Building The Love Shack

Hello everyone, I would like to introduce myself. You know me as Lacie Sheldon Winters. My friends and family call me Mama Bear.

My co-workers will tell you, I am generally a happy person who will do anything to help anyone and my neighbors will tell you, I rarely complain about anything and that they trust me with the keys to their homes and the care of their families. So basically on the good person list, I get at least a seven.

My husband and close family will tell you that I live through my heart, but “oh god run like hell when you cross that final line”.

My husband also asks me why I share the bad things that happen on the blog. The reason is simple, life even at the Love Shack is not all paradise. It’s life and it’s real. On that note, I’m going to take you back.

Summer of 2016, we were sitting in our yard at the cottage. It was the first time having the whole family together at the cottage for the family birthday. It was dark when suddenly a dog came flying at Coco. My daughter-in-law and I were both knocked over, the table went flying on to my in-laws.

Up until this point, we had not said anything to the neighbor that everyone complained about but didn’t say anything to. The reason they said nothing, he had lots of other family members there with cottages and they didn’t want to be excluded from the other cottagers. ( Bully)

In the meantime, the dog had been running loose. Jumping on people and pooping in everyone’s yard.

Well, enough was enough, and I said something. The results, one of the other cottagers had the nerve, yup I said that, to make me feel like I was the problem. Guess what, I never said anything to her, but I have not forgotten it. But soon the dog was on the leash and the bad neighbor and us got along.

Since then, I have kept my mouth shut, till the new bad neighbor moved into ( yup the same dam cottage). Only this time, there were about twenty complaints about this guy and yup his dog, as I told in the blog The Bad Neighbor.

So here is where Mama Bear now comes in. Romeo is not my d-o-g. Romeo is my BABY. He is my child, just like my children and foster children. Just like every animal who has been adopted into this home.

He eats my food. He sleeps in my bed. He is more important than my job or my money. He is dependant on me. He will never grow up. He will just get bigger. He follows my lead and instructions. I am responsible for everything he does and everything he needs, including his safety. That is the way of life as a Fur Parent.

Now, remember I said I am the neighbor who also doesn’t really complain. So when I see the cars on the lawn or someone building stuff that they don’t have a permit for. I don’t care. When they get drunk till they fall down. Nope, still don’t care.

But, when I am at the cottage, I am not working and when stupid hits them on the head, I will be glad to call 9-1-1. But please accept that as my only help. Responsible people, I will get out of my lawn chair for. I told you I get at least a seven on the good people list, not a ten.

So now, for the last two years, I haven’t said a word about the dog problem. But Yes, we have a dog problem.

My mind is boggled. I can not understand how or what happens to a person mind. Many of the cottagers, live near us in the city. They have nice homes. Take care of their properties. Have successful careers and walk their dogs and clean after them and yes, they keep them in fenced yards and walk them on the leash.

But and I mean BUT, as soon as they leave the city limits, gone is all forms of responsibility or logic. Just like that is a flash. Gone.

And yet, I haven’t said anything.. Until now…

Last weekend Husband, myself, Romeo and Aunt Jodi were walking, when two bulldogs came charging at us. My six-foot-plus husband and Romeo were knocked to the ground with teeth coming at them. Husband and Rome were tangled in his lead and he was knocked down hard enough that the husband came out of his shoes.

With my bad arm,( one day before surgery) I lifted a growling, biting dog off Romeo, while the owner pulled the other one-off of them.

Injuries: Twisted wrist and all my nails broke off my hand. Husband, a brush burn, and Romeo had a small cut on his leg. Boy were we lucky, that could have been much worse.

The owner apologized and was upset. Forgiveness was given… This time.

 

 

As we walked back to the cottage we were stopped along the way, many times, by other Cottagers who witnessed what had happened, and here is what we heard:

Their dogs have been attached in their yards too. They can’t bring their dogs to the cottage because of this neighbor, and that neighbor doesn’t keep his dogs at his cottages and has attacked and almost killed their dog. They are afraid to walk their dogs. They are afraid to walk alone because they are small, or elderly or not in good health and they get jumped on or growled at by dogs.

HOLY CRAP… Nurse and Mother Bear just fell off the… I am so pissed wagon… AND You just crossed the line mark.

So a note to that neighbor who I heard reads my blog, I was the problem complaining three years ago… Shame on you, dog owner. This is not a new problem, this has been going on for years.

One week after my surgery, with a semi-working arm. I have spent this whole day on the phone.

Animal Control has been notified of unleashed dogs running around jumping on people, attacking dogs on a leash and tied on their own property. The pooping on people’s lawns, digging up their property and about the neighbors who have been afraid to walk their dog’s or by themselves.

Before I spoke with the Animal Control, I spoke with The MPP and The Counselor for the Region.

An Animal Control Officer has been assigned to the case, starting this morning, she is in effect. They will now start patrolling the area. They have asked for photographs to be taken( everyone has a cell phone). Fines will be issued. Dogs will be picked up. Licenses will be checked and so will vaccinations.

I am not the bad neighbor who was shunned for complaining about being attacked three years ago. I am the neighbor who will stand up with the multiple other neighbors who said what can we do.

When I return to the cottage this weekend, there is flyer already made with all the contract numbers and instructions for the people who have been afraid and didn’t know what to do.

You see, I am no longer the new guy. I am a member of the cottage community.

Most of the time, I stay over at my place working on the Love Shack. Occasionally you see us walking the dog. We are the nice people who will always stop to talk, loan you a hand or a tool. I am also a mother, a Mama Bear, a Nurse and a Fur Mommy.

And as my children and husband said… Oh shit… they crossed the line.

People should not be afraid to live or walk in their community.

Dog attacks are caused by bad owners, not bad dogs.

Your common sense does not get to leave when you cross out of the city lines. Leash laws are in effect in the whole country.

You love your fur baby enough to have them, then care for them and about them. Not only do people and other animals get hurt, but so can yours.

And I think I might have just gone on my first rant. I am sure it won’t be my last.

On that note, as I said to my MPP, My Counselor, and the Animal Control, I have four months off of work with nothing else to do. I will not sit back and be bullied by a bad neighbor or his poor dog. We will be in touch.

PS… We are all ok. Romeo’s leg is healing. My arm well who can tell at this point, it was assaulted during surgery and husband, well he was too big he said for me to kiss his boo-boo… So I think he is going to be ok too.

PSS… We also learned something about our 108 lb Baby, he is not afraid to defend himself or protect his family. If not for that, I think we might have all had a few more injuries. It is also a good thing he was on the lead or I am afraid that those two bulldogs would have been needing a vet.

Let’s hope he never has to do that again.