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<v Speaker 1>You can't choose your neighbors if you're moving to a

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<v Speaker 1>new home. You can, to a degree, while shopping for

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<v Speaker 1>a new place. If you will pay attention to the

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<v Speaker 1>area around the neighboring homes, you might know what sort

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<v Speaker 1>of neighbors you'll have for the foreseeable future. Unkept property,

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<v Speaker 1>along with various other signs, will clue you in to

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<v Speaker 1>what life will be like in the neighborhood. However, after

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<v Speaker 1>you buy the place and move in, you never know

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<v Speaker 1>who's going to move in next door a year later.

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<v Speaker 1>This is what happened to us after buying a home

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<v Speaker 1>in a rural area with a few acres in Mississippi

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<v Speaker 1>in two thousand and eight. My wife and I wanted

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<v Speaker 1>to get away from the city. The city we loved

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<v Speaker 1>all our lives had turned violent. The politics, the violent crime,

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<v Speaker 1>the traffic, and the devaluing of homes all over the

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<v Speaker 1>county left us with no choice, so we began to

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<v Speaker 1>look for a quiet place to live out our middle

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<v Speaker 1>age years in peace. My wife was a bit apprehensive

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<v Speaker 1>about moving away from good health care and family, but

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<v Speaker 1>the desire to get to a peaceful place overrode all

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<v Speaker 1>those concerns. We were in our early fifties. I was

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<v Speaker 1>not retired and my job allowed me to work from

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<v Speaker 1>anywhere as long as the internet was available. We settled

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<v Speaker 1>on an existing home on five acres of land. Our

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<v Speaker 1>nearest neighbor was within eyesight, but the distance was such

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<v Speaker 1>that we didn't feel like that they were close. The

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<v Speaker 1>place next to us was well taken care of, and

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<v Speaker 1>after meeting our neighbors, we knew we had chosen a

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<v Speaker 1>good place to live. Within six months, however, that property

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<v Speaker 1>went up for sale and it sold quickly. Within a

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<v Speaker 1>month of the for sale sene coming down, our new

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<v Speaker 1>neighbors moved in that weekend. Gave us a good idea

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<v Speaker 1>of how life would be for us for the next

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<v Speaker 1>three years. They threw a party in the backyard. Rap

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<v Speaker 1>music blared all night. Cars were in and out until

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<v Speaker 1>the early morning, and we didn't get much sleep, and

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<v Speaker 1>our two dogs barked at the noise all night. The

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<v Speaker 1>next day, I rode my ATV over to meet these

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<v Speaker 1>people and to let them know that my hope was

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<v Speaker 1>that these parties would be few. My first trip over

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<v Speaker 1>produced no interactions. I knew the hangovers would be bad

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<v Speaker 1>for these people, and I gave them some time. By

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<v Speaker 1>three o'clock that afternoon, there was life stirring around the house.

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<v Speaker 1>All went back over and there's no need to describe

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<v Speaker 1>the conversation that followed, but it was not pleasant. I

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<v Speaker 1>was told that this was their property and they would

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<v Speaker 1>do whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted, and that I

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<v Speaker 1>needed to f off. I didn't need a confrontation, so

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<v Speaker 1>I left. But it would have been my great pleasure

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<v Speaker 1>to put this punk in the hospital for a few days.

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<v Speaker 1>But I'm a grown man now, and I learned a

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<v Speaker 1>while back to avoid these conflicts unless I have no choice.

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<v Speaker 1>The new homeowner or tenant I would later discover, was

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<v Speaker 1>a twenty something white male who had an affection for

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<v Speaker 1>the urban gangland lifestyle, music, and wardrobe. It has amazed

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<v Speaker 1>me that some of the younger generation want to appear

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<v Speaker 1>as stupid looking as possible. The fact that this kid

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<v Speaker 1>was a redneck from a small town in Mississippi made

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<v Speaker 1>him look even more ignorant. My guess is that if

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<v Speaker 1>he had been transplanted immediately to an actual urban gangland environment,

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<v Speaker 1>he would have folded in a second. I figured that

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<v Speaker 1>he would soon find out that he was not as

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<v Speaker 1>bad as he thought he was, because there was no

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<v Speaker 1>doubt that he would soon be a convict at Parchment

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<v Speaker 1>before he was inmates. There have a way of sorting

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<v Speaker 1>out the misfits, but that was none of my business.

