Rabbit Fence

When we got our dog, we enclosed a part of our backyard with a 6-foot picket fence. This allowed us to let the dog out safely. We chose this type of fence over an invisible fence, because it prevented our dog from running off, and other dogs couldn’t come into her area and bother her. Well, this worked pretty well for several years. Smaller animals like rabbits could get into the fenced area. Our dog would chase them but rarely caught up to them. Until one fateful morning, last year, when a mother rabbit had her babies in our yard. My dog picked them up and played with them, killing a few. We tried to dig the whole litter up and move them far away, but I don’t think any of those rabbits lived.

It was disturbing to watch my dog killing baby rabbits. Rabbits also carry diseases that could harm dogs. So this year, my husband and I were more proactive. We knew that once the temptation of a furry rabbit entered our dog’s territory, she wouldn’t be able to resist it. In order to prevent this, we put up a layer of chicken wire around our picket fence. We covered the gaps in our fence so small animals couldn’t easily wander in.

We often prepare for the obvious big intruders, but overlook the smaller interlopers.

“Catch the foxes for us, the little foxes that ruin vineyards.” (Song of Solomon 2:15 GWT)

I’m much better at watching out for BIG sins, but I let little sins sneak through quite often.

Here are some recent ‘little foxes’ that have squeezed under my fence: I have been less than straightforward with a few people. I have tried to control situations. I have been critical, sarcastic, angry, unforgiving, manipulative, and negative. I have made several unhealthy choices and wandered down paths of dysfunction. I need a tighter mesh around my boundaries so these little temptations don’t wander into my territory.