Thunder - Lost & Now Found!: Jan 7, 2010

Tundie is home, safe and sound, and doing incredibly well. Our vet said it was unbelievable that he a) survived his 21 day adventure, especially with his extended exposure to the snow, ice, and bitter cold, and b) that he came out of it in outstanding physical condition! He lost fifteen pounds and the pads of his feet were slightly abraded from his journey. His tests all can back negative – he didn’t even pick up any parasites after three weeks of scavenging and drinking stream and ditch water. He was one very resourceful pooch with very strong survival instincts!

He is eating a lot and resting, mostly lounging around the house keeping close to my side, although he does occasionally go off on his own to hop onto my bed for a nap. He most definitely does not want to go outside first thing in the morning in the dark and cold!

I still find it nothing short of a miracle that he survived and found his way home. He most certainly had a host of angels looking out for him, and many of them were of the human kind. The prayers, well wishes, and many kindnesses, large and small, of everyone who read this blog helped keep both of us going throughout this ordeal. I could not have kept my faith without all of your assistance.

My “thank yous” are profound and many. First, to Nancy Despeaux who contacted me immediately when she saw the lost dog posting on Craigslist to offer her assistance, I cannot begin to express my gratitude. She created this wonderful blog to spread the word and track Thunder sightings, and kept the search active. Her advice was invaluable and her encouragement and support kept my hopes for his safe recovery alive. She was my rock and anchor and I am honored now to have her as my friend.

To the wonderful volunteers from the Virginia German Shepherd Rescue group, God bless you one and all. Sue Garrison was my point of contact and she coordinated with the volunteers who brought their dog out to search for Tundie, who set up food stations in areas where he had been sighted , who papered Fairfax and Loudoun Counties with lost dog fliers, and who spread the word to colleagues and friends via email. To each and every one of you who gave up hours of your own time to trek through the miserable cold and snow to help in the search for Tundie, my sincerest thank you! VGSR is a wonderful organization and its efforts to rescue and re-home lost and unwanted German Shepherd dogs are inspirational. Please visit its homepage http://www.shepherdrescue.org/ and consider volunteering, fostering, adopting, and/or donating to support their cause!

There are so many others who deserve to be thanked; I don’t know where to begin, and I don’t even know some of your names. Krissy Meyer and employers of National Realty Partners in Herndon kept Tundie on the radar the first week he was gone, reporting sightings and putting out food. A lady from Marshall collected urine soaked rags from her bitch in heat – a truly nasty job! -- so we could lay paths leading Tundie back toward home. Susan, Rivn’s owner from Page County, did the same and drove up to NoVa to deliver them to us over snow covered roads. After the police chased Tundie off the golf course on Sunday morning, Emily and Jay Hartman drove all the way from Lovettsville with Daisy, Cope, and Sammy, and walked around the course for two hours laying down pack scent to draw him back. The winds were forty miles an hour, the wind-chill was fifteen degrees, and Jay missed the Steelers game. Talk about a sacrifice, thank goodness for TiVo! There were so many acts of generosity that went above and beyond what anyone could realistically expect that overwhelmingly reinforced my faith in the basic goodness of human nature, and especially dog owners. Those of us who have experienced the unconditional love of a dog know we are blessed, and I know you all personally felt my anguish while he was gone. If your name is not mentioned here I apologize, but please know I carry your acts and words of encouragement in my heart and will always be grateful.

To Sandy Ayers, Tundie’s breeder, I offer a special thank you and an apology for putting you through this pain. You love your precious baby as much as I do, and to know he was lost five hundred miles from home and that you could not be there to help was unbearable. We worried together, cried together, and never gave up hope. I hope you know he is in good hands, will be spoiled rotten with love and affection, and is never going on a walkabout again! I promise we will visit next summer! And, Sandy, you should be very proud of the many owners of Tundie pups from all over the USA who extended their heartfelt prayers and support. Special hugs and licks to you all from both of us.

And finally, to my hero and the love of my life, Frank -- you often ask me why I love you – you will never have to ask again! Arms to hold me, a shoulder to cry on, and your unwavering support every minute of the day meant more than you will ever know. Tundie loves you too! It was your house after all, not mine, which he ultimately made his way back to. You are an idiot for tackling him in his den in the dark, but you are my idiot and I will forever love you for the heroic, if foolish, rescue.

And now, to end the story, as all good stories should end … the hero and his lady, and their dog, lived happily ever after, or at least we will all hope they do.