trauma

So much trauma in the last 24 hours.

Yesterday morning, the lawn service came and applied whatever it is they put on the grass for weeds and fertilizer. When they left, they didn't effectively latch the gate on the back yard. About 2:00 we put the dogs out, not thinking that the gate wasn't secure.

Rachael and I were sitting here gabbing about this and that when she jumped up saying, "The dogs are out." She had just seen Maxim going past the window.

She ran to the front door and when she got it open, Maxim was coming around the corner of the house. He came romping in. Rachael ran across the front of the house to the gate. Mica and Sebastian were just discovering it was open. She slammed the gate and fastened it. Mica and Sebastian went in the garage. Maxim was in with me. Rachael went running around in her slippers and sweat shirt calling Gabriel. He was gone. Like he had been zapped up by Captian Kirk or Scotty.

After a few minutes she came back in and put on better outdoor clothes and began looking for Gabe. I put on a jacket and shoes and went to stand out side, calling him. For about 45 minutes or an hour she canvassed the neighborhood on foot. Then she came in and got the car to drive further.

To make the whole thing worse, Gabriel didn't have his collar on! No license, no rabies tag, no ID! He had gotten in a tiff with the neighbor dog remember, and I'd taken the collar off because his neck was so swollen it was too tight. He still had a lump and I hadn't put it back on!

I called the police to get the animal control number (I was so flusterd I couldn't locate it.) The dispatcher gave me the number, but also took a report on Gable.

I called the Animal Control Office and gave them a report too. Mean time Rachael drove all around Twelve Trees. No Gabriel.

When Michael came home, he and Rachael drove around again, but it was nearly dark by then. No Gabriel. When they came home they didn't come in to my room right away and I was sure they were burying Gabe before they told me he'd gotten hit. I imagined he looked so awful they didn't want me to see him! Finally Rach came and said they just hadn't been able to find him.

I tried to stay positive. Rachael was sure someone had taken him inside because of the cold damp weather. I prayed that was so. I didn't sleep real well, but better than I expected to. And I didn't cry too much. But I missed having him lay in the side of my chair. Sebastian came up but he just doesn't feel like Gable.

I prayed that Gabe wouldn't have to spend the night outside.

I prayed somebody had him and would take him someplace where I could find him. I prayed that the Lord would protect him and bring him home to me safely. I posted a note to a few people asking them to pray for him to come home to me, but I was so upset that I wasn't very coherent to explain.

It really hit hard when I got up to start the coffee this morning. Gabe always hops out of bed right away and is ready for the day, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed so to speak. And he wasn't there. I was all alone. I went to the bathroom alone, washed my face alone, put my dress on alone. When I went out to the kitchen I had to call Sebastian to come along and go out to the potty. Then I started dripping.

I cried all while I fixed Michael's lunch box and got the coffee and made some toast. I came around and sat down in my usual spot still crying but there was no Gable sitting by my foot. And when Sebastian came inside, he was cold.

After everyone left for work, I made up a lost dog flyer to email to Michael at work. He said he'd print it off and they could get a bunch made. One of my friends emailed me to see how I was doing....

When I came out from taking my shower and washing my hair there was a missed message on my phone. When I called it was the Westerville Police. Someone had brought in a little black and white Jack Russell Terrier. I wanted to hope but I was afraid to even think it might be Gabe. After a few calls back and forth I thought to tell the dispatcher that I'd posted his picture on PetFBI.com, our lost dog website. About 3 minutes later she called to say it was him!

A policeman brought him to me about fifteen minutes after that. Oh, I thank the Lord for getting him home safe. The policeman said everybody at the station had loved him. That was very evident--his little belly was like a drum. Everybody who'd seen him had felt moved by his woebegone face to give him a treat. And he'd obviously taken advantage of every single tidbit.

They said he'd been clear over in Three Forks, several blocks from us! The little wanderer! Some people had picked him up yesterday evening and kept him warm over night. In the morning they had taken him to the police station.

Thank the Lord. Not only does He care about the grass of the field and lilies and sparrows, but He cares about little black and white dogs too. And their 'mamas' who have served Him faithfully.