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<v Speaker 1>I just hope that we would have no more trouble

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<v Speaker 1>for them, and I will say now that we personally didn't.

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<v Speaker 1>There were a few times over the following months when

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<v Speaker 1>they deprived us of sleep, but it was not often

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<v Speaker 1>and the situation was bearable. Later, checking the records in

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<v Speaker 1>the courthouse, it appeared the property was owned by his father,

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<v Speaker 1>a wealthy North Mississippi businessman. I didn't know, and I

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<v Speaker 1>didn't care, who the actual property owner was. The records

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<v Speaker 1>for the property was down the hall from the tax

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<v Speaker 1>collector's office, so while buying tags from my car one day,

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<v Speaker 1>I walked down and I looked them up. This has

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<v Speaker 1>no relevance to this story other than to give you

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<v Speaker 1>a feel for the kind of person that we were

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<v Speaker 1>dealing with at the time. The new neighbors moved in

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<v Speaker 1>during December, and by May a new chain link fence

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<v Speaker 1>had been installed behind their house. Four large pit bull

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<v Speaker 1>dogs were now being kept inside the fence. The fence

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<v Speaker 1>was tall six feet tall, and we never worried that

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<v Speaker 1>the dogs would escape. That was not the problem. By July,

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<v Speaker 1>there were fifteen or twenty pit bulls inside this fence.

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<v Speaker 1>They were all staked to a short, heavy chain with

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<v Speaker 1>no shelter. The dogs appeared healthy. I saw the tenant

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<v Speaker 1>feeding and watering the dogs each morning, but it was

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<v Speaker 1>hot that summer and those dogs were roasted in the

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<v Speaker 1>sun during the hot months. My wife and I love dogs.

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<v Speaker 1>We have two. One is actually a pit bull rescue.

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<v Speaker 1>He's a big teddy bear, and we take great care

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<v Speaker 1>of our dogs. But my neighbor, on the other hand,

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<v Speaker 1>looked to be training these dogs for something else. On

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<v Speaker 1>the other side of their place, a privacy fence went up.

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<v Speaker 1>It was not a large area, and first I thought

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<v Speaker 1>they built it to conceal the trash cans. I noticed

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<v Speaker 1>my neighbor and two other men taking two dogs into

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<v Speaker 1>that fenced area, and soon I could hear dogs fighting.

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<v Speaker 1>The men would be screaming at the dogs, provoking them

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<v Speaker 1>to attack each other. I never saw it happen, but

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<v Speaker 1>it was obvious what they were doing. And then during

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<v Speaker 1>the fall, I would see the tenant was out among

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<v Speaker 1>the fifteen or twenty chained dogs. He would pick a

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<v Speaker 1>few of them out and beat them with a limber

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<v Speaker 1>stick until they became aggressive with him. Some would cower

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<v Speaker 1>in fear, and those were taken to his car and removed.

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<v Speaker 1>I supposed they were given away or just dropped out somewhere.

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<v Speaker 1>I thought he just got a kick out of being

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<v Speaker 1>cruel to animals. But a friend visiting me one day

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<v Speaker 1>told me that the guy was raising fighting dogs and

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<v Speaker 1>he was probably selling them. Allow me to stop here

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<v Speaker 1>and qualify that at that time, there were no laws

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<v Speaker 1>in this county that made anything he was doing illegal.

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<v Speaker 1>I once saw the sheriff at a local restaurant and

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<v Speaker 1>I asked him about it. He straight up said there

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<v Speaker 1>was nothing he could do and suggested that I contact

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<v Speaker 1>one of the national groups that handled these things. I

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<v Speaker 1>did that, and I never heard from the organization again.

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<v Speaker 1>In addition, those were his dogs, they weren't mine. It

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<v Speaker 1>was not my place to tell him what to do

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<v Speaker 1>with his property. If there was something I could have done,

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<v Speaker 1>I would have done it. There were two instances where

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<v Speaker 1>dogs escaped and they found their way to the back

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<v Speaker 1>of my house. I armed myself and approached them slowly,

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<v Speaker 1>only to find that these dogs were just happy to

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<v Speaker 1>have some general human reaction. They were not well mannered,

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<v Speaker 1>meaning that they jumped all over my wife and I

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<v Speaker 1>and one got pretty rough with me, but at no

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<v Speaker 1>time did they seem aggressive. Both of those dogs were

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<v Speaker 1>taken to a shelter many miles away in another date.

