or climbing over seats? And what if while I'm trying to entice the dog over it turns out to be a mean dog that tries to attack me?

But what if it's a nice, gentle, hungry, dehydrated dog that needs help and I just drove past?

I thought about that dog the whole rest of the drive back. Obviously, I'm still thinking about him. I'm wondering if someone picked him up. Maybe they took him home. (I certainly couldn't bring home a dog, with two roommates, two cats and an apartment. It's just not sane.) Maybe he crossed the highway--at least he's got his bright color going for him--and headed off to a subdivision.

When I drive by and don't stop, it makes it awfully hard for me to believe I'm a good person.