A word in praise of crates

I had a very nasty experience the other night. It was late and I was sitting reading in the living room and had (as I often do late at night) taken my hearing aids out. My back garden was properly gated and the back door closed but unlocked. The dogs were crated for the night. I'd planned to go to Dublin for the day on Monday, and so had my netbook sitting on the breakfast bar beside my mobile while it charged. The kitchen light and living room light was on - it was obvious someone was still up.

When I went back in to check that the dogs were happy, turn off lights, lock door etc I found a trail of muddy footprints across my kitchen and my laptop and mobile were gone. The back gate was wide open. I'm sure the dogs made a huge racket, and I'm so glad that they were crated- this meant that it was probably more trouble than it was worth for the burglars to either hurt them or steal them. Probably just as well that I couldn't hear anything and thus did not interrupt the burglars half way through. Turned out there was a grand total of five burglaries in my area that night.

Moral of the story: don't assume that even a closed door and locked but not padlocked gate will keep your dogs safe. A crate can make it just hard enough for a would be troublemaker to extract the dogs or hurt them.

Oh my gosh Lisa! How scary. I can't believe there was someone in your house while you were home. It's really lucky for you that you didn't hear them and interrupt them, that could have been so dangerous. And really lucky that the dogs were crated and safe. From now on you be sure that door is locked!!:hug:I think your guardian angel was really looking out for you that night. So glad you and the pups are okay.

Oh Lisa, how terrifying! How are YOU doing? You must have been very shaken.

I would feel the same way as you though -- I'd rather have my dogs and cats safe and have them take anything else they wanted.

I am sure many of us will be double-checking our doors after reading your story.

Thank goodness you didn't disturb them, they might have hurt you. I'm glad that's all they took. :hug:

Thanks - I switch between being very calm and wanting to have a crying jag, but since my mother insisted we (dogs and I) come home to her for a day or two I haven't actually been alone in my own house since, so it's hard to judge.

My mum thinks that it may have been thanks to the dogs that more wasn't taken. They almost certainly raised a horrendous racket, and since there's a chance it was kids, they probably just took what was handy and ran. Ironically, my purse was sitting with my cards AND a £20 and that was untouched. I'd probably have preferred them to have taken the purse - cards are easy to stop and there's little enough to empty, lol, whereas not having the laptop will be frustrating as my other machine is a huge beast that is simply not luggable.

So relieved you and the pups are all okay Lisa.

A home invasion like that is such a horrible thing to experience. Thank goodness you took your hearing aids out so you didn't hear them and then possibly interrupt them. I'm sure you were much safer because of that :hug:

I'm so glad you and your dogs are safe, and so sorry this happened to you! :flwr:

Wow, what a frightening experience!!! I agree that the fact the the dogs were crated probably saved them. Had they been running free through the house God only knows what those guys might have done to them. Glad you are also okay. I would double padlock everything from now on!

Oh my goodness!!!! I'm glad to hear you are ok now, but that must have been an awful experience.

Thank goodness you didn't disturb them. I hope nothing precious or very sentimental was lost with the laptop.

How scary! I just went and locked my door out back after reading this. It was unlocked, but usually isn't. (I have company, so things are a bit out of sorts). So glad you and your dogs are safe.

So glad you and your furbabies are ok. It must have been very traumatic when you realised what had happened. But it could have had a much worse ending. I'll be sure to keep my door locked from now on. :flwr:

Thank Goodness you and the dogs are alright! How Scary! Sorry this happened to you The nerve of some people

So glad you and the dogs are safe..I will be checking my door from now on. I have a son who won't leave the kitchen to go to the bathroom unless the back door is locked..we always tease him about it..won't tease him anymore! Take care.

I'm so sorry to read about the experience you had. Something like this can be very shocking and you are right, you can swing between feeling quite bouyant with relief that you are ok, to feeling very tearful. It will pass and I think it's a good idea just for a few days to spend some time with your mum. Once you start getting exasperated, irritated or want your own space, then you will know that you are ready to be on your own again!
Laptops, mobile phones etc can all be replaced, the most important thing is that you are fine, take care