The Case of the Runaway Dog
We were having a very nice family get together today when I spotted a shih tzu running in the street. Naturally, I ran out of the house after the dog and picked it up to find its collar and bring it home. The dog was obviously not a stray--it was 'fat' and well groomed. Someone LOVES this dog. But the dog had NO Collar. So, I start walking down the street, carrying the dog. In high heeled sandals.
I have blisters.
Anyway, I ring a doorbell and the people in the house say, "Yeah, that's our friend's dog, Jasmine."
The dog doesn't respond to Jasmine. The dog doesn't do anything but pang. "Really?" I ask. "Which house?"
"Oh, no," the dad says. "They moved to another town. This dog has run away and come back here before."
"Seriously?"
Now what?
So, this guy calls his friend 'Mike' and gets no answer. Now, I have a terrified shih tzu who lives NOWHERE near me, who is named something, but it isn't Jasmine. This is NOT Jasmine. It's obvious. We drove around the neighborhood looking for people who might own this dog. We asked EVERYONE walking down the street if they recognized this dog. Usually, when a dog gets lost, the owners are driving around screaming a dog's name out the window of the car. Or running around. Or crying. Something.
Nothing.
The dog was stuck with us. She didn't want to eat. She didn't want to drink. She wanted to go home. And I couldn't get her there because I didn't know WHERE home was!
This ruined my whole day. I felt terrible. Then, I went in the house to go to the bathroom, and the dog slipped out under the fence and ran away. Again.
Now, I'll never sleep again because I lost this lost dog, who may or may not have been Jasmine. (Though I doubt it.) All I wanted to do was give a family back their dog since I know how painful it is to lose one (I just put my dog down last month.) I was an epic failure.
My cousin insists that I've earned my way into Heaven for trying. I think he's kind. I don't think I'll ever feel good about myself again because all I can think about is this dog running around looking for its home. And perhaps getting hit by a car. And maybe a little child crying for his/her lost dog.
I'm nauseated. I think I'd feel better if I'd let the dog run by, but I could never do such a thing.
Just wanted to share some of my misery.
I have blisters.
Anyway, I ring a doorbell and the people in the house say, "Yeah, that's our friend's dog, Jasmine."
The dog doesn't respond to Jasmine. The dog doesn't do anything but pang. "Really?" I ask. "Which house?"
"Oh, no," the dad says. "They moved to another town. This dog has run away and come back here before."
"Seriously?"
Now what?
So, this guy calls his friend 'Mike' and gets no answer. Now, I have a terrified shih tzu who lives NOWHERE near me, who is named something, but it isn't Jasmine. This is NOT Jasmine. It's obvious. We drove around the neighborhood looking for people who might own this dog. We asked EVERYONE walking down the street if they recognized this dog. Usually, when a dog gets lost, the owners are driving around screaming a dog's name out the window of the car. Or running around. Or crying. Something.
Nothing.
The dog was stuck with us. She didn't want to eat. She didn't want to drink. She wanted to go home. And I couldn't get her there because I didn't know WHERE home was!
This ruined my whole day. I felt terrible. Then, I went in the house to go to the bathroom, and the dog slipped out under the fence and ran away. Again.
Now, I'll never sleep again because I lost this lost dog, who may or may not have been Jasmine. (Though I doubt it.) All I wanted to do was give a family back their dog since I know how painful it is to lose one (I just put my dog down last month.) I was an epic failure.
My cousin insists that I've earned my way into Heaven for trying. I think he's kind. I don't think I'll ever feel good about myself again because all I can think about is this dog running around looking for its home. And perhaps getting hit by a car. And maybe a little child crying for his/her lost dog.
I'm nauseated. I think I'd feel better if I'd let the dog run by, but I could never do such a thing.
Just wanted to share some of my misery.