Very Scary Close Call
It started a little before 5:00 p.m. last night. Well, actually it started about 30 minutes sooner but I didn't know. Niles Winston, our sire started "talking" and whining and otherwise acting quite upset. I thought my daughter was walking the girl dogs and that's what he was worked up about. Not only is Splash Jordan in heat but Euphrates is right behind her and that creates a lot of vocalizing from our male. I ignored him but I should learn that when Niles talks, we should listen. I wish I would have gone outside right then and seen what was up. But I didn't.
A little before 5:00 my daughter did go out to walk the girl dogs. One was missing. We had put Euphrates out on an overhead cable which I'm usually very careful about. It's in a beautiful, well-treed area that's central to our daily activities. The dogs enjoy rotating their locations on the days they aren't indoors. We saw that the very thick and strong cable was broken. I could see how the sun had dried it enough to make a small crack in the plastic coating and the recent rains provided the weakening rust. That's all it took for a very strong, large dog to break it.
My daughter and I each grabbed leads and began running all over our 23 well-treed acres praying and calling, Euphrates!!! All the while I'm feeling stupid, irresponsible, heart sick. I ran through the woods to a neighbor's and asked if they'd keep an eye out, which they assured me they would. I came back and decided to take off on the ATV and go down onto the road. I thought she might be drawn to other people so I thought I'd start a door-to-door campaign. It was getting dark quickly. I told my daughter the plan and told her to stay in the clearing and out of the woods and hope and pray Euphrates would wander back.
I swung my leg over the quad, turned on the headlights, fired it up prepared to visit all my neighbors. I was getting really scared about loosing Euphrates. She is a wonderful, sweet dog. And yet, I actually had a thought of how messy my hair was, and how dirty my boots were. Ah, that ever-present vanity.
I first went in the direction of where we often walk with her. Calling and calling, but nothing. Not a sign of her. Time was going by and it was getting darker. I backtracked riding faster than I had ever ridden on the quad. I came all the way back and passed our property in the other direction. A mile or so down the road I thought I saw something. Yes, a big black dog. That had to be her. She stood as still as a statue. I pulled the quad over and shut it off and grabbed the lead. I crossed the road and called to her. She was hesitant. Euphrates, it's Mama! Finally I was close enough that she was sure it was me and she came. I hugged her. I cried a little. She looked forlorn and worn out. We started walking home together. Oh, thank God. Thank God!!
She must have done a lot of bushwhacking evident by all the brush and debris velcroed into her fur. She spent the rest of the evening inside with us and we pulled branches, leaves, moss and stickers off of her coat. It took her a while before she would eat her dinner but she soaked up our excessive affections returning them with gentle kisses and soon fell very soundly asleep. By the time my husband came home I had run back and retrieved the ATV. We had a story to tell but nothing to freak out over. He replaced the cable today. We have repented just short of sack cloth and ashes and I have thanked God a dozen times today for letting me have that sweet dog back.
