# Vanished W/O a Trace! (Non-GSD)



## MyHans-someBoy (Feb 23, 2013)

Many of you know that in addition to Hans, my GSD, my husband has a Hanging Tree Cowdog.
On Aug. 27, she just simply vanished.
She is always in her kennel while we are at work, but if either of us is home she is allowed out and has in almost five years, NEVER taken off.
For those of you who don't know her or for those who don't particularly like cattle dogs in general, I bet you'd love Belle. Almost any trainer or animal lover really appreciates a dog that is tough, biddable, high drive & energy and almost completely handler focused when learning something.  
She will walk by you constantly watching to see what you might need from her. 
I've also watched her encounter a problem, quickly switch gears and approach from a different angle.
She is sweet to everyone, including our kitties. She can run for miles by the 4-wheeler or sit on the porch in the evening relaxing. Being a working breed, she may give you a looong disgusted sigh first, lol, but she settles fine.
Did I mention how much we love her?

I was home on a sunny, beautiful day. Went to get something out of my truck and saw her in the yard. About 20 minutes later, it thundered, and because I know she hates thunder, I peeked out the window to make sure she came to the porch-just like she always does. 

NO DOG!

I yelled and yelled for her. Looked every place I could think of. Called my Husband and broke the news. He came home got on the 4-wheeler, hoping she would hear it and come in.
She's never run off in five years-thunder or no thunder. We began to wonder if someone took her.
We immediately called the animal shelter, gave them a picture, and let them know that she is microchipped and was wearing a collar with ID.
We also immediately ask some friends with a really good copier to make up a Missing Dog flyer, laminated so it could be stuck on road signs and anywhere else we could think of. Another friend put her on Facebook for us.
As the days passed, we drove around the community and if we saw someone out, we'd stop and drop a picture off.
People wanted to be helpful, but there were several sightings that ended up being dogs that looked absolutely nothing like her. It was getting so depressing. I really figured someone had stopped and picked her up and decided to keep her. 
She is very lovable.
Finally, yesterday, I was at home and Hans alerted to something down in the valley below our house. To me, it sounded like Coyotes barking, but what if Belle was hurt/sick and they were after her? I grabbed a pistol and headed in the direction of the barking. As I got closer, all noise ceased. I looked for her and did not find her. I called my husband and he came home from work early so he could walk the area better.
While he was walking, I got a phone call from him and dreaded that he might tell me she was dead!
I held my breath as I listened...

Apparently, someone about 1-2 miles away (as the crow flies) called and was convinced they had our dog!! 
With so many false sightings and bitter disappointments, I asked my husband not to get his hopes up, but he was already talking about how he'd need to take all of her posters down. 
Well, this started me crying...and I never cry! He asked me to stop or else he would start too and he had to be the tough guy here :wub:
We saw the people standing on their porch and the little girl was holding an Aussie puppy??? WTH? I wasn't quite sure exactly what was going to come from my big mouth when we got to the porch. All of a sudden, the guy points to the polebarn door and says "She's in there". 
And she was.  
Skinny and a little rough looking with a skinned up front leg, but otherwise ok.
If you ever lose your dog, please don't give up-we nearly had.

And, yes, dang it, I cried all the way home, while my husband hugged Belle.


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## Daisy&Lucky's Mom (Apr 24, 2011)

OH man my hear was pounding as I read your story. I am so happy you have your Belle back. Welcome home sweet Belle welcome home!Ok now Im blinking back tears. I love happy endings.


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## McWeagle (Apr 23, 2014)

I'm so happy you found your girl again!


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## Shade (Feb 20, 2012)

Wow, I'm glad she's home and safe  Hopefully she's learned her lesson lol


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## MyHans-someBoy (Feb 23, 2013)

Daisy&Lucky's Mom said:


> OH man my hear was pounding as I read your story. I am so happy you have your Belle back. Welcome home sweet Belle welcome home!Ok now Im blinking back tears. I love happy endings.



My heart was pounding so hard when I ran down in the valley to see what the barking was, that I actually had some pain in my chest. 
You know the crazy thoughts that go thru your head at times like these.
I thought "please don't let me keel over from a heart attack before I get to the dog-my husband is already broken hearted over Belle-it would kill him if he found us both dead". 
I'm sure it was just from excitement, but still...the things you think about!!

