Last Friday, Ashley and I were heading out to get her to school (Riley went earlier for a meeting) and since it was raining I was herding Duchess into the laundry room while Ashley was heading out to the car. Seizing an opportunity, she took off.
Disgusted, I could see her, but decided to get Ashley to school on time as opposed to go after her. This is nothing new for this dog. I have met 50% of my neighborhood by them fetching her after she escaped then the kind neighbor will call the number on her tag. Not a perfect system, but it works.
I returned home about 20 minutes later, glancing at the machine for the blinking light that would let me know someone wanted me to come get her. Then my heart sank. Duchess' tags fell off this summer and we never put them back on. My dog was out running the neighborhood with no ID. Oh, bless, what an irresponsible pet owner I was.
Troy came home at lunch to help me drive the neighborhood for her -- to no avail. I left to go toRevolve, leaving Troy to welcome her home when she wearied of the wandering. He logged online to place an ad in the Classifieds, he went to the pound (and took Riley -- big mistake). No Duchess.
It was drizzly and cool all weekend. I just knew and hoped that she was inside someone's warm home, waiting for that ad in the paper to finally come out. Which never came out. Turns out, our paper can't do classifieds between 2 p.m. on Friday until Tuesday morning. Ugh. So I waited, hanging my hope on that ad.
Three people called or let me know they saw a dog that looked like her on the highway close to our house Monday afternoon. I looked and looked for her. Nothing. Thankfully, no smooshed puppy, either, but no dog. I called the pound. Nothing. *sigh* There will always be Tuesday's ad.
Tuesday came raining buckets. My mood was very gray, as well. My phone didn't ring at all. I waited and waited and nothing. I grew sadder and sadder, and prayed more and more -- yes, I prayed a LOT for this dog to come home. After Meals on Wheels, I drove around a little more, and called the pound one more time. "Yeah, you may need to come look at one."
There was my puppy. At the pound. Almost 5 days after she took off. They had only picked her up that morning -- from a vet's office off the highway where I think she was spotted the day before. I bailed her out, then promptly went to the vet's office and bought her a new tag. Done and whew.
I won't say it was like one of the kids being gone, but it was definitely a void in our family. So thankful to have her back, and so overwhelmed by the people who worried and prayed and fretted with me. I am blessed by pet lovers around me.
We are drama free for a while.
4 comments:
Your mom and I were among the worriers/prayers, and we're thankful your family is complete again.
So glad she is home! You guys have had her for a long time and I know you were just worried sick.
Just wait until Stickers gets the urge to roam. :) (Just joking--so glad that Duchess is back home and that she was well fed while she was gone.)
My own tummy was in knots as I read this...until you revealed that your "baby" was safely home!
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