My 11-Year-Old Dog Ran Away.
The Copywriter Column #106
“Can we please get a dog?” I asked Merridith as soon as we returned from our honeymoon.
We had only lived under the same roof for like three days and here I was already asking for more commitment.
“Let’s at least get through this first year of marriage before getting a dog,” she said. Fair enough.
Fast-forward to August 4, 2013, exactly one day after our anniversary.
I spin my phone around so she can see the picture of an adorable pup I found at the animal shelter. “Are you my mommy?”
“OMG STOP,” she said, turning away.
“But you said after a year, we could have this conversation. I really want a dog!”
“No!”
I’ll give it to her. The woman has some resolve because that’s all I kept getting out of her. “No, no, no,” to every picture of every sad dog with its big puppy-dog eyes glaring at the camera, begging to find a home.
Then one day, a breakthrough…
I found a cute little black and white mutt sheltering at the Humane Society. I put the phone in front of my face and showed her the picture, “Are you my mommy??”
“The best part,” I said, “is this little guy is right by my work. I can swing by and get him tomorrow if he’s still there.”
“He’s cute, but doubt he’ll still be there.”
It wasn’t a yes, but it wasn’t a no either, and in husband vernacular, THAT MEANS I HAVE PERMISSION TO PROCEED.
The next day, my supervisor encouraged me to leave work early and see if the 4-month-old puppy was still available (because of course they were in on my plan).
Within 30 minutes, I texted Merridith a picture of me holding the puppy. She couldn’t believe it. Thirty minutes after that, I texted her a picture of him in my car.
AND FOLKS… SHE LOST. HER. MIND.
But 11 years later, he’s a cherished member of our family and she’s undeniably obsessed with him. In fact, she refuses to go places without him if he can attend.
So it was unfortunate to hear he went missing yesterday… while we were away… at the family lakehouse… in the backwoods of Georgia.
He’s been coming here since he was a puppy, and while he’s wandered as far as the neighbor’s house a few doors down, he’s never up and vanished.
The Apple AirTag we have attached to his collar? It’s worthless without numerous iPhones around. Great for the city, bad for the country.
Long story short (and a 10-minute boat ride and a 15-minute car ride later), he was found a few coves over, having collapsed in someone’s yard from what I’m guessing was a combination of sheer exhaustion and extreme anxiety at being lost.
The life lesson?
Don’t trust your elderly dog’s sense of direction. Invest in a proper GPS dog tracker.
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I’m so glad you found him and LOVED this story!