Thank you for your concern! 
I can't tell you how tickled we are!


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## MyHans-someBoy (Feb 23, 2013)

McWeagle said:


> I'm so happy you found your girl again!



Thank you for reading such a long story...but I figured it would be worth it since it has a happy ending!!


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## MyHans-someBoy (Feb 23, 2013)

Shade said:


> Wow, I'm glad she's home and safe  Hopefully she's learned her lesson lol



I can't tell you what a bleak 7 days it's been around here...

I feel like making her wear an orange jumpsuit and putting her under lock and key, but I won't. We are, however, going to have to rethink our strategy concerning thunder.


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## ZoeD1217 (Feb 7, 2014)

I'm so happy you found her! !! I teared up at the end. This is one of my very worst fears.


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## Lilie (Feb 3, 2010)

Whoo hooo! I'm having a rotten day here are work. Really rotten. I took a break to eat lunch at my desk and pulled up your thread. Thank you and Belle for making me smile on such a rotten day!


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## wyoung2153 (Feb 28, 2010)

This was like a really well written short story.. I am so happy it worked out and you found her. Did they say how they found her or anything?


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## MyHans-someBoy (Feb 23, 2013)

ZoeD1217 said:


> I'm so happy you found her! !! I teared up at the end. This is one of my very worst fears.



Thank you so much. She's always been such a good girl with staying close to home, that it just stunned me to find her missing. I am almost as stunned to have her back -just in a good way!


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## MyHans-someBoy (Feb 23, 2013)

Lilie said:


> Whoo hooo! I'm having a rotten day here are work. Really rotten. I took a break to eat lunch at my desk and pulled up your thread. Thank you and Belle for making me smile on such a rotten day!



Sorry you are having such a lousy day. I'm glad it brought a smile!

It hit me doubly hard, because I once kind of light- heartedly told my husband that nothing would ever happen to her on "my shift", lol. 
I am the stricter dog/cat parent in the house. I get laughed at for double and triple checking latches, locks, water bowls, etc., etc., so you can imagine how I felt. He never once placed any blame. He is a good guy.

Hope you have a better day tomorrow!


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## Susan_GSD_mom (Jan 7, 2014)

I am SO happy for you, your husband and the beautiful Belle! How did those people find her?

Susan


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## Stevenzachsmom (Mar 3, 2008)

I love happy endings. I'm so glad your girl is home. I do think pictures are in order.


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## MyHans-someBoy (Feb 23, 2013)

wyoung2153 said:


> This was like a really well written short story.. I am so happy it worked out and you found her. Did they say how they found her or anything?



First of all, bless you for calling it a *short* story, lol.
You know you're kind of asking for another story.  
I'll try to be brief...

The man is a school bus driver. That morning when they went to let the little Australian Shepherd puppy out to potty, they saw a dog run out of the yard.
Later in the day while the man was on his bus route, his girlfriend called to say the dog was still there and acting lost and scared. As she was saying this, he was pulling up next to one of the many Stop signs my hubby had put a Missing Dog sign on and told her it was the dog on the sign.
She lured her into their pole barn and you know the rest of the story.


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## Debanneball (Aug 28, 2014)

Such a lovely ending! So veryvery happy! Tears..tears..


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## Susan_GSD_mom (Jan 7, 2014)

Stevenzachsmom said:


> I love happy endings. I'm so glad your girl is home. I do think pictures are in order.


YES--we now have to see pictures of Belle!


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## MyHans-someBoy (Feb 23, 2013)

Susan_GSD_mom said:


> I am SO happy for you, your husband and the beautiful Belle! How did those people find her?
> 
> Susan



Thank you so much for your good wishes! It gives you such a sick feeling in the pit of your stomach when you call and call and get no response. Just silence.
I just posted how they found her if you are interested...thank goodness for kind people. He steadfastly refused the reward we had offered for her return. Makes you feel good that someone just wanted to see us reunited with Belle!


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## MyHans-someBoy (Feb 23, 2013)

Stevenzachsmom said:


> I love happy endings. I'm so glad your girl is home. I do think pictures are in order.



I really appreciate it.

