In all of the years that mommy has had doggies in her life, none of them had ever gone missing. Until Nala…
Having another doggie gate installed, made me think about the time Nala was lost.
Before I came into the family, Nala had lived a very peaceful life with our family as a solitary doggie. She was 11-1/2 years old, and was just starting to behave like an older doggie (sleeping more, playing less…). One day before I came to live here, daddy came home after work and opened the door to greet Nala as usual. But when daddy turned around to come into the house, Nala snuck out of the door before it closed. Daddy didn’t notice that she was outside.
Daddy didn’t see that she snuck out when he opened the door. No one noticed the quiet. No one noticed the missing paws during the cooking of dinner. No one noticed that a valuable member of the family was nowhere to be found.
At dinner time, mommy noticed that Nala was not at daddy’s feet watching him eat. Thank goodness she did. Mommy started calling Nala’s name, but she didn’t come running. Almost immediately everyone went into panic mode, and ran outside calling Nala’s name.
It had to be at least an hour that Nala was missing, but mommy says it was the longest hour ever. The first thing that daddy did, was jump in the car and drive down the road to the left. Mommy and Taylor stood outside yelling Nala’s name. But mommy couldn’t just stand there — she felt she had to go looking.
She took off down the road that was straight in front of their house. By that time, mommy’s friend and neighbor had gotten into her car and was going to go driving around the neighborhood, the same way she and mommy did when her friend’s older doggie had escaped their backyard. As mommy was frantically looking all over for Nala, she realized that it was getting dark. She remembered that even though Nala was micro-chipped, she wasn’t wearing her collar. They were running out of time.
Mommy started to run down the road. After she passed the curve in the road, she noticed a light-colored animal cross the road up ahead. She started running, and as she ran she yelled back to Taylor that she saw something. Taylor stayed with mommy’s friend, while mommy ran as fast as she could, all the while yelling for Nala.
As mommy got closer, she was certain it was Nala! When mommy got really close, she yelled for Nala again. Nala stopped, turned toward her, then turned and kept walking the other way. As mommy got closer, she continued to call for her, but it was almost dark, and with Nala getting older, she ignored mommy and kept walking until she was behind one of the cars in the driveway.
By this time, daddy had gone around the corner, and luckily, started to drive down the same street mommy had gone down, except from the other direction. Mommy saw daddy and stopped him to share her excitement. As soon as daddy opened the car door and called for Nala, she turned around and jumped right into the car!
Mommy doesn’t remember how she herself got home, but she thinks she ran alongside the car, while holding onto Nala through the open car window.
I cannot tell you the absolute JOY and RELIEF that everyone felt after they got Nala back into the house, but if I can imagine… I bet it was amazzzzing. They were so very lucky to get Nala back, and so quickly. Not every doggie that is lost finds their way home as fast, and sadly, many don’t find their way home at all.
Mommy believes that Nala stood outside the front door, waiting for it to open and let her back inside. She probably didn’t know what was going on. She’s not the type of doggie to run away, so after a while of waiting by the front door, she probably starting sniffing around, smelling things. This is probably what led her to just down the street. When she realized she was far from home, she zig-zagged across the street, looking for her door.
Soon after this incident, I was rescued by my family and Nala and I wore our collars ALL the time, even when inside the house. But it wasn’t until I ran out the front door, that mommy decided to put up the first doggie gate near the front door.
So that’s Nala’s escape story. Do you have an escape story that you’d like to share? 🙂
Happy Thursday woofs & hugs, friends! <3 ~Bailey (Yep, I'm a girl) P.S… If you’re a human who blogs about your furry, or a furry who blogs about your human… or even a furry who blogs about your life… I invite you to follow me via Google Friend Connect (see box in the right-hand column –>), and join me on Facebook. Please let me know you’ve visited — I love reading other blogs and making new friends. <3
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Sounds like a scary time. Thank goodness Nala was found.
I have escape stories that go very much like yours, with just as much excitement, panic and just as much relief and thankfulness that the pup was home!! 🙂
Oh when I read this it brings tears to my eyes. So, so glad Nala was found and came back home safely. It is so scary when our furbabies take a hike. Literally on their own. Two of our Sibe pups got out through a teeny weeny space in our fence, which is like Fort Sibe, but we knew there was a second fence behind it, so felt secure. Wrong. The back neighbor took that one down without mentioning it, so the two Sibes were running through the neighborhood and we totally freaked out. My daughter ran around the block, or climbed the 6′ privacy fence, I really don’t remember as I was in shock and on auto-pilot. I jumped in the car drive around, praying they didn’t head toward the main road a few blocks over or for the railroad tracks a few blocks the other way…my one boy was cornered by my neighbor in her yard, and we just couldn’t find his sister. Talk about scared. Turns out she got herself stuck inside a neighbor’s abandoned fenced in garden. So, happy ending!!! Needless to say, we have Fort Sibe even more secure than before!
