Charlotte

Day 224

About three weeks ago our darling, sweeter-than-pie dog, Shelby, had escaped for one of her little jaunts around the neighborhood. In the past, she'd get out, but always come home. I knew someone had her when she didn't come back the next day...or the next day. Trenton and I packed the kids up and canvassed our entire neighborhood searching for her. I went to the humane society practically every other day and walked through rows and rows of miserable, jailed animals, filling out lost reports, posting on Craigslist. I was so angry knowing that someone was keeping her and not reporting having found her. Who does that? Who finds a lost dog and doesn't take the steps to help her find her home? Every single day I would sit and watch out my front window, waiting to find someone walking her. Anyway, yesterday I went to the Humane Society to fill out another lost report and after doing so, I spotted Charlotte. The most adorable Pointer Miniature Greyhound mix. To make a long story short- two hours, a bunch of paperwork, and $100 later, we walked out with Charlotte in tow. Emma asked me what we'd do with Charlotte when we found Shelby, and of course my answer was that we'd then have 2 dogs.

Okay, so this is my theory on lost stuff- always has been. If you lose something, go buy another one and you'll find the one you lost. If you've lost your sunglasses, go to the $ store and buy another pair, because undoubtedly, you'll get in your car and find the lost pair under the seat. If you've misplaced your passport, order a new one, and you'll find your old one sitting in the spice cabinet. If you lost your wedding ring, buy a new fake one, and you'll get home THAT NIGHT to find it sitting between the refrigerator and the flour canister (thanks Steve and Trenton)...

So we had been home with Charlotte for exactly two hours when my niece, who was looking out the front window screamed, "There's Shelby!" Trenton flew up the stairs and outside and he yelled, "That's my dog!" Shelby instantly ran into our house and collapsed in my arms like a child who had been kidnapped and was reunited with her Mommy. So get this- Shelby had escaped from the family she had been abducted by and they were out searching for "their" lost dog. As soon as she was free, she ran straight back to our house. What's especially upsetting is that the family that was keeping her had found Shelby a previous time and had called our number on her tag so that we could retrieve her. They KNEW she was our dog and just decided to keep her this time!!!

This is such a relief. I don't know if you remember the horrid fate of our cat Turtle, but she had escaped and died shortly after. This was a MUCH better outcome.

So if you lose your dog- go buy another one! And, in Emma's cheerful voice, "Now we have 2 doggies."

Janet