Wasted and wounded: what Mad Mike did for the love of a dog

Barney and Mr. Mad moments before the “battle”

People say that dogs are loyal to their owners, but any true dog lover knows that loyalty runs both ways…

“Marley and Me” was a big sensation among dog lovers, but I always thought the story a bit weak. What dog owner doesn’t have some cute, endearing story of a pooch causing a bit of chaos in their lives, through which the canine/human bond nonetheless endures?

Close followers of MMA know our own MadMike to be a lover of all living things canine and otherwise (religious extremists notwithstanding). A couple of days ago, he gave a demonstration of love and loyalty that puts “Marley and Me” to shame, and is not likely to be soon forgotten (at the very least due to the likelihood of permanent scarring). An experienced dog handler, Mr. Mad was taking a brief stroll on his property with four German shepherds and Barney, a chocolate lab and the resident “chaotic element,” when Mako, the alpha male shepherd (a majestic beast if I’ve ever seen one), jumped on the opportunity to overtake Barney in a display of dominance. In a ghastly instance of “follow the leader,” the remaining three shepherds quickly joined in. Here is an idea of what it may have looked like teeth wise..Barney (the victim) is on the left and Mako (the attacker) is on the right, but don’t forget to add in the other dogs, all attacking poor Barney under the cover of a dark Georgia night:

I think a floppy-eared lab being overtaken by four German shepherds may well form the definition of “underdog.”

Knowing better than to jump into a dog fight but not having the heart to see Barney killed, Mr. Mad attempted to separate the dogs, and in the melee suffered the injury that you see here post-treatment–believe it or not, it looked far worse “pre-stitch,” as this doesn’t come close to conveying the depth of the wound:

Remarkably, the lab suffered only some swelling around one eye and a few other scrapes, and was at full tail-wag by the time MadMike and I returned from the emergency room a couple of hours later with a few stitches (seen above) and a temporary stock of vicodin in-hand.

Please join me in wishing Mr. Mad a quick recovery. He tells me his hand hurts like hell and I imagine it does…all for the love of a dog.