Nov 2000

Well it turns out a couple weeks ago one of the families who live around the corner on our block decided to get ostriches. Yes I said ostriches. Not your run of the mill pet for an area that has factories, grocery store, convenience store, restaurants etc not mention people living there now would you say? That’s what led to the following situation.

Halloween evening one of our neighbor’s dogs managed to get loose and got inside the lot where the ostriches were kept. This was not a good idea. Of course this caused a huge uproar and another neighbor’s dog broke its chain and into the lot he went following the first dog, which was by now chasing the ostriches. In the meantime the ostriches were getting more and more upset, kicking the dogs, stomping etc. Well the owner of the first dog (and the ostriches) went in to get the dogs out and one of the ostriches decides it is going out. So out it goes, across the yards, through the alley and up to the next street (which I might add is a VERY busy road) By this time most of the neighbors are out in force. The kids are chasing runaway dogs, and the adults are chasing a runaway ostrich. The ostrich goes up on VA Avenue (which where by this time traffic has crawled to a stop on because of people gawking) and runs into a pickup truck (imagine explaining that to your insurance agent). The ostrich then turns and runs down in behind a restaurant that is on the corner of our block. There they get it trapped but they are unable to catch it. Looking around you can see kids are dragging home dogs on leashes they have caught, which are mad and still trying to get back at the ostriches. The owner of the second dog comes out (she had been in the shower) to find out what all the commotion is and sees her German shepherd being drug back to house on a leash. They catch the first dog and put him back on his chain, which he promptly breaks, and its back off chasing him again (this is a big dog probably goes 100 pounds). Once he is caught again they lock him in the basement and the mom goes off to help catch the ostrich.