The leaf on Annie's butt

So, this morning as I was working on Ben's computer trying to get his wireless connection going, I hear this crash in the kitchen, followed by Bella's howling. Lots of skittering footsteps as Annie skidded across the kitchen floor into the dining room, then high tailed it back into her crate.

Thinking this was odd behavior, even for Annie, I walked into the kitchen and called her out of her crate. She wouldn't come out. I reached down to pull her out, and she completely resisted. Puzzled, I tugged harder, and she leapt out of the crate onto one of the dog beds in the kitchen and immediately started the pooch scootch (you know, where the butt is firmly planted on the ground, both hind legs are in the air in front of the dog, and she pulls herself along with her front legs and she wipes her butt on the floor).

I can't stand when the dogs do this, so I nipped her on the nose when she started, and she immediately laid down and then I saw it. It looked like a leaf stuck to her butt.

I grabbed her tummy under her back legs, wrapped my other arm around her chest, stood up and called for Lisa to open the back door for me, please, as I carried Annie out the door. I set her front paws down, but kept a lock on her back end, keeping it in the air, as I tried to figure out what was stuck in the dog's butt.

When Lisa offered a paper towel, I accepted, reached down and pulled on the leaf hanging onto Annie's butt.

And pulled.

And pulled.

And pulled.

I pulled out a piece of rope about 12" long, dropping it on the ground when it finally all came out, and releasing Annie who ran away joyfully.

I looked at it for a few moments before recognition dawned on me and I thought, "Yep, he was right," as I recalled the conversation I had with Andy last night. He had commented that Annie might have gotten the meat juice soaked paper towel I had left on the cutting board and Andy had thrown in the dry trashcan (vs. the wet trashcan, which is under the sink, away from prying doggie mouths). He commented,

Heh! Sorry about that. I put it in the trash without realizing it was low
enough to be eaten. Then I looked back a minute later and she was hanging
out next to the trash looking at me wondering whether she was going to be
scolded. I didn't figure out what was up until another minute later.

I can just hear Annie's thoughts from last night: "Yes, I know I was bad, but it's sooooooooo taaaaaaaaasteeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"

Dumb dog.