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<v Speaker 1>I never returned them to the owner. Maybe that is

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<v Speaker 1>the best I could do, and I hoped more would

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<v Speaker 1>escape and make their way to my house, but none

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<v Speaker 1>ever did. Since that time frame, the city and county

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<v Speaker 1>have passed animal cruelty ordinances and officials strictly enforced them.

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<v Speaker 1>Dogs on chains are forbidden inside the city limits and

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<v Speaker 1>in the county. The dogs must be well cared for

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<v Speaker 1>with shelter, water, and food. The owners get one warning.

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<v Speaker 1>After that the dogs are removed and taken to an

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<v Speaker 1>adoption service, and I'm pleased that my county now sees

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<v Speaker 1>that these animals need protection. Now to the topic of bigfoot.

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<v Speaker 1>I have known that bigfoot exists since I was a child.

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<v Speaker 1>My grandfather showed them to me in Arkansas on his

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<v Speaker 1>land years ago, but that is an entirely different story.

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<v Speaker 1>As a child and a teenager, my grandfather showed me

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<v Speaker 1>how to draw the creatures near to me. It takes

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<v Speaker 1>a lot of time. So when we moved to the country,

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<v Speaker 1>my first thought was to see how many, if any

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<v Speaker 1>Bigfoot inhabited the forests around us. With the steps I took,

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<v Speaker 1>gifting and leaving subtle signs behind our home, finally I

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<v Speaker 1>confirmed that a clan did indeed live in our woods.

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<v Speaker 1>We never saw them, but we knew they were there.

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<v Speaker 1>They let us know they were there in no uncertain terms.

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<v Speaker 1>I know your stories are about Bigfoot, and in the

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<v Speaker 1>stories you share we get to hear about all the

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<v Speaker 1>typical behaviors that Bigfoot exhibits, but I will leave that

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<v Speaker 1>out of the story. My goal here is to tell

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<v Speaker 1>you how Bigfoot handles cruel animal owners. However, I will

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<v Speaker 1>mention that it is my experience that the big alpha males,

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<v Speaker 1>or the fathers of the clans usually stay in the background.

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<v Speaker 1>They do not reveal themselves unless they need to as

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<v Speaker 1>a show of dominance to other animals. We never saw

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<v Speaker 1>signs of a huge alpha, but we knew he was there,

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<v Speaker 1>lurking in the shadows, watching everything his clan did. The

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<v Speaker 1>stories you hear over and over regarding children and animals

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<v Speaker 1>being saved from critical situations that is typically the result

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<v Speaker 1>of a female bigfoot intervening in the natural course of things.

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<v Speaker 1>Males generally never do this, and it is my opinion

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<v Speaker 1>that the patriarchal males probably disapprove of the female's intervention

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<v Speaker 1>into human activities, but it happens anyway. I believe that

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<v Speaker 1>a female seeing a dire situation will pull on the

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<v Speaker 1>breeches in the family and take matters into her own hands,

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<v Speaker 1>no matter what the male thinks. Back on the farm,

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<v Speaker 1>the dog training and whipping seem to get more serious

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<v Speaker 1>as the fall months set in. The temperatures were cooling down,

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<v Speaker 1>and by Thanksgiving it was chili. My neighbor had begun

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<v Speaker 1>doing his beating and training at night. They had installed

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<v Speaker 1>two lights on each side of their fighting pin. I

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<v Speaker 1>supposed this was to conceal what they were doing from

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<v Speaker 1>neighbors like me. Maybe they just enjoyed the cooler nights.

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<v Speaker 1>I don't know. Whatever the reason, the training intensified on

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<v Speaker 1>moonlight nights. I would go to the edge of my

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<v Speaker 1>property after hearing noises from the creatures in the woods.

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<v Speaker 1>It was a regular thing I did. When I knew

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<v Speaker 1>the bigfoot were close. I would set in the yard

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<v Speaker 1>close to the trees and just talk to them. Even

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<v Speaker 1>though my wife believed in these creatures, she still thought

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<v Speaker 1>that I was nuts for doing this, But I knew

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<v Speaker 1>they were there. On some nights, there would be three,

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<v Speaker 1>maybe four creatures just beyond the light of my house.

