Pitbulls, Alligators, Beavers, Raccoons OH MY

shayjackson

Hi Grownetworkers :)

I am staying with my mom near Savannah Georgia, and I thought I'd share some stories on the critters in my area. I walk my dog three times a day here and while it's a commercial area, seems like the animals don't care at all.

I literally posted on Instagram how much I love aminals the other day and well... this is what happened:

• Dropped my mom off with my dog in the front of the building at midnight on 6/6. Well, two pitbulls were waiting for me at the back of the building and it was almost like they wanted me. So, since I've worked with dozens of aggressive animals before, I figured I'd take my cute light blue hydroflask and check them out. I really didn't want them to get on the highway or attack someone who might be afraid. One of the two pitties growled at me and I told him to chill if he wanted help. By the time I parked and started walking around with them, a dude left the gym across the lot and they started trying to protect me from him. I felt so responsible. So I called 911 and then three sets of cops came and were afraid. My mom threw down a leash and muzzle from her balcony as she watched in terror. It was a glorious night as animal control couldn't work up the courage to handle them. So little ole 125 pound me ended handling them while they fought on the leash and acted like they wanted to attack the cops. I scruffed them and threw them in the truck by 1:30 am or so. Was quite the experience.
• The next evening, the latter end of the 6/6, I walked my pup in our normal green space behind the building and there were 10+ pairs of eyes staring at us. I turned on my iPhone flashlight to only comprehend that there was a huge pack of something in my path. I learned my lesson from the night before and simply turned around. They were too big to be kittens but also too small to be raccoons. Granted, we've had tons of rain, so who even knows what species I was dealing with.
• Then the next day I noticed my mom's window broke from a bird possibly and talked to the partner who fixes things here. He mentioned that one rainy season, he had to rescue a beaver and alligator in a span of two days from the very same parking lot due to heavy rain.

So while I walk my pup out here in the simplest little shopping center, I now realize that singing like Snow White might be attracting my friends more than I was prepared for. And there are probably tons of critters in the overgrown swamp that I sense staring at me every day.

Does this happen to any of you? Is this a Taurus thing? Lol animals have always frolicked with me, whether I'm at the beach or on a mountain peak.

Remember to establish thoughts of gratitude and respect when outside, and, in my opinion, the animals will absolutely respect you in return. A lot of times when you see animals approaching you, they're doing it out of curiosity or need. We are here to help them. They sense your feelings so, keep it together.

Having a Tibetan Mastiff has taught me a lot about controlling my emotions, or else she literally delivers my true feelings to people 😂

judsoncarroll4

https://community.thegrownetwork.com/discussion/846925/pitbulls-alligators-beavers-raccoons-oh-my

You are definitely not alone... this kind of stuff happens all the time to me - just part of living in the South! You are in my old stomping grounds of GA and my favorite place on earth. Stay there long and maybe, like me, you'll start eating gators, coons and beavers!

shayjackson

https://community.thegrownetwork.com/discussion/comment/898449#Comment_898449

Haha @judsoncarroll4 thanks for the support. I gave up eating gator long ago - I grew up in Texas with both sides of the family from Lousiana, but if times get tough, I know what my favorite to alternative to chicken is!

Seems like good vibes are what the animals like. Imagine if we lived in harmony with them 😍

judsoncarroll4

https://community.thegrownetwork.com/discussion/comment/898456#Comment_898456

Being part Cajun and Creole, I do live live in harmony with them... very comfortable being an omnivore, and fulfilling my place in the food chain. If you have family in LA, you know how my people are... we eat anything that stands still and most things that move! Justin Wilson used to tell the joke about the crawfish family. The baby crawfish were asking their parent crawfish about the other critters... "What dat be mama? Oh, Dat be a cow, don't you worry about him none, he eat grass. What dat be? Dat jus a crow he don't bother you none less you lays yo'self out in da sun. What dat be? Dat... dat be a Cajun... jou see him, you better run and I mean fast... he eat any damn thing!"

marjstratton

In my experience, raccoons are bullies. I don't trust them. Some times when I have gone out for a walk at dusk, the local gang of raccoons are watching me and it feels like they sizing me up.

bcabrobin

I can live in peace and have respect for animals.

The bears and I can both live here, but I would be happier if they just stay out of my van, please don't break any more windows, we both know there is NO WAY you will fit into that small space, don't learn how to unlock the feed shed, no carrying off totes of feed. I even gave up and moved the fence 5' because you thought there shouldn't be fence in that spot. See we can get alone!

Deer are good, I'm willing to share the area behind the barn for you to have your babies in, you eat up stuff that someone else didn't eat. But can you please not eat ALL the flowers, herbs, vegis. Save a few for the other guys please! Yes I got that higher fence, please don't figure out how to jump over it, just yet.

Coon, possums, fishers, foxes, eagles, wolf - yes we got some new kinds of chickens this year - different colors and I'm sure your thinking you need to try each flavor(color) to see which you like best. Again please save a few for the 2 leggers and let me give you a hint - they all taste like chicken!

Can't we all just get along?