The Tunasan Rat Patrol (TRP) is a crack force of one human (Bloggerbels) and two dogs (Bop and Chichi) who work tirelessly to keep one house in the Tunasan District of Muntinlupa City… well, if not exactly rat-free, then at least within an acceptable rat limit.
On the evening of Sunday, January 8th, 2017, the human member of the Patrol returned home to the Rat Patrol HQ to discover that the shower drain had been forced open. Unfortunately, this is a typical way for rats to gain entry into the house. But even more unfortunately for the rats, the TRP was on duty that night, and its canine members (the Spotters) began following their noses, hot on the trail of the rodent intruder.
After inspecting the kitchen, Patrol member Bop began staring intently at the propane tank for the gas stove – a popular rat hangout. Within the patrol, Bloggerbels serves the primary function of dislodging rats from their hiding places after they have been detected by the Spotters, who then perform their complimentary Bite-Rat-Until-Dead function. He dutifully fulfilled his duty by shaking the propane tank back and forth, which may or may not be a safe thing to do.
They were soon richly rewarded. A tiny grey streak rushed out from underneath the tank, dashing between some cardboard boxes. Bop launched into hot pursuit, and at first it looked like a mismatched battle – an oversized dog, knocking over boxes while trying in vain to catch a smaller, more agile animal. But somehow, she caught the tiny rat between her teeth, and instinctively tossed her head back and forth to maximize the trauma inflicted upon the poor creature. (Consider, if you will, the sadistic efficiency of evolution and breeding in producing this reflexive gesture that is so elegantly designed to maximize organ trauma.) Her grisly work done, Bop tossed the completely dead rat onto the ground, its viscera hanging out pathetically. [Photo mercifully not included]
In an attempt to promote future rat-hunting activities, the Human tried to pat and praise Bop, encouraging her to jump on his legs to receive some additional commendation. But Bop was apparently still too deep in her own primal world after that breathtaking display of rat-hunting, and seemed uninterested in the trivial praise of humans. After that, the human performed his final function by sweeping up the carcass and disposing of it in the trash bin.
Considering their normal tendency to bumble about clumsily, the Human assumed that the canine members of the TRP were only able to kill the most tragically dim-witted specimens of rathood. After watching a 16 kilogram Spotter/Hunter make quick work of a few grams of grey streak, the human Hiding Place-Shaker has developed a newfound respect for the canine members of the TRP. May they continue the good work, and may the plates in the TRP headquarters remain relatively rat turd-free!
Your niece and nephew are big fans of Paw Patrol, a show about audacious dogs who save humans from danger. I guess Bop and Chichi are their own Paw Patrol. They clearly play an important role in saving you from the danger of rats.
They really are! This also provides an ideal opportunity for the Paw Patrol TV show to teach young children about the dangers of leptospirosis.