Puppy Panic

As I tell you this story remember that we got Gamba as a puppy a week after Gideon's funeral. We knew we weren't going to be ready for another baby for a little while but we also knew that we needed something to lift our spirits that we could watch grow and so we decided on a puppy. Maybe not the smartest on our part, to get something living in honor of our son who just died, but it was best for us at that time. We needed Gamba.

Down in Georgia the dogs, Gamba and his two cousins Romeo and Juliet, run free. Seth's grandma has 75 acres of land and we thought the dogs would enjoy some freedom. Plus, Gamba is a baby and usually stays fairly close. We have an invisible fence at home and after getting shocked a few times he was very happy to stay in our yard. We could even put him out without his collar on and he would stay in our yard. Well, while we were in Georgia him and Romeo, who is also a beagle, would go hunting and be gone for awhile but would always come back. Heath, Seth's brother and Romeo's dad, said that Romeo would be gone for a long time at home but he would always come back. Gamba had never done this before, again he's a big baby, but knowing that Romeo and Gamba were together and that we were out in the middle of no where, literally, made us feel a little better about them roaming.

Today Gamba rang his bell and wanted to go outside, so out he went. Our invisible fence is broken but I put him out thinking that he would stay close like he always did. I peeked out the window a few times to see if I could spot him, but no such luck. This isn't to surprising because we have some tall grass that he likes to play in and it's really hard to see him from the house if he is back there. What was surprising is when the Kirkwood man came to fill up our propane tank and Gamba didn't start howling or running at him. I kept thinking Gamba would attack, ok so attack isn't the right word he would more likely pounce him to death from all the jumping, but you get the picture I was waiting for him to do something. When Gamba didn't show I knew he was gone. So I did what any women, who loves her dog, but has a baby at home would do, I called my husband. Seth, being the good husband that he is and knowing how much I love our dog, said that he would run home really quick and see if he could find him. We have almost 3 acres and behind us is fields for miles so there is no telling where he could be. What scared me the most is that we live on a very busy street. So, Seth came home and did a quick search of the surrounding fields and then drove a quick lap around but came up short and had to head back to work for a meeting. A few more hours passed but no Gamba. Seth kept calling to see if he'd made it home yet, I'm still not sure if Seth was more worried about me or Gamba, either way he was worried. I ended up putting Jericho in the car and doing a lap in the car too but saw no sign of our puppy. It was getting pretty cold and starting to snow so Seth once again come home to look for Gamba. As Seth was out there was a knock on our door. I was praying that someone had found Gamba and was here to return him. I opened the door and this sweet lady asked if our dog was missing, I very eagerly said or maybe even screamed YES and she said she had him in the truck. I asked how far away she found him and how she knew he belonged to us and she told me he as 1/2 mile up the road running this way and she found us thanks to the Get Me Home tag that Gamba had on his collar. We got the tag for free in a thing of doggie treats when Gamba was a puppy. I'm so glad that we took the time to go online and fill out the information for it. I called Seth and told him that Gamba was home so he could stop looking as I'm talking to Seth Gamba was sitting at my feet totally clueless to the panic he had caused.

I know the day will come when Gamba will go to doggie heaven and I will have to deal with it but I'm so glad that today was not the day. Not this soon, not this close to Gideon's birthday, I don't think I could have handled it. I like my puppy and pray he is around for many more years!

Needless to say until that fence gets fixed Gamba is under house arrest.
Sorry Gamba were not in Georgia any more.