Milliron Monday: The Recordings 8 Jerry Hartley's Great Dane, Drawbridge

  Abbott "Pete" Smith D.V.M.:  June 16, 1938 - February 22, 2010

Virginia Joyann "Jody" Haley Smith: April 2, 1938 - May 9, 2021

Welcome to Milliron Monday where every Monday we celebrate the legacy of Milliron Farm and Clinic, Dr. Pete and Jody Smith. 

"I saw the light bulb come on in the German Shepherd's mind."

― Jerry Hartley

Setting for this recording: Long-time client Jerry Hartley visited the barn. Jody was present, too. Here, Jerry talks about his beloved Great Dane, Drawbridge...

Drawbridge did not have Great Dane ears. His ears laid flat on top of his head, like he had a hat on. They cut the ears of Great Dane's to make the ears stand up. Whoever cut his ears made a mistake.  Anyhow, Drawbridge was living out near Pete's [Dr. Smith/Milliron] place somewhere. She was eating Pete's sheep. [Jody laughs out loud]. Pete caught the dog and gave her to me. She became my guard dog. We would go to horseshows and Drawbridge would walk right ahead us, between us. When someone walked towards us, they moved. We would put her in the tack room at our horse trailer, and everything would be in the tack room when we got back. No one messed with Drawbridge. A friend came by to see if we were at our trailer. When he walked into the tack room, Drawbridge put him on the hay. The guy had a porkchop sandwich for lunch in his hand. He fed Drawbridge pieces of his sandwich until we came back to the trailer. Otherwise, there was no escape.  

Drawbridge was a great dog. She would be okay with visitors at the house, but she never wanted them to leave. She would back them up to our fireplace. Her teeth would grow that long [Jerry motioned with his hands]. One time, my then-wife, was told about a German Shepherd to be re-homed. She went to see it, it was in a mud hole and a mess. She brought it home. We fixed the dog up and kept it.

Drawbridge liked to lay under our cherry tree, all four legs straight up in the air, her belly exposed. The German Shepherd was down by the horse walker. I was upstairs and I looked out the window. I saw the light bulb come on in the German Shepherd's mind. Today's the day I'm going to jump on Drawbridge.

The German Shepherd started running right towards Drawbridge and jumped right on the middle of her belly. Drawbridge jumped up, grabbed the German Shepherd by the throat, threw the dog up in the air, and laid back down like nothing had happened. She killed the German Shepherd in an instant, breaking it's neck. It was like a ragdoll. 

Drawbridge never bit a human soul. She was a tough dog; a tough cookie. I had her for about six years. Big dogs don't live as long as small dogs. One day, she just laid down and died. 

Have a great week ahead.

  

Connect with Gina...

Milliron Facebook Page

Amazon Author Page

Milliron: The Biography

www.gmcknight.com

www.mondaycreekpublishing.com

Through captivating, powerful, and emotional anecdotes, we celebrate the life of Dr. Abbott P. Smith. His biography takes the reader from smiles to laughter to empathy and tears. Dr. Smith gave us compelling lessons learned from animals; the role animals play in the human condition, the joy of loving an animal, and the awe of their spirituality. A tender and profound look into the life of a skilled veterinarian.