The signs are posted all over town: “Lost Chocolate Lab, beloved family pet.” There’s all the contact information and a picture of the dog, a full-grown chocolate male. A chocolate lab, just like our little Hershey. I’ve seen the ads for weeks, and spotted them in the newspaper, too. My heart aches for the family knowing that most lost pet stories don’t end well. Do the kids rush home from school every day, wondering if their pet found its way home? How many hours did their parents spend driving around looking for the dog? What would I do if I lost one of my animals?
Well, I found out the other night when our cat was missing. No one had seen Spencer for hours. He never hides on us, and it was a busy night with lots of people tromping in and out of the house. He could have easily slipped out. And this is a kitty that longingly stares out our windows tracking squirrels and birds.
My kids were sleeping, so they didn’t know Spencer was gone. My husband and I were panicked. We had to find him before morning when they woke. We searched everywhere in the house. Even Hershey seemed sad and worried without Spencer. Those two are tight. He’s Hershey’s favorite playmate. And he’s my daughter’s greatest love. Riley was always going to remember how this story ended. Did we find her kitty? Did someone return him to us or take him to the pound? She still cries over the beloved stuffed kitty she lost. What would she do when she found out we lost the real kitty? I so wanted a happy ending, for everyone’s sake.
I grabbed a flashlight and walked up and down our street, shining the light under cars and bushes and saying St. Anthony’s prayer for help finding lost things. “St. Anthony, St. Anthony, please look around, something’s been lost and it must be found.” I wondered if Hershey would be easier to find if she got lost. She’s a lot bigger.
When my patrol yielded no signs of the cat, I jumped in my car and drove around the nearby streets. It was after midnight and Spencer’s light fur would show up in the dark if he were running around. But I didn’t see anything. I started to cry. When people find beautiful pets like Spencer or Hershey or the missing chocolate lab, they very often keep them. We’d never find him. How could we ever replace Spencer? Would Hershey accept a new cat in the house?
I drove home with tears in my eyes, and a heavy, heavy heart. Pets certainly bring a lot of joy into your home, but they bring the potential for devastating heartbreak, too. I tried to remind myself of the happy endings I had heard about. My aunt once told me they had a puppy long ago which ran right out their front door, and across the street into the woods. They couldn’t find him. But months later, a full-grown dog ran right back into their house. Their little pup had grown up and come back home!
My friend’s little pooch was stolen from her front yard. Months later, her husband spotted someone walking their dog. He actually chased them down and demanded the dog back and called police. It was like something out of a movie. Maybe we’d have an ending like that, too.
I crawled into bed plotting out my plans for the next day. We’d have to put up our own missing pet flyers and check with the pound. Maybe we’d find Spencer on the back porch in the morning. Maybe he’d find his way home.
When my husband crawled into bed later that night, he had surprising news. Spencer had been in the house all along. He wandered into the family room while my husband was watching TV. We have no idea where he was because we tore the house apart looking for him. He must have found himself one heck of a hiding spot.
At least we won’t have that problem with Hershey. She’s just too big to disappear in our house. But having Spencer back made me realize how much I love these animals. And how devastated I’ll be if we really do ever lose either of them.
I just hope the family with the missing chocolate lab gets their own happy ending. Now I know how badly they feel.
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Have you missed any of the articles in this series?
If so, you can find them at:
The Bringing Up Puppy Series page.
Related posts:
- Bringing Up Puppy Series – Cats and Dogs – Two Very Different Beasts
- Bringing Up Puppy Series – Instincts
- Bringing Up Puppy Series – The Crazies
- Bringing Up Puppy Series – Hello Stranger
- Bringing Up Puppy Series – The Worst Lab
