I'm a gravedigger.

I'm not sure I blogged about the last time my dog S rolled in something gross in the field where I let her run off leash so I'll recap that day to start.

A month or two ago S rolled in something. Now she rolled in whatever it was a few times but those first few times whatever it was she rolled in didn't reek so I didn't have to bath her. Then one day she came from rolling and was soaked with stench.I had to bring her back home and bath her. I waited a couple weeks before I went to the field again and this time I borrowed a shovel from a friend that lives near the field and buried what I discovered was a dead raccoon(mostly decomposed).

About a week ago S found something new in a different part of the field but again the first couple times it didn't smell all that bad ... I should have known. Today she rolled in whatever it is and yuck!! The smell was so bad both my friend that was walking with me and I gagged and tears came to my eyes! What a reek! Again. I had to bring her back home and bath her. Tomorrow I will go bury whatever it is and next time she rolls in something in the field I will find it the next day rather than waiting for bath level grossness!

This time I'm taking my own shovel. My man found a folding one in our camping gear so I won't look like I'm taking my dog out to kill her when I walk her to the field tomorrow :)

Edited to add: Looked today during our walk, no luck. Either someone else buried it or I wasn't looking in the right place. I guess I'll have to take the shovel with me daily and keep a sharp eye on her until I feel the risk has passed or I find it and bury it.

Edit June 17th: I finally found what S was rolling in and I am angry and sad because of it. I did my best to bury it but am still in a state about the whole thing. Of course you must first remember that this is a vacant lot that I walk S through. There are signs that others(probably homeless people as it is near the downtown of my city) using the lot to sleep and/or hang out and certainly signs of other dog owners walking their dogs(and not picking up after them). I saw lots of paw prints in the snow this past winter. I like the lot because there are paths worn thru it, it's a huge lot and it's almost completely fenced in. I don't have to worry about S when she's off leash other than if she finds something to roll in.

Why am I upset? The thing I had to bury this morning was a dead dog in a black garbage bag. It was tossed out onto a vacant lot like trash and the monsters that did it just left it there. To say I am upset is to put it lightly. I've dealt with the death of a dog - it was incredibly hard for me and J. We went $200 more into debt to have his body disposed of. If we would have been stronger and it was allowed by city law we may have dug a big hole and buried him in the back yard. If we had had more money we would have had him buried at a pet cemetery with a marker and everything. We would have NEVER tossed him in a garbage bag and dumped him somewhere for someone else to deal with.

I did my best to cover the bag and remains and then covered the whole lot with a bunch of branches so S can't roll there anymore but I'll never be able to walk by that spot without thinking of it and wondering just what kind of creature could just toss an animal away like that and walk away. Sadly there is no point in reporting this because after all it was "just" a dog ... I hate humans.