This is the pic on her Missing Dog sign so while it was a sad one for awhile (I used it because it is one of the few close ups of her) it is all good now. 
She's a tough little cookie!


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## MyHans-someBoy (Feb 23, 2013)

Debanneball said:


> Such a lovely ending! So veryvery happy! Tears..tears..



Thanks!!

She is lying next to my foot as I type this. So glad she didn't get bad injuries while on the run. She needs to gain back a little bit of weight, so we'll do that slowly but surely.
Things turned out SO much better than I had imagined.


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## wyoung2153 (Feb 28, 2010)

MyHans-someBoy said:


> First of all, bless you for calling it a *short* story, lol.
> You know you're kind of asking for another story.
> I'll try to be brief...
> 
> ...


I love good people and happy endings  Really, thank you for sharing!


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## middleofnowhere (Dec 20, 2000)

Glad all turned out OK. Please plan on bringing her inside in storms. While she's never run before, she has begun running now. It is unlikely to stop.


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## Daisy&Lucky's Mom (Apr 24, 2011)

MyHans-someBoy said:


> First of all, bless you for calling it a *short* story, lol.
> You know you're kind of asking for another story.
> I'll try to be brief...
> 
> ...


That is just so fantastic. Thank God for great dog people.


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## MyHans-someBoy (Feb 23, 2013)

middleofnowhere said:


> Glad all turned out OK. Please plan on bringing her inside in storms. While she's never run before, she has begun running now. It is unlikely to stop.



Thanks. I totally get where you are coming from and if it does storm she is let in our basement. 
That particular day was sunny and beautiful out. If it is dark and begins to get windy, I anticipate the need to see if she is getting scared and put her up. 
If it only rumbles a couple of times, she generally just gets on the porch and is fine. It never did storm at all that day. Someone fairly close by was getting some weather, but not us.

I am assuming it was the thunder, even though a couple of days before taking off, she had been running to one area of the woods next to the house and doing that little warning bark that sounds like "Buh! Buh!
There's a ridge beyond that with a lot of animal activity. Just about every kind of critter you can imagine comes through. There are trail camera pictures in our area of Bobcats. Coyotes are plentiful. 
I'll never really know for sure and what truly scares me is...once it thundered I got up and went straight to the window (in the door). Not sure how to get to her any quicker than that


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

Oh wow, I know that sick feeling very well, I'm so glad you got her back safe! Nearly a week though, that's rough. 

Our first GSD Sneaker was lost for two days and that was harrowing enough, especially since she'd been sighted near and then on the side of the freeway. My old kitty Punkin was missing for 5 days once and I was sure I'd never see her again, but she finally came home. Tired, dirty, and hungry, but okay.


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## MyHans-someBoy (Feb 23, 2013)

Thank you.
I can't even imagine having a lost pet that close to a busy freeway. 

So glad you got them both back.

She seems ok, just exhausted from her journey.

Don't you wish you could ask them, exactly what made them take off and what did they go through while gone?

Well, maybe not what they went through...
She seems to be back to her old self, immediately grabbing her favorite tug toy this morning, insisting someone play.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

So glad this ended happily. My sister-in-law had a very unique looking white pyr mix that went missing for 6 months. She ended up in a shelter as a stray and a friend noticed her and they were reunited, but there was no backstory in her several months of being on the lam....it was a storm that had her take off too. 
She was a 6 month old stray when SIL adopted her out of a kill shelter, maybe a storm the first time was the reason for her ending up there. This was long before microchips or internet helping in ID'ing. If only they could talk!


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## ksotto333 (Aug 3, 2011)

Such a great happy ending story...she's beautiful.


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## MyHans-someBoy (Feb 23, 2013)

onyx'girl said:


> So glad this ended happily. My sister-in-law had a very unique looking white pyr mix that went missing for 6 months. She ended up in a shelter as a stray and a friend noticed her and they were reunited, but there was no backstory in her several months of being on the lam....it was a storm that had her take off too.
> She was a 6 month old stray when SIL adopted her out of a kill shelter, maybe a storm the first time was the reason for her ending up there. This was long before microchips or internet helping in ID'ing. If only they could talk!



It would just be amazing to get your dog back after 6 months!! Your SIL probably had given up hope...
Seven days doesn't sound like a long time, but feels like an eternity when you are imagining the worst. 
I am so thankful that Hans pays absolutely no attention to storms.

