I lost Ella this week

I lost my dog this week. I did get her back - but it was a long hour of panic.

I was warned when I got her that she goes off if she sees a rat, squirrel or cat and just goes - brain dead to anything else around her - and she is focused on the cat etc and just goes, so was advised to keep her on a leash

That is what I have been doing, BUT, she is a young dog ( 4 in October ) and needs exercise and while I have a 16ft lead and take her on long walks, I DON'T NEED AS MUCH EXERCISE - and am knackered at the end. Today I took her to what I thought was a safe park by the river and let her off the lead and she absolutely loved it. She ran around and always came back when I clapped my hands or called her loudly, and I was really pleased. Towards the end of the walk she went up and over a mound and as I ran after her she just vanished... nowhere to be seen and in 10 seconds, how she managed to just vanish from view was amazing. A woman said she saw her going up the road and I chased up and down, round the park, down to the river and even back to my car twice in case she had returned to it, and nothing.

I clapped my hands so many times that they were sore and after about an hour, I gave up and went back to the car - very dry mouthed and very sweaty . I drove round to where she was last seen, parked up, walked back into that part of the park and this woman was right there with her on a make shift lead and it was as if an Angel had appeared.

Ella had gone right up onto the road and into this woman's garden who took her in, phoned my home number which is on her tag ( not at home... ) and came back to the park just as I was there and OH MY GOD was I pleased.

We chatted and she told me about her dogs and how she knew how stressful it was when you loose one of them , and she said Ella was really frightened when she found her and she is now home, fed and watered and somewhat subdued from her experience.

Me... I stank of BO from running around and panicking... and I almost never get BO, but a very thankful Dad brought her home and we cuddled and she went straight to her bed, knowing she had been a bad girl, and I shall have to keep her on a long leash in future if she is going to not pay attention and run off after some cat or something.

Oh my heart was pounding and it seemed the longest hour of my life, imagining all sorts of things could have happened and while she is tagged and chipped, she is still unspayed and her puppies would sell for a lot and I had visions of someone stealing her away and breeding her as a puppy farm, and you know how the mind works in funny ways in times like this... and my mind was running riots.

So drama over. Ella is safe at home again and I have always told her, I will keep her safe and happy, but that she has to meet me half way and not run off like this as no cat or squirrel is worth it.

Now I feel totally drained , stress makes me tired and exhausted and I need a nap but I got my dog back and shall be extra extra careful in future. Can't blame her, it's what she does, she is a dog after all and trained as a pointer. I am her Dad and know better.

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