Pet Problems- When My Son’s Dog Goes Missing…The Pawning Planners “Team Up” To Find It

This morning my son called to tell me that their blonde chihuahua “Duck Hafele” was missing after digging out of their backyard last night.  Since my son and his wife don’t have children- their pet family continues to expand year after year with Duck being her Christmas gift last year.

 I quickly called my sister, Cindy Daniel and since I live three blocks away- planned a search and rescue strategy.

Foxy Wortham is my husbands pride and joy so when he heard that Duck was missing, he made a few suggestions as to where she might be and I loaded up a leash and headed out with Cindy taking a four block area and me driving an alternate route and meeting in alley of my son and daughter in laws home on Collinwood.

We found Duck huddled near a bush in the alley.  Although cold and hungry, she was unhurt which is very lucky considering that our neighborhood has raccoons and possums foraging through the garbage cans.

A few months ago, my neighbor was frantically searching for her dog, Lucy at 10PM.  My husband and I along with my grandnieces, Maryssa and Makenna Mahaney joined the search with flashlights and quickly located Lucy barking at another dog a few blocks from home.

I told my son that Duck needs dog tags and he advised me she has them but scratches her collar off on a regular basis leaving it laying around their home.

When you have a pet (whether it’s a dog or cat) you may experience the same panic of losing them as you would a child and thankfully, the TwinTeam found Duck before the neighbors may have run him over.

My first dog, Poppy was a huge part of our lives for 13 years and the loss of her impacted me to such an extent that it took 20 years for me to accept another pet in my life.

Matthew Wortham, had a dog who was run over and never planned on having another pet after grieving the loss.  But, Foxy Wortham changed all of that when he entered our lives with his feisty attitude that was just too much for my sisters household. 

  

Foxy is always into something around here and has a reputation for jumping up and grabbing food out of your hands or sneaking up on the dining room table and running off with food. 

 I will always remember the “turkey incident” at our old house when I was busy getting my family gathered up for a holiday meal and Foxy ran through the kitchen with the turkey dragging behind him.

Yes, the joys and occasionally the loss of having a pet can enrich your life but for my son and his wife- finding Duck again this morning had Stephanie answering their door crying because my sister and I were lucky enough to find her.

My husbands tips about a small dog not travelling too far from home was part of the reason that our search had a happy ending.

All of our children and grandchildren love pets and although Cindy’s home is a “pet free” zone other than her husbands Guinea pig “Stinky,” the twins continue to beg for a dog year after year.  Maybe one day Cindy will lift the dog and cat ban?  Time will tell…

 Wendy M Wortham