It was one of those days that just exhaust a person. Strong gusting winds that reduced the day to a dusty haze. About 2:30 p.m., a call came into Animal Control reporting a loose pitbull in southeast Topeka. Officer Ron Jenkins given the job of going out to bring the dog back to the animal shelter. It didn't take Jenkins long to find the pitbull but for the next three hours, the dog managed to elude every effort to capture him. Sometimes, Jenkins pursued the pitbull on foot. Mostly though, the dog would dash away at the last moment through somebody's yard, down an alley, through an open lot. Jenkins spent most of his late afternoon following after the dog in his truck. The pitbull appeared to be well taken care of; no doubt somebody's pet that had managed to escape into the community. He seemed friendly but wary. The dog also had incredible endurance. Toward dark, the dog began moving much more slowly and finally it stopped on the tarmack of a small industrial park. It stood head bowed, panting, its body trembling from exhustion and thirst. Jenkins eased his truck up to the defeated dog and braked a few yards away. The animal control officer remained seated in the truck, staring in admiration at the defeated dog. Well, Buddy, you certainly gave it your best shot. Opening the truck door, Jenkins stepped out. He picked up his restraining pole and walked over to the pitbull. The dog just stood there, his tongue hanging out, his body still shaking. The poor dog could hardly remain standing up. It didn't even resist when he slipped the loop over its head and began to gently tug the animal toward the truck. As soon as he got the dog inside the cage, Jenkins gave it some water, which the thirsty animal noisely lapped up. The officer secured the cage door and climbed back into the truck's cab. People were already coming home from work, so Jenkins faced a lot of heavy traffic on the way back to the shelter. He radioed in to let Dispatch know he was on his way. A few minutes later, Dispatch called back to let him know that the pitbull's owner had returned home and reported his dog was missing. The latter would meet Jenkins at the shelter to reclaim his pet. Jenkins was pleased. Pitbulls too often get a bad rap. As a result, they simply end up destroyed because the public believes them to be vicious and uncontrollable. Most pitbulls are not mean by nature. It is bad owners who deliberately turn them into monsters. This time, Jenkin's passenger in the back would not be unwanted or unclaimed. ***************** This is a recreation of a very similar scene that I saw, while driving home last autumn. Something about that pitbull has stuck in my mind ever since. Thanks for looking and reading, for your comments and contiuned encouragements. Jeremy CREDITS: Vue6 Pro Studio, Poser6, PostShopPro5. Dog: DAZ mildog. Figure: Predation's "Lorenzo LoREZ" (DAZ). Vehicle: Dodge Truck (Google Warehouse). Cage adapted from a freebie (ShareCG). Buildings: All freebies by Greybeard (ShareCG).