Concern Gone Rabid

(One of my chores as a teenager, is to take our Labrador out for a run when I leave for high school, and bring her back in when I get home. This is because mom works 40 miles from home. She leaves home before I do, and gets home after I do. I arrive home, and the dog is not outside. I find her waiting inside the house. I walk her, and await my family. Mom arrives home after a few hours.)

Mom: “Is the dog okay?”

Me: “Yeah, but she was inside when I got home today. I am almost positive I put her out when I left. Weird, yeah?”

Mom: “Yeah, really weird. Did you lock the door?”

Me: “Yes, I did. But even if I didn’t, it’s unlikely that she let herself back in.”

Mom: “And nothing’s missing?”

Me: “Are you suggesting that someone robbed the house, and then put our dog inside?”

Mom: “No. I came home, and put her away.”

Me: “What?! Why? You had to have missed a couple hours of work to do that.”

Mom: “Yes, but I heard a news report on the way to school. They said there were rabid rabbits in Marietta.”

Me: “What? Rabbit rabbits? In Marietta? Um… Marietta is 20 miles north. A rabbit in Marietta is unlikely to upset a dog here.”

Mom: “Rabbits? No, foxes. Rabbit foxes.”

Me: “Rabbit?”

Mom: “Rabid. Rabid foxes. Now you’ve got me going.”

Me: “In Marietta?”

Mom: “Yes.”

Me: “So you drove home from work to put the dog away, because of an animal that was already caught 20 miles north of here?”

Mom: “Yes.”

Me: “Because the animal was a fox or a rabbit?”

Mom: “Both.”

Me: “And you think the dog would mind?”

Mom: “No, I think she’d catch rabies.”

Me: “From 20 miles away?”

Mom: “From the rabbits.”