BTW- so glad Karlo is doing better!! 
He has such a huge cheering section behind him!


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## MyHans-someBoy (Feb 23, 2013)

ksotto333 said:


> Such a great happy ending story...she's beautiful.



We hear compliments all of the time about how beautiful and unusual looking she is. That did kinda make me wonder if someone took her...
She must have done an Olympic sprint as soon as she heard the thunder! 
Going to have to keep an eye on her...


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

MyHans-someBoy said:


> It would just be amazing to get your dog back after 6 months!! Your SIL probably had given up hope...
> Seven days doesn't sound like a long time, but feels like an eternity when you are imagining the worst.
> I am so thankful that Hans pays absolutely no attention to storms.
> 
> ...


Thank you! I really can't imagine having one of mine go missing for an hour, let alone several days. 
We're having a storm roll thru right now, and all my dogs are velcro'd to me. They aren't real fearful of storms, but want to be right next to me.


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## brembo (Jun 30, 2009)

My lost/found dog story....

Back a few(dozen or so) years ago I had a BC/GSD mix named Katy. Katy was prone to walkabouts. Fences were a mere suggestion to her, doors as well. Smart and athletic, not much kept her hemmed up.

Well, at the time I was dating someone that lived in Florida and I had gone to Florida to see her. I had a friend come stay at my house and care for Katy while I was gone. Good friend from high school, he brought his GSD over and stayed here the whole time.

I got a call from said friend one evening, friend said Katy had decided to wander off and she had been gone about 2 hours. Not unusual for her. I asked he call me back when she came home. Didn't get a call that night, so I called in the morning and asked what time she dragged her butt home. A slight pause said it all, she had stayed out all night, sort of odd for her. So, I decided to wait one more day as it wasn't unprecedented for her to have a ladies night out.

Friend called and said no Katy, so I packed up and headed out. I was livid, sad and sacred all at the same time. I found out my car topped out at 168 miles an hour right outside Atlanta, little turbo just spinning it's brains out. Got home in excellent time. Thinking the distinctive sound of my car would bring her out of hiding I fully expected to see her come slinking home.

Nope. Nothing. I put up hundreds of posters and went door to door for a whole day asking people if they had seen her. Nothing. Very sad brembo.

10 days later at work my cellular rang, not a number I knew, said hello and a lady said Katy was stealing her dogs food at night. WHAT? WHERE? The address was about 10 miles from my house. I hopped in my car, told my boss I'd be back when I got back and jetted off. My office then was 27 miles from my house, the place where Katy was clocked in at 25 miles. I made it in 15 minutes. My tires were smoking, my brakes were glowing. The lady said "I thought you said you were in the city". I replied "yeah, I was..." 

Katy was hiding near the ladies house, and when she heard my car come screaming up the road she darted out into the driveway and ran into the side of the car. I jumped out and opened the door and she crawled into the passenger side footwell and curled up. I thanked the lady PROFUSELY chatted a few moments and then went home. Tears of joy, big whopping bellows of pure relief. Got home, gave her a bath and good going over. That little adventure ended her walkabout days. I sent the lady a Heavenly Ham and a gift card. 

That dog was a menace. A true heart dog but man did she ever try my patience at times.


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## MyHans-someBoy (Feb 23, 2013)

brembo said:


> My lost/found dog story....
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Being a BC/GSD mix, I can just imagine her jumping capabilities.
She sounds like such a cool dog, but with her tendencies, I would have had a head full of gray hair within about a month!
Yes, when you find out they are missing or someone may have found them, you just want to put the pedal to the floor and leave it there. In your case, you actually did, lol. 
She is actually my husband's dog, and because I have always been more attracted to bigger dogs, I wasn't sure how involved I'd be with her. 
Somewhere along the way, she managed to secure a very special place in my heart. 
Whether it was laughing till I cried, watching her as a puppy go running at top speed, jumping & slamming herself into a lawn chair which then tipped back precariously with her (she would do this over & over) or just watching this little 42 lb. girl boss around beasts inside a pen that weigh like a gazillion more pounds than she does-well, let's just say I got hooked hard. 

Really enjoyed your story-especially the "found" part...


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