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<v Speaker 1>I could see movement in trees moving, and I could

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<v Speaker 1>hear them breathing, especially when I would pitch a half

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<v Speaker 1>a pone of corn bread into the woods or other

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<v Speaker 1>table scraps that we didn't eat that night. I just

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<v Speaker 1>knew they were there, and I felt like the last

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<v Speaker 1>year had been productive in developing a relationship with our clan.

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<v Speaker 1>In addition, I always knew when the creatures were behind

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<v Speaker 1>my neighbor's house. The distance from my back porch was

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<v Speaker 1>a long way, but I could clearly see the dogs

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<v Speaker 1>in the moonlight. Every dog chain to the ground would

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<v Speaker 1>get up and stretch that chain to the limit, looking

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<v Speaker 1>into those woods. Every tail would be wagging, and all

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<v Speaker 1>barking would instantly stop. By this time, there were between

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<v Speaker 1>twenty and thirty dogs inside that fence. I wish you

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<v Speaker 1>could have seen it, because it would have given you

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<v Speaker 1>great joy seeing those happy tails wagging. Now I think

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<v Speaker 1>I know what they were looking at. The creatures knew

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<v Speaker 1>what was going on at that house, and it is

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<v Speaker 1>I feeling that, even though they did not like it,

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<v Speaker 1>that Big Alpha forbid his clan from intervening. This went

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<v Speaker 1>on for several weeks, and the tenants training method grew

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<v Speaker 1>more violent. The beatings became even more frequent. On a

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<v Speaker 1>chilly night in March, I was awakened by a gunshot.

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<v Speaker 1>It was not unusual for neighbors all around the area

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<v Speaker 1>to shoot guns on their property, but I had never

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00:13:28.360 --> 00:13:31.639
<v Speaker 1>heard a gunshot. At two in the morning. I got

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<v Speaker 1>out of bed and I dressed quickly and was soon

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<v Speaker 1>out on our back porch under the canopy. Rain fell

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<v Speaker 1>in a steady shower. I tightened up the collar around

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<v Speaker 1>my neck and I walked towards my neighbor's house. The

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00:13:46.000 --> 00:13:49.519
<v Speaker 1>whole backyard was lit up by lights attached to the house.

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<v Speaker 1>He had a dog by the chain and was beating

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<v Speaker 1>it unmercifully. I could hear the yelps and the squeals

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<v Speaker 1>from the poor animal. The closer I got, the more

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<v Speaker 1>clear the scene became visible. In the misty conditions. He

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<v Speaker 1>had a pistol in his hand and he would shoot

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<v Speaker 1>it in the air on occasion. It didn't make sense

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<v Speaker 1>to me. I think he wanted to shoot those dogs,

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00:14:13.960 --> 00:14:16.440
<v Speaker 1>but he thought better and he would shoot around off

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<v Speaker 1>in the air. Then he would go to another dog

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<v Speaker 1>and start the process all over again. I had had

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<v Speaker 1>it with this guy, and against my best judgment, I

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00:14:26.639 --> 00:14:29.000
<v Speaker 1>yelled to him to knock this crap off and leave

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<v Speaker 1>the dogs alone. It was not the smartest mood that

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<v Speaker 1>I ever made. He did have a firearm and was

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00:14:34.679 --> 00:14:39.039
<v Speaker 1>probably under the influence of who knows what. He heard me,

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00:14:39.159 --> 00:14:41.360
<v Speaker 1>but he kept beating the dog he had in his

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<v Speaker 1>hand until it began to fight back, at which point

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00:14:44.799 --> 00:14:48.159
<v Speaker 1>he released the dog and he moved to another I

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00:14:48.279 --> 00:14:50.799
<v Speaker 1>yelled at him again, and this time he heard me and

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00:14:50.960 --> 00:14:53.320
<v Speaker 1>came to the fence and he yelled something back that

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00:14:53.360 --> 00:14:57.919
<v Speaker 1>I did not understand, and then he went back inside.

