How does it feel to lose your dog? |
"It's only a dog..."
Has anyone ever tried to minimise your feelings about your dog? The day after my father's funeral a dog sitter inexplicably left our double security gates open and Poppy one of our beloved, elderly Bearded Collies went outside on her own for the first time.
The dog sitter hung around until I got there with my mum, but uttered the words I will never forget, "Everyone makes mistakes, it's only a dog..."
I know how it felt searching for Poppy for those five long days and nights - and that was in the days before microchips and DogLost. I was already mourning my father, who had died after a very short illness. The shock of that loss was already overwhelming and then to have to imagine another family member in peril. It was a lot.
How I had any tears left to shed, I really don't know. But I walked the streets of Knowsley Village like a mad woman with tears spilling down my face because stopping and giving up was just not an option.
Please, can you help me explain to others why when the dog goes missing you'll probably lose your mind, too!
After five days I got Poppy back thanks to leafleting everyone in the area with clear instructions to phone night or day and not approach the now terrified dog, Each day more and more people heard about Poppy and by the final day we had 200 plus people searching - many travelling huge distances. By day five the Liverpool Echo was running the story, sadly it was how many people found out that my lovely dad had died and they'd missed the funeral.
At 4am I got a call, Poppy had been spotted by a security guard on an industrial estate. My eyes get moist when I remember how the whole factory walked off their night shift to help me corral our terrified and disorientated old dog who no longer recognised me.
Tell me your experiences. Let's get more dogs home.