We have a large fenced in yard but I use a retractable leash to take the dogs outside at night.  I don’t want them disturbing the neighbors by barking.  It also helps to keep them from dashing off after a wandering skunk, raccoon, or opossum, should one be visiting our yard.  I don’t take delight in skunk odor or late night vet runs.

     Late last night I took our boy Gavin out and he bolted for the fence, barking his fool head off.  Nothing new or unusual about that, nine times out of ten he will.  However, what happened when he hit the end of the retractable leash was a huge surprise.

     His collar broke and the leash snapped it back at me.  It’s a good thing I have a strong reaction to things that fly at my face and ducked just in time.  The collar and tags zinged over my head.  I watched my now naked dog running the fence line barking at nothing but the dark.

     I pictured the coroner’s report.

Cause of death:  blunt force trauma, impact of ten dog tags to skull knocked her unconscious, she then fell backwards and hit her head on the edge of the gas grill, fracturing her skull.