He Also Wants To Walk Himself

Tuesday morning, someone found a loose dog and brought it to the Valley Veterinary Clinic on East Sprague.

The yellow Lab had a tag. It said the dog’s name was Rex.

The tag also had a phone number. A clinic staffer called it.

The guy who answered said, yes, he owned a dog by that name. And probably thinking this call from Valley Veterinary was an appointment confirmation, he volunteered that he was scheduled to bring Rex in that afternoon.

It was then that the clinic staffer reported that Rex had already arrived.

The surprised pet owner on the phone looked out at his back yard. He found it minus one family dog.

LeRoy Nelson had brought his own dog, Bambi, to the clinic Tuesday. He overheard the exchange about Rex. The whole thing really had people shaking their heads, he said.

Now whether pets getting themselves to the vet’s for appointments will become a trend, only time will tell.

But never let it be said that Rex kept the doctor waiting. (Wonder if he remembered to sign in.)

* Slice answers: A reader said Spokane’s airport could come up with a snappy new three-letter code by doing what Portland (PDX) does.

Take the first letter of the city’s name, add the last letter of the city’s name and then tack on “X” for international airport.

On second thought, maybe not.

Idaho native Becky Luther suggested “CDA.”

* Simple beliefs, simple minds: An alarmingly high percentage of people around here seem to think that expensive homes mean nice people.

* Readers said great-looking local phone voices include: insurance man Jack Praxel, adored son-in-law Kevin Hennessey, Diane at Moss Adams, travel consultant Connie Smith and that one receptionist at John Cooney’s law office.

* Family Phrases Department: “Thirty-some years ago, my then 4-year-old brother called binoculars `lookers,’ ” wrote Janice Karst of Kellogg. “We still do.”

When Mary Kasey’s daughter was first learning to spell, she launched a family expression when she wrote of her little brother, `Michael is getting on my nevers.”’

A similar tradition began when Sheila Weber’s then 3-year-old son, Grant, declared as the family drove by a graveyard that cemeteries were “Where all the dead pickles go.”

* Warm-up question: If you were arrested as a suspect in a high-profile case, what would your neighbors say?

* Today’s Slice question: Who makes the best fried chicken?