Adventures in Beaconsfield ... Sam Goes to the Pound

It's been tough finding places to hike with Sam here in Quebec - especially off-leash. Luckily, a not-for profit group runs a place called Bois Angell/Angell Woods - where you can hike with your dog off leash. Last weekend, while S was slaving away on a proposal in Johnstown, Sam and I headed to Angell Woods with three friends and three other dogs.

It's a flat trail, slightly rocky in places with a few wetland areas. There aren't many distinguishing landmarks, with the exception of the occasional rotted-out car.


We had a nice hike, and Nixie, Freddie and Muscad were very well behaved. I fell into an animated discussion with Manu - although I stopped here and there to take pictures.

There are Nixie, Freddie and Muscade enjoying the hike, being good.


But where was Sam?

Nowhere. We tried everything to find him, split into groups calling his name, offering him enormous rewards. Still nothing. I really began to panic - for some inexplicably stupid reason, we had never gotten his new id tag for Montreal. So I feared I had lost him forever.

In spite of my total panic - well, it's not every day you get this close to a woodpecker to take its picture.


I finally went back to a house he had been interested in before - and as I approached, a woman came out to ask if we'd lost a dog.

Gayle had fed him, given him water, and held him in a kennel until the police arrived. Angel Woods borders houses on several sides, and the homeowners are subject to canine interlopers at annoyingly regular intervals. And since Gayle has been bitten by previous dog visitors, we were grateful she had been so nice and kept Sam safe. And even more grateful that she declined to press charges - $300 in addition to the ticket we were due. Gayle reports that Sam was completely content until the cop got there - at which he slipped his collar and made a break for the woods, realizing that he may finally have gone to far. Gayle apprehended him again - and he got a ride in the back of the police car.

Once we arrived at her house, Gayle called the police station, we reassembled the search party and Manu and Cecile drove me to the Hôtel de Ville (city hall). We stopped and asked a cop where the dogs would be - he pointed us here:


and proceeded to let us in the building. He was the one who had picked Sam up - and reported that he had been perfectly quiet and agreeable since he got in the car.


Sam was inside one of the kennels, crying his heart out when he saw me. The police officer was nice enough to let me take these pictures, did not give the ticket he was supposed to. The only thing he wouldn't do is let me take his picture.

Sam is safe at home, with his new Montreal address tag on his collar.