Julia Zwar has always known her dog, Billy, was a thrill-seeker. The 5-year-old pup loves an adventure and will take any chance he gets to push the limits.
“Billy will stop at nothing,” Zwar said. “He’ll take any opportunity he can get.”
Most of Billy’s mischief is harmless — sneaking onto the couch, for example — but recently, Zwar came home to find a note wedged in her front door that stopped her in her tracks.
“Hi, we found your dog on your roof …” the message began.
Zwar first adopted Billy when he was just 15 months old. Underweight and nervous at the time, he blossomed quickly with love from her and her housemates.
Soon, he was racing around the park and bouncing back with confidence.
But Billy’s boundless curiosity has only grown over the years — and one summer afternoon in Melbourne, it landed him on the roof.
That day, Zwar went out with friends, leaving Billy at home as usual. But thanks to her housemate Jess’s recent room rearrangement, the bed now sat against a window — which, to Billy, looked more like a door to adventure.
He took it.
Before long, Billy was standing proudly on the roof, in full view of the park across the street. Neighbors spotted the daring dog and immediately rushed to help.
“[We] climbed up and put [him] back into the house and then closed the window,” the note explained. “Cheers from the park people.”
When Zwar came home, Billy greeted her happily in the living room, tail wagging as if nothing unusual had happened. But when she read the note out loud and scolded him gently, he dropped his head, giving her the most guilty puppy-dog eyes.
“If puppy eyes came from anywhere, they came from his face that evening,” Zwar said.
Relieved but determined to prevent another rooftop stunt, Zwar quickly made changes. “We had to make sure the door to Jess’ bedroom was shut or the window shut so he couldn’t attempt another escape,” she explained.
So far, Billy hasn’t tried again — though he’s kept busy with his usual antics, from sprinting at the park to splashing in the ocean.
Zwar hopes Billy’s rooftop adventures are behind him, but she knows better than to ever underestimate his adventurous streak.
“And if climbing out onto the roof isn’t the end of it,” she said, “I’ll keep you posted.”
