I'm too old for adventures
Last night, just as I got home from work, my daughter called from PA. She had gotten home from work, let her two dogs out, gone upstairs to change and when she came back down, someone had opened the gate and let the two dogs out. They were gone. Totally gone.
She looked around for about a half hour before she called her husband (who works second shift) and he drove home to help her look (he works an hour away). After another hour they called us.
The coldest night of the year and my granddogs were out. One is a pointer mix, the other a pug. Both speutered, spoiled and short-coated. Samantha is 8, Suggs is 2. Eddie, my son in law, had Samantha long before he met my daughter. I think one reason my daughter was attracted to he was because he was a single guy with a home and a dog.
We made the drive in record time. By this time their neighbors had gotten involved. Have I mentioned that she lives in a VERY tiny town? My daughter had contacted the local police, fire department, animal control and we printed out flyers for the grocery store, the Sheetz store and for handing out.
Around 10:45 last night the police called my daughter's house. I was holding down the "Command Center". Two high school girls had seen the poster at Sheetz and decided that driving around looking for dogs was a better way to spend a Friday night than just driving around. They found them but didn't have a cell phone. The Pug came right to them but Samantha is very shy and wouldn't. They went back to Sheetz b/c the police officer was there (the town has one officer on duty at a time, it's that small). He had a cell and called the house. I called my daughter on her cell and they met the kids and brought the Pug home.
Around 11:00 p.m. we regrouped in the area that Samantha was last seen. By this time the wind chill is below 0 and we're worrying that she's alone with no one to curl up with for warmth.
Suggs, the Pug, was none the worse for wear, even being out and about for almost 5 hours. Wasn't even thirsty when he got home. So they found water, at least.
Through the night we'd get calls that Samantha had been spotted but she wouldn't come to anyone she didn't know. As an aside, Littlestown (yes, that's it's name) is probably the ONLY place in the US where the people don't have more cell phones than cars. No one who saw her had a cell phone to call us right away.
About 6:45 this morning the police found Samantha crossing the major road between one side of town and the other. She had been on the other side where we had been looking all night. They called and began following her, rather than approach her and spook her. And the little stinker went through the ball field and right back to her own yard.
She is sore. She's been running all night but she's fine.
Telling every teenager you meet "There's a reward for their return" seems to be a great incentive for them to call everyone they know and drag them out to help search. God bless those kids. They even tried to turn down the reward. Their mommas should be proud of themselves. My daughter gave out free pizza coupons to those that helped. One boy said he couldn't take it b/c if his dog got out, he'd be throwing up and would want people to help him.
Small town police. You hear so many rumors. Littlestown has a reputation of being a speed trap. Any faster than 25 mph and you're ticketed. No grace, a ticket. The very same officer who will nail you at 26 mph went out of his way to help a lost dog get home. A mutt. A pointer mix who looks like a fat dalmation. Not a WORD about the dogs running loose, which is a big fine in that town.
We came home, grabbed a nap and now have our own chores to do. Thanks be to God, my granddogs are home safe and sound. The son in law is putting a lock on the gates as I type this. I know this because I called my daughter and asked her if Sam and Suggs were asleep. She said yes, why? I said "Go wake them up. I lost a full nights sleep. By golly, they're not going to sleep". :)
I'm too old for this.
She looked around for about a half hour before she called her husband (who works second shift) and he drove home to help her look (he works an hour away). After another hour they called us.
The coldest night of the year and my granddogs were out. One is a pointer mix, the other a pug. Both speutered, spoiled and short-coated. Samantha is 8, Suggs is 2. Eddie, my son in law, had Samantha long before he met my daughter. I think one reason my daughter was attracted to he was because he was a single guy with a home and a dog.
We made the drive in record time. By this time their neighbors had gotten involved. Have I mentioned that she lives in a VERY tiny town? My daughter had contacted the local police, fire department, animal control and we printed out flyers for the grocery store, the Sheetz store and for handing out.
Around 10:45 last night the police called my daughter's house. I was holding down the "Command Center". Two high school girls had seen the poster at Sheetz and decided that driving around looking for dogs was a better way to spend a Friday night than just driving around. They found them but didn't have a cell phone. The Pug came right to them but Samantha is very shy and wouldn't. They went back to Sheetz b/c the police officer was there (the town has one officer on duty at a time, it's that small). He had a cell and called the house. I called my daughter on her cell and they met the kids and brought the Pug home.
Around 11:00 p.m. we regrouped in the area that Samantha was last seen. By this time the wind chill is below 0 and we're worrying that she's alone with no one to curl up with for warmth.
Suggs, the Pug, was none the worse for wear, even being out and about for almost 5 hours. Wasn't even thirsty when he got home. So they found water, at least.
Through the night we'd get calls that Samantha had been spotted but she wouldn't come to anyone she didn't know. As an aside, Littlestown (yes, that's it's name) is probably the ONLY place in the US where the people don't have more cell phones than cars. No one who saw her had a cell phone to call us right away.
About 6:45 this morning the police found Samantha crossing the major road between one side of town and the other. She had been on the other side where we had been looking all night. They called and began following her, rather than approach her and spook her. And the little stinker went through the ball field and right back to her own yard.
She is sore. She's been running all night but she's fine.
Telling every teenager you meet "There's a reward for their return" seems to be a great incentive for them to call everyone they know and drag them out to help search. God bless those kids. They even tried to turn down the reward. Their mommas should be proud of themselves. My daughter gave out free pizza coupons to those that helped. One boy said he couldn't take it b/c if his dog got out, he'd be throwing up and would want people to help him.
Small town police. You hear so many rumors. Littlestown has a reputation of being a speed trap. Any faster than 25 mph and you're ticketed. No grace, a ticket. The very same officer who will nail you at 26 mph went out of his way to help a lost dog get home. A mutt. A pointer mix who looks like a fat dalmation. Not a WORD about the dogs running loose, which is a big fine in that town.
We came home, grabbed a nap and now have our own chores to do. Thanks be to God, my granddogs are home safe and sound. The son in law is putting a lock on the gates as I type this. I know this because I called my daughter and asked her if Sam and Suggs were asleep. She said yes, why? I said "Go wake them up. I lost a full nights sleep. By golly, they're not going to sleep". :)
I'm too old for this.