We were out of milk and Bailey was in the yard enjoying that very small window before it gets too hot. What can happen in 20 min? Ive done this many times before. Bailey is 99% indoors but enjoys some sunbathing/ outdoor lounging time. If he happens to be out and I'm just running a quick errand... less than 20 min like picking my kiddo up from school around the corner...what could happen? What happened was kids shot their nerf toy over to our yard and when I didn't answer the doorbell they decided to enter the yard and get it having no idea Bailey was back there. I pulled up to my house and rounding the corner the first thing I saw was the gate open. My heart sunk thinking Bailey is gone. The next thing I see is a group of kids in my driveway holding sticks, rocks and a turtle statue from my garden.
Very luckily on my part, Bailey was chewing this 'offering from the sky' and didn't leave the backyard and the kids said they grabbed things to 'defend themselves' if he came out but never pelted him. Again I was lucky because there was no evidence that anything had been thrown/out of place. But it was unsettling to know when I asked the kids what they would have done if Bailey HAD passed the gate...'we were going to get him'. They were enthusiastic about it.
The kids left with $10 to replace the toy...Bailey dented the plastic piece that attached to the shooter...and the kids got a serious talk about being 5-8 years old ringing the bell of someone they didn't know AND opening gates to yards.
NEVER AGAIN will I leave the house with Bailey in the backyard even for minute if I'm not home. It was also unsettling to know these young kids traveled so far around the corner to my house without a parent at their age. My daughter is in for a shock when she's older if she thinks that is going to happen!
