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Dog gets saved twice in a week First by Cameron. Then by "Chip."
We had adopted Marybelle (a.k.a., "Stink-pot") about a week before her great escape. Cameron had been wanting a dog of his own, and we took several months researching breeds and looking for just the right dog to bring into our family mix. We have a senior Australian Cattle Dog mix, who is a bit of a grump, and an elderly but extremely self-confident cat who was raised up from a feral kitten. Marybelle seemed like just the right mix of energy, ability to bond, and "sense of humor" that it would take to make the combination work. My kids are very used to letting the dog and cat out the front door without a thought as they come and go for their activities. It has never been a concern since the animals would stay near the porch, sniff, mark and then come back to the door and ask to be let in. BUT - then came Marybelle. She can't wait for someone to go through the front door so she can shoot out to find the squirrels. That morning, she shot out the door, past the family who were all calling for her, and straight across the busy highway at the height of morning rush hour. We had several people out in their cars in a matter of minutes cruising around looking for her, but could not locate her. I finally took the kids to school, although their hearts were not in it. One class started to make posters to distribute to help the search. I knew that Marybelle was micro-chipped and, if she did not get hit by a car (my greatest fear), that she would find her way back to us. We were all very upset, but did not have to wait long before I got a call from the micro-chip company who then put me on the phone with the Humane Society of Huron Valley. She had been taken to our local police department who called animal control. They took her to HSHV where they scanned her and contacted the micro-chip company. From the moment she dashed out the door to when I got the call, it was 90 minutes! I was so relieved! I cancelled the search party, called the school to deliver the good news to the kids, and drove out to the shelter to pick-up our Houdini pup. She was lavished with kisses and hugs when the kids got home from school, and I think even old Mr. Grump was glad to see her. Cameron had a very heartwarming conversation with her, explaining how upsetting it was when she ran away and how dangerous it was. She looked into his eyes the whole time and tilted her head. Very cute. We are still trying to work on a sit and stay when we go out the front door, and training the kids to remember to do it is as challenging as training Marybelle. Giving her consistent and sufficient exercise is also helping with her urge to run. We were all so grateful for the micro-chip and the kind help of all of the people involved in returning her safely. As an aside, one of the parents from Little League works for the police department and recognized Marybelle from being at the game. She tried to contact me by email to let me know, but I didn't see it until we had Marybelle back. A good example of the community working together! |
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By Jane B.