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00:14:58.159 --> 00:15:00.919
<v Speaker 1>I returned home. I dried off, and I discussed the

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00:15:00.960 --> 00:15:04.679
<v Speaker 1>event with my wife. She wanted to do something, but

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00:15:04.759 --> 00:15:08.159
<v Speaker 1>still there was nothing we could do. If we stole

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00:15:08.240 --> 00:15:11.200
<v Speaker 1>the dogs or release them while he was away, we

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00:15:11.279 --> 00:15:14.039
<v Speaker 1>would be the criminals. That's what we wanted to do.

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<v Speaker 1>It was frustrating for both of us. The nightlya beatings continued.

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<v Speaker 1>On a comfortable night in May, I sat on my

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00:15:24.480 --> 00:15:26.720
<v Speaker 1>back porch and I watched him head out to the

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00:15:26.840 --> 00:15:30.679
<v Speaker 1>large pen with his stick and opened the gate. It

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00:15:30.759 --> 00:15:35.080
<v Speaker 1>was a few minutes past eleven PM. I knew his pattern.

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<v Speaker 1>He always started with the dogs closest to the gate.

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<v Speaker 1>But for some reason we will never know, he went

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<v Speaker 1>to the back of the enclosure, and I suppose he

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00:15:45.000 --> 00:15:49.120
<v Speaker 1>was planning to work his way forward. Every dog cowered

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00:15:49.159 --> 00:15:51.559
<v Speaker 1>and laid flat to the ground as he walked through

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00:15:51.559 --> 00:15:55.480
<v Speaker 1>the area. There was no barking and no excitement. There

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00:15:55.559 --> 00:16:00.159
<v Speaker 1>was not a sound. They knew he was coming. He

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00:16:00.200 --> 00:16:02.879
<v Speaker 1>made it to the back of the enclosure, and instead

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00:16:02.879 --> 00:16:05.840
<v Speaker 1>of starting on the dogs, he leaned his back against

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00:16:05.919 --> 00:16:09.360
<v Speaker 1>the chain link fence and let a cigarette. I remember

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00:16:09.440 --> 00:16:12.240
<v Speaker 1>seeing the orange glow on his face when he would

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00:16:12.240 --> 00:16:16.480
<v Speaker 1>take a long draw. I just watched him. He was

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00:16:16.559 --> 00:16:20.399
<v Speaker 1>bouncing against the fence, leaning back into the give of

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00:16:20.440 --> 00:16:23.919
<v Speaker 1>the chain link, and letting it push him forward. Over

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00:16:24.000 --> 00:16:27.480
<v Speaker 1>and over. He used the fence as a lateral trampoline,

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00:16:27.600 --> 00:16:30.720
<v Speaker 1>bouncing a bit harder each time, until I could hear

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00:16:30.759 --> 00:16:34.679
<v Speaker 1>the fence creaking. He was letting the dogs feel his

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00:16:34.799 --> 00:16:39.360
<v Speaker 1>anger and getting them afraid of him even more. He

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00:16:39.440 --> 00:16:42.320
<v Speaker 1>thumped the cigarette but at the closest dog, and I

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00:16:42.320 --> 00:16:45.639
<v Speaker 1>saw sparks settle on the animal, burning its hide. While

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00:16:45.679 --> 00:16:48.840
<v Speaker 1>it moved to relieve the pain. There was a short yelp.

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<v Speaker 1>He bounced himself off the fence one last time and

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00:16:52.759 --> 00:16:56.519
<v Speaker 1>leaned forward to commence this night's beating. But before he

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00:16:56.559 --> 00:17:00.840
<v Speaker 1>could take the first step, a massive black arm reached

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00:17:00.879 --> 00:17:03.879
<v Speaker 1>over the fence, and the last thing I saw was

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<v Speaker 1>his legs being dragged over the top of the six

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00:17:06.799 --> 00:17:11.440
<v Speaker 1>foot high top rail. No scream, no noise at all.

