Sounds like a joke, right? 'Taint funny, McGee, in real life.
Last Wednesday night I came home around 9 PM. A short while later, two of my dogs alerted me to the fact that Sasha, my 14-year-old Silky, was missing. A quick search of the yard and house led to the discovery that the front door was slightly ajar. So, I got my flashlight and went to search for her. The challenge is that she suffers from age-related hearing loss, so I can't call her. Add to that the fact that she is mostly black and the reality that there is very little light on our street at night even with the streetlights, and it became a search and rescue mission.
Sasha has a pretty routine route when she escapes the confines of the house without a leash. She usually heads to the yard next door and makes her way down the cul-de-sac. I thought I would be able to intercept her somewhere along that route or catch her on the way back. Calling in reinforcements to help me search a wider circle around my house turned up no sign of her. Along the way, I checked in with a lot of my neighbors to keep an eye out for her. A lot of thoughts and prayers went through my mind during that search. I was mostly concerned that she not be lying injured or hurt somewhere.
After patrolling for an hour, I returned to the house to regroup. That is when the phone rang and a very concerned voice asked me if I was missing a dog. I immediately asked if they had her.
"Where are you?"
"On 102nd and about 58th." Eight blocks from my house in the opposite direction she usually heads, a long way in the dark.
"OK, I'll be right there. I'll be in a white van."
As it turned out, my neighbor, who had volunteered to help me search, drove me because her car was parked behind mine in the driveway. We made our way down 58th street by the park and all the way across 102nd to a van parked alongside the road. I was very relieved to see that Sasha seemed OK. The couple's little girl was having a great time holding her. The dad said they almost hit her because she was heading right down the middle of 102nd at a good clip.
I don't know if Sasha was running away from home or just on an untoward adventure, but it reminded me of the times that older people wander away from nursing homes and cannot find their way back. I was so thankful that I put my name, address, and phone number on the back of all of my dog's ID tags.
Sasha is home safe. The front door has been adjusted so that it closes securely every time. I am most thankful that my first instinct is to always pray for help-- and for God's provision yet again.