Nala and Bailey…never, ever leave the property! Us humans can not take the pain & worry! We love you guys!
That must have been so scary for your family. Mom is always worried about an escape here. But we have lots of gates here and everyone is very careful. It has beena real challenge here this summer with all the outside work being done, new roof and gutters, new landscaping, new garage doors, and now the new paint job. So whenever we need to go out in the back, Mom always checks FIRST to be sure the gate on the fence is locked. Then she stays out with us because she knows she just can’t trust the workers to understand the importance of that gate.
We are so happy that Nala was found and all was well.
Woos ~ Phantom, Thunder, Ciara, and Lightning
How scary!! Mom says there is no worse feeling that knowing your fur kids are out alone in the world!!
Duncan is the same way, he’ll run but he’ll jump in a car or eventually come home. The worst was when Simon escaped for THREE DAYS!! Mom was a MESS!!! But he’d been chillin’ at a neighbor’s house who recognized his LOST KITTY flyer mom put up!
Me, I stay close to the peoples…I freak out if they leave me!
OMD – I am still tearful reading this. I have felt that same desperate panic that makes you sick to your stomach down deep. Shortly after we brought Arwen home, our front door wasn’t pulled shut all the way and Arwen RAN out the door straight towards the busy street near our house. I screamed and ran and felt that horror creep into my gut. A neighbor who was never in his front yard, much less never with his dog in his front yard, was standing in front of his house with his big yellow lab. Arwen ran straight for him, veering away from the street. The man grabbed her (also no collar) and handed her over to me as I caught up to them. I almost kissed him!
Then just last year, our Taylor left the front door open after it slipped open (different house even). Nyxie was the only one out of her crate (another strange event) and she just sauntered out. She made it down the apt stairs to just below and stopped when Matt called her. Luckily that night I had had a couple of beers and was feeling good. By the time I knew he was calling to her and she was OUTSIDE, she was on her way back in and mommy’s “happy juice” kept that sinking feeling from taking hold.
I’m so happy you found Nala! You are such a good & observant mom for realizing your baby was missing from her “usual” routine!
Oh my dear dear Nala! We are so happy woo made it home safe & sound. What a scary experience! Huskerboo huggs and woooos!
RA
That is quite the story Bailey and I am so very happy the ending was happy. You’re right, that’s not always the case.
Oh my word! Scary. Don’t forget where the foodables come from. That’s what we tell each other
Benny & Lily
Mommy says she remembers when that happened! She remembers how scared your Mommy and Taylor were and how relieved that Nala was home safe. Just remember what Dorothy said”There’s no place like home!”
Puppy Kisses,
Tanner
I know that’s scary stuff. One of the weenie dogs before my time was named Tiffany. Tiffany was a little puppy back in the 90’s. One day she was missing and Mom was so scared that one of the little bipeds (who were still teenagers at that time) might have accidently left the front door open and little Tiffany escaped. They all started searching the entire neighborhood, going in different directions and calling Tiffany. Mom even called Dad at work and told him to come home and help look. The entire neighborhood was looking for Tiffany until almost 11 pm (about 6 hours). Finally they all met back at the house to figure out where to look next. Then they heard a noise and scratching. Tiffany had crawled up into the back part of the lounge chair underneath it and was taking an extra long nap. Mom didn’t know whether to hug her or scold her….I think the hugs won!
Sigh. Mine always come back.
But – On a serious note I have had many escape issues but not for an hour. I don’t think my heart could take that. Those four legs can move pretty darn fast. My daughter and I have had to run and walk and call and look with panic in our voices quite a few times.
Even though I knew that you were relating a story from awhile back, so I knew Nala was just fine… I felt such panic! So terrifying.
That is so scary-Im glad Nala is safe
Oh Nala, what a frieght you must have given your Peeps. Our Hoooman was nearly crying reading your story and could just picture the scene. No, neither of us have ever escaped – we do go and investigate if we manage to sneak out of the front door but SHE panics and calls biscuits and we come running!Dex and Lou xxx