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<v Speaker 1>He just vanished into the woods. I stood there for

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00:17:16.359 --> 00:17:19.440
<v Speaker 1>a minute in shock. What should I do? Should I

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00:17:19.480 --> 00:17:22.319
<v Speaker 1>call the police? Should I go knock on their door

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00:17:22.359 --> 00:17:25.599
<v Speaker 1>to see if anyone was home? I had never seen

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00:17:25.640 --> 00:17:28.839
<v Speaker 1>anyone living there, even though he did have visitors all

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00:17:28.920 --> 00:17:31.960
<v Speaker 1>the time. I reached for my cell phone and was

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00:17:32.000 --> 00:17:34.920
<v Speaker 1>about to dial nine to one one, and I stopped

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00:17:35.880 --> 00:17:38.799
<v Speaker 1>when the officer showed up. What was I going to

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00:17:38.880 --> 00:17:42.720
<v Speaker 1>tell them a family a bigfoot took him. Hell, they

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00:17:42.759 --> 00:17:46.640
<v Speaker 1>would put me in jail and probably consider me a suspect.

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00:17:47.559 --> 00:17:50.440
<v Speaker 1>I put the phone in my pocket and I walked inside.

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<v Speaker 1>My wife was already in bed. I undressed and crawled

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00:17:54.599 --> 00:17:57.640
<v Speaker 1>in beside her, kissed her neck, and I went to sleep.

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<v Speaker 1>It was a good night's sleep at that The next day,

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00:18:02.559 --> 00:18:06.079
<v Speaker 1>I saw that nothing had changed at his house. The

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00:18:06.119 --> 00:18:09.880
<v Speaker 1>dogs were still there, The overgrown grass still annoyed me,

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00:18:10.359 --> 00:18:12.720
<v Speaker 1>and I wonder if I had dreamed all of this.

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00:18:14.079 --> 00:18:17.079
<v Speaker 1>I decided that I had been fully awake when it

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00:18:17.119 --> 00:18:20.559
<v Speaker 1>all happened, so I relaxed. I ate breakfast, and I

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00:18:20.640 --> 00:18:23.400
<v Speaker 1>started on a project that I had been planning to

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00:18:23.480 --> 00:18:27.519
<v Speaker 1>do for months. I was going to plant fast growing

303
00:18:27.599 --> 00:18:31.000
<v Speaker 1>trees at the edge of my property adjacent to his house,

304
00:18:31.359 --> 00:18:33.519
<v Speaker 1>so that I wouldn't have to look at the meanness

305
00:18:33.559 --> 00:18:37.599
<v Speaker 1>after the trees grew large enough. However long that took,

306
00:18:39.039 --> 00:18:42.079
<v Speaker 1>I finished late in the day, and soon it was dark.

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<v Speaker 1>No one had showed up at that house. No one

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00:18:45.400 --> 00:18:48.759
<v Speaker 1>knew he was gone. I did see one car pull

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00:18:48.839 --> 00:18:51.640
<v Speaker 1>in the drive that night, but they turned around and

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00:18:51.720 --> 00:18:56.119
<v Speaker 1>left after seeing the tenant was not home. It was

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00:18:56.200 --> 00:19:00.000
<v Speaker 1>the fourth day after the incident that things began to happen.

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<v Speaker 1>That morning, sometime before lunch, I saw two sheriffs cars

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<v Speaker 1>in the driveway from my office window. I saved my

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00:19:08.599 --> 00:19:13.200
<v Speaker 1>work and I leaned out and watched. Two deputies walked

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00:19:13.200 --> 00:19:16.480
<v Speaker 1>around the house several times and then stood by their cars.

316
00:19:17.359 --> 00:19:21.160
<v Speaker 1>Soon a civilian drove up. I assumed it was the father,

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00:19:21.480 --> 00:19:23.680
<v Speaker 1>and the deputies talked to him for a while and

318
00:19:23.799 --> 00:19:27.759
<v Speaker 1>they all went inside the house. Not long after, there

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00:19:27.839 --> 00:19:30.559
<v Speaker 1>was a knock on my front door, and when I answered,

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00:19:30.599 --> 00:19:33.160
<v Speaker 1>one of the officers stood there with a pad and

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00:19:33.240 --> 00:19:37.119
<v Speaker 1>a pen. He asked me the usual questions, and I

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00:19:37.160 --> 00:19:40.000
<v Speaker 1>told them the last time I saw the tenant he

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00:19:40.119 --> 00:19:43.359
<v Speaker 1>was in the backyard three nights ago beating his dogs,

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00:19:43.599 --> 00:19:46.000
<v Speaker 1>and that I paid no attention, and that I went

