Visitor under the fence

My mother has adopted a Lab/Rottweiler mix, Stella, a few months ago. She has been great fun, scaring my cats and pulling me over when she saw a deer on a walk.


I woke up around 1 a.m. and heard a dog barking. It was close, but the bark seemed too high-pitched to be Stella. I figured it was the puppy next door. The worst, I thought, was her getting under the fence into Mom's yard and wanted to get back home. It could wait until morning.

So, I went back to sleep. It was hard with that darn dog making noise.

The dog eventually shut up and when I got up this morning, Mom had a story to tell.

It seems that Stella woke her up to go out around 1 a.m. Mom put her out, and Stella did not come back. She could hear barking (w/o her aid, so you know it was LOUD) and was over at the right-hand corner of the fence where the ground dips down for drainage. We've put some wire and plastic fencing there because I think I recall seeing a fox in the yard when we first moved in. This is where someone put the ashes from the grill.

Mom called and Stella would not come in, just continued to bark.

Mom said she got a flashlight from a kitchen drawer and shone it where Stella was. Turned out that Stella was barking and carrying on about some critter that was trying to get under the fence.

Mom said she got one aid in, Stella's leash and had to manhandle Stella (who weighs more than 50 lbs and did NOT want to go) into the house. Mom said the animal was yellowish in color, had a pointed snout and had LOTS of teeth. She said "wolf," but I think it may have been fox or coyote.

Mom finally dragged Stella in and shut and locked the door. The animal was gone in the morning. Mom said she did not get back to sleep (Stella was agitated) until 3 a.m.

I asked Mom why she did not get me, and she said that if I didn't wake up with the barking, I must have been deeply asleep. (No, just thought it was another dog. Stella has (usually) a deeper bark.)

I reset the wire fence and put what potting soil we have under the gap. Mom did not want me to use the river or lava rock we have because that would get tossed by lawnmowers. I suggested getting mothballs to put along the fence line. I seem to recall that some kinds of critters do not like the smell.

The ground by that corner was all torn up and I brought in some white and black fur that was in the yard, about 5 feet from the fence. It was not Stella fur.

I don't know what it was, but something tried to get in. Yea Stella!
Oh, and the cats? I wondered why Amelia was behind my legs, under the covers.