Friday afternoon I had just completed a task in the house and thought it might be a good idea to get supper started as it was one of those meals that take a while to cook. On my way out through the kitchen I heard the dogs barking in the direction of the neighbours on the right of us and went outside to have a look. Sure enough they were all, but the puppies, standing at the fence and barking. I turned to go and start with supper and in the very next instant I saw how Molly spun round and attacked Purdy. You have to understand that this is really out of character for Molly and up to this point we are still uncertain what made her do this, but she was like a demon possessed. She took hold of Purdy and would not let go. Purdy tried as best she could to fight out of the deadlock grip that Molly had on her but she could not free herself. I shouted at Molly and then I tried to pull her off Purdy. I threw things at her - sticks, bottles anything I could lay my hands on. I grabbed the water bucket and doused them in water and still she did not let go. By now I was panicking as I could see the terror in Purdy's eyes and I felt certain that Molly would kill her.
We have had many dogs over the years and mostly they have been placid and complacent around each other. Even the two boys we have now, Todd and Barney have had their growling sessions, hackles up, but never anything like this. At one stage I had Molly by her tail, lifting her in the air, hoping that she would let go, but she didn't....she just kept a strong grip on Purdy and was dragging her all over the garden. I really was at my wits end and I phoned Johan explaining what was happening, but I guess for him on the other end of the line, he thought it was just a little tiff and it would soon be over...he couldn't comprehend the fear I felt that for Molly this was a fight to the end.
I threw my phone down and tried once more to get Molly to loosen her grip around Purdy's throat before flopping down on the ground in absolute disbelief and horror at what was unfolding in front of my eyes. I have seen cockerals fighting where they will peck at each others eyes and it too is an awful sight to witness. I remember nursing one cockeral back to health after one such fight and for days I thought he wouldn't make it. He did and he continued to taunt the other cockeral from the other side of the fence, with one eye less, as if nothing had ever happened.
Having gained some strength I ran to the tack room to find the horses whip and riding crop hoping that one or other of those would help. At first I used the whip, but it was too long and became entangled in the two of them, so I resorted to using the crop. I remember someone saying once you should hit them on their nose so I was aiming for Molly's nose. I don't know if I did manage to get her on her nose but she let go...halleluja..... I grabbed Molly before she could go for Purdy again and watched Purdy running away. Both dogs were covered in blood and I needed to assess the damage. I picked Molly up and took her into the house to bath her. The water was covered in blood and as I washed her I realized that there was nothing wrong with her at all, all the blood on her was from Purdy. I closed her in the kitchen and went to look for Purdy. As I am writing this I cannot even remember where I found Purdy, but I do know that I was calling and looking for a few minutes before finding her. I scooped her up and could see a mark on her chest and rips on her ear...she was shivering from shock and fright. I bathed her as gingerly as I could with her shaking all the while. The damage wasn't as bad as I had first thought as I dried her and left her in the bathroom.
Johan then phoned and after all that had happened and trying to talk to him, I realized that I couldn't breathe. I was wheezing and gasping and coughing...I couldn't stop coughing...on the other end of the line he panicked and said he was coming home. I said I will be fine but I certainly didn't feel fine. Next minute Peet and an ambulance arrived at our gate and I walked slowly to the gate, coughing all the way. I have never had an asthma attack before and don't suffer from asthma but for me it felt like what an asthma attack would be like. They took my blood pressure - sky high - listened to my heart - racing faster than a locomotive in full steam and made me breathe into a bag giving me oxygen at the same time. My heart rate went from 165 to 104 in just a matter of minutes and my coughing subsided to a small cough here and there. It turns out my asthma attack was a panic attack!!!!
Today is 4 days later and the swelling and bruise I saw much later that evening on my arm is subsiding. Purdy is still hobbling around and her left front leg seems to have picked up some damage as she is not using it at all. The first couple of days we gave her some disprin for the pain and she spends much of her time inside, either in the house with me or in the outside room where she sleeps at night. Molly is waltzing around with her head held high as if nothing in the world ever happened. We have deicded that she or Purdy will go with Johan at the end of the month when he goes down to KZN...best to keep them apart as I do not want to ever live through an episode like that again....
Molly
Purdy
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