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00:19:46.039 --> 00:19:50.519
<v Speaker 1>to bed I had not seen him since. The officer

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00:19:50.599 --> 00:19:54.440
<v Speaker 1>seemed perplexed about the dog beating statement and asked about

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<v Speaker 1>that further. I explained what I had seen the man

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00:19:57.880 --> 00:20:00.000
<v Speaker 1>do for the last few months, and that I had

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00:20:00.000 --> 00:20:03.319
<v Speaker 1>I told the sheriff about it. It seemed to ring

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00:20:03.359 --> 00:20:06.000
<v Speaker 1>a bell with the deputy, and he mumbled something about

331
00:20:06.000 --> 00:20:09.240
<v Speaker 1>wishing they had the authority to stop the animal abuse

332
00:20:09.279 --> 00:20:14.200
<v Speaker 1>in our area. I actually believed him. He asked if

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00:20:14.240 --> 00:20:17.039
<v Speaker 1>I had seen any activity at the house since, to

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00:20:17.079 --> 00:20:19.720
<v Speaker 1>which I replied no, but that I had not really

335
00:20:19.759 --> 00:20:23.680
<v Speaker 1>been paying attention and that was the truth. I then

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00:20:23.759 --> 00:20:26.319
<v Speaker 1>asked the deputy if I could go over and feed

337
00:20:26.359 --> 00:20:29.920
<v Speaker 1>the dogs. If this guy had been missing for three days,

338
00:20:30.000 --> 00:20:33.680
<v Speaker 1>I was sure the dogs were starving. He agreed that

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00:20:33.680 --> 00:20:37.319
<v Speaker 1>that was a good idea, and I headed over. I

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00:20:37.400 --> 00:20:40.279
<v Speaker 1>made my way into the garage to find the dog feed,

341
00:20:40.319 --> 00:20:43.920
<v Speaker 1>and I saw several large bags in a utility room.

342
00:20:44.400 --> 00:20:46.799
<v Speaker 1>Rats that chewed holes in all the bags and I

343
00:20:46.839 --> 00:20:49.640
<v Speaker 1>didn't know how old the dog food was, but it

344
00:20:49.640 --> 00:20:53.000
<v Speaker 1>would be something for the animals until something got figured out.

345
00:20:53.839 --> 00:20:56.039
<v Speaker 1>I found a two and a half gallon bucket, I

346
00:20:56.079 --> 00:20:58.599
<v Speaker 1>filled it with feed, and I walked into the fence.

347
00:20:59.440 --> 00:21:03.200
<v Speaker 1>None of the dogs were aggressive with me. Some cowered away,

348
00:21:03.640 --> 00:21:06.680
<v Speaker 1>but that was to be expected. Most were happy to

349
00:21:06.720 --> 00:21:10.279
<v Speaker 1>see me. A few trips later and I had all

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00:21:10.319 --> 00:21:14.039
<v Speaker 1>twenty four dogs fed and water. As I walked through

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00:21:14.079 --> 00:21:16.960
<v Speaker 1>the garage to leave, I heard the father saying something

352
00:21:17.000 --> 00:21:21.519
<v Speaker 1>about drug deals and gangs, etc. I didn't catch enough

353
00:21:21.559 --> 00:21:24.079
<v Speaker 1>to know what they were talking about, but I thought

354
00:21:24.119 --> 00:21:27.400
<v Speaker 1>to myself, if they get on that trail, they wouldn't

355
00:21:27.400 --> 00:21:31.160
<v Speaker 1>even investigate around the house. Maybe that would keep them

356
00:21:31.200 --> 00:21:33.839
<v Speaker 1>out of the woods and away from the Bigfoot clan.

357
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<v Speaker 1>That is exactly what happened. In the news, I read

358
00:21:39.319 --> 00:21:41.720
<v Speaker 1>that the man had been tied to a local drug

359
00:21:41.759 --> 00:21:46.559
<v Speaker 1>distribution ring and had been under surveillance by local authorities.

