Tyson the Flying Dog

This is a totally true Story.

I have seen with my own eyes a flying dog. Yeah, I know you think I am full of it.

It happened long ago in a neighborhood not far away. We had some neighbors with two of the wildest boys I have ever seen.
Dad was a truck driver and was always gone. Mom was a housewife and raised the boys. The boys were at my house more than their own so I raised them a bit myself and I am afraid I did them no good at all. I saw the younger one years later and he had turned out all right much to my surprise, but even that was many years ago now. I can imagine the other might be in jail somewhere.
That would not surprise me at all.

They had a white boxer with black spots named Tyson. I am sure he was named after the heavyweight boxer who was all the rage back in those days.
As all boxers are, he was a really good dog. Really sweet and loving but he ran wild just like the boys of his family.
If the boys don't have discipline then why should I have expected more for the dog.


We lived in a corner house with one street being somewhat busy and the other not quite as much. They lived right across the street from me on the not so busy street.
The busy street led from one of the local Universities to one of the major town thoroughfares. College kids have been known to drive pretty fast and this street certainly did not miss out on that. It was also on a hill and always an adventure during a snow or ice storm.

This particular day, they were playing across the busy street and sometimes right in the middle of the busy street.
Tyson, the boxer, was everywhere running back and forth and very playful. Thinking back, I probably should have put him in my own back yard and been done with it. But, I didn't and I was very concerned for not only the dog but the boys as well.

I was working in my yard but I was also keeping an eye on what was going on. I stopped several times and yelled at the boys to get out of the street. I yelled at them to get Tyson out of the street.
As was very typical, nobody listened to me at all.

I just happened to be facing the correct way when the inevitable finally happened. A couple of college girls driving something like a Pontiac Fiero came hauling around the corner at seemingly over 50 MPH which is very common.

The car hit Tyson broadside as he just happened to be running back across the street yet again. Imagine that.

What happened next I will never forget as long as I live. I have told the story a million times which probably helps my memory, but this part seems like yesterday. The entire dramatic event also seems like slow motion in my memory.
Instead of going under the car as they often do, Tyson went airborne.

We lived not only on a corner but there was a bridge and a creek right behind our house. Our yard was huge and if you had ever mowed it you would definitely agree.
Tyson got hit at the front of our house area and flew at probably 10 feet in the air from the front area down to almost the creek. As I wrote already, it seemed like slow motion and Tyson spun slowly.

Boys started crying instantly. I started running instantly. Our yard was elevated and was terraced from the street. I jumped down one level and then the other level and by the time I hit the street, here came Mr Tyson running at break neck speed.
He ran past me without even slowing down. Boys ran to their house and I was right behind as the concerned neighbor fatherly figure.
College girls pulled up right behind us all in tears. Family members start appearing from nowhere and everyone extremely concerned.

It was a madhouse.


Strangest and funniest thing of all is that Tyson wasn't even injured at all. Not even a bruise.

Tyson disappeared one day. Boys mother was involved in a horrendous wreck along with one of the boys and was never the same. Dad was off cheating with another woman and was caught during the wreck ordeal. They divorced, moved off, and I have only seen the youngest son since.
We moved off and sold the house and all is water under the bridge now.


Only, I will never forget Tyson the flying dog.