360
00:21:47.240 --> 00:21:50.200
<v Speaker 1>I didn't have any idea he was under surveillance while

361
00:21:50.240 --> 00:21:53.279
<v Speaker 1>I lived there, and of course that he was missing,

362
00:21:53.440 --> 00:21:56.480
<v Speaker 1>and if anyone had any information to please call the

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00:21:56.559 --> 00:22:00.599
<v Speaker 1>number below. To my knowledge, no one ever recall that

364
00:22:00.720 --> 00:22:06.039
<v Speaker 1>number with anything of value to the investigation. Almost a

365
00:22:06.119 --> 00:22:09.319
<v Speaker 1>year later, I was walking through the woods behind our house.

366
00:22:09.759 --> 00:22:13.240
<v Speaker 1>I was looking for signs of the Bigfoot clan. I

367
00:22:13.279 --> 00:22:15.799
<v Speaker 1>had not seen or heard from them since the night

368
00:22:15.920 --> 00:22:20.359
<v Speaker 1>Tupac disappeared. I walked through the thick patch of briars,

369
00:22:20.519 --> 00:22:23.839
<v Speaker 1>a place I had never explored, and I saw something

370
00:22:23.880 --> 00:22:27.960
<v Speaker 1>that didn't belong. I approached the object, and I saw

371
00:22:28.000 --> 00:22:32.240
<v Speaker 1>a white Nike running shoe. It was dirty now, and

372
00:22:32.319 --> 00:22:34.599
<v Speaker 1>it looked as if it had not been moved since

373
00:22:34.640 --> 00:22:38.599
<v Speaker 1>it fell there. Small new plants grew through the laces

374
00:22:38.680 --> 00:22:42.440
<v Speaker 1>which were still tied. I saw nothing else of interest,

375
00:22:42.599 --> 00:22:44.599
<v Speaker 1>and so I walked back out the way that I

376
00:22:44.640 --> 00:22:49.240
<v Speaker 1>had come in. We sold that property a while back,

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00:22:49.279 --> 00:22:51.880
<v Speaker 1>and I have moved to another larger town in a

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00:22:51.960 --> 00:22:56.240
<v Speaker 1>neighboring state. I am retired now and enjoying my days

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<v Speaker 1>with my wife. Oh yes, about the dogs. I worked

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00:23:00.599 --> 00:23:05.400
<v Speaker 1>with our local rescue organization, and every dog, all twenty four,

381
00:23:05.640 --> 00:23:10.000
<v Speaker 1>were eventually adopted out to families far away from Mississippi.

382
00:23:10.720 --> 00:23:15.200
<v Speaker 1>Some actually live in Manhattan in New York City. One

383
00:23:15.319 --> 00:23:18.720
<v Speaker 1>even lives with us now. She's an old dog now

384
00:23:18.880 --> 00:23:22.960
<v Speaker 1>in short on time, but she's very comfortable. We gave

385
00:23:23.000 --> 00:23:26.640
<v Speaker 1>her a good life after that ordeal. Believe me, she

386
00:23:26.880 --> 00:23:30.839
<v Speaker 1>earned it. It was six years before I began to

387
00:23:30.880 --> 00:23:34.839
<v Speaker 1>see evidence that the Bigfoot were back. Maybe it was

388
00:23:34.920 --> 00:23:38.720
<v Speaker 1>the same clan, maybe it was a new clan. Maybe

389
00:23:38.759 --> 00:23:41.640
<v Speaker 1>they never left and just kept a very low profile

390
00:23:41.759 --> 00:23:46.720
<v Speaker 1>around my house. I will never know. I never stopped

391
00:23:46.759 --> 00:23:50.359
<v Speaker 1>occasionally leaving them gifts through the years, but most of

392
00:23:50.400 --> 00:23:53.160
<v Speaker 1>the time when I would come check back the next day,

393
00:23:53.640 --> 00:23:56.960
<v Speaker 1>the gifts were still there, unless it was food, but

394
00:23:57.119 --> 00:24:01.160
<v Speaker 1>even then, any animal could have taken that food. During

395
00:24:01.200 --> 00:24:03.640
<v Speaker 1>the last years that we lived there, I knew the

396
00:24:03.680 --> 00:24:07.279
<v Speaker 1>young ones and the females were close. They were always

397
00:24:07.359 --> 00:24:09.720
<v Speaker 1>present when I had the dogs out in the back

398
00:24:09.799 --> 00:24:13.559
<v Speaker 1>playing with them. I think they liked that kind of thing.