Miracle!

This morning, I have at my side, my buddy Jethro.

Yep, you read right, he's back!

Honestly, I had about given up hope. I had long since concluded he had been scooped up by someone and was safely in a household somewhere. But, funny how it all turns out....

On Friday, I had planned to run down to MSBACR again-but in the morning, I was checking their website and didn't see any new dogs. The Anchorage AC website very kindly puts up a "found dog" list (which we really need out here-any volunteers?) and I checked that as usual. I had been checking CL umpteen times a day too, of course. But Friday was rather busy at work and I figured I could safely wait until Monday this time.

So Friday evening I am just walking into the house and the phone rings. Its a neighbor who tells me this bizarre story about a free pony and I know they are hinting around for a haul-but I toss some cold water on that idea as they would be in way over their heads. I hang up from them, my head kind of spinning with the thought of why would anyone give away a 17 yo pony?? when the phone rings immediately. I answer and a lady says she thinks she has my dog.

My dog?? MY dog?? Really? She tells me she got my number from MSBACR, that the dog had wandered into her yard the night before around 9:30. A little disoriented, she had to coax him with food and managed to catch him. She called AC the first thing and learned about my lost dog report, and called. I asked her location, and it turns out she is living in a new house built just a half a mile away.

I said I would be there in two minutes flat, yelled to my son to load up, got the cat out of my car, and we were off, lol And YES it was him!!! He knew us right away, of course and wagged his tail....I scooped him up in my arms and got a few licks and my son too. I was bawling like the old sap I am, and thanked the woman profusely as you can imagine.

I have no idea what's happened to him in the nearly month he has been missing. But I do know he surely wasn't in someone's house being fed. He is emaciated. He stinks something awful and is very weak. Has patches of pitch and bare spots on his leg and one ear is flipped down at the tip now, much lower than previously. Friday night I did what I could to get him to eat, and he drank a lot too. First thing Saturday I called the vet and got an appointment....I am quite relieved to know that he's going to recover.....he is on amoxi (for infected anal glands) and Rimadryl for his body soreness and one shoulder that is very painful. His diet is hamburger and rice for a week and I picked up some Eukanuba small breed puppy chow too.

He spent most of yesterday sleeping, and we only go out (on lead) so he can do his business. A couple minor accidents in the garage Friday night that I am not worried about, but nothing overnight as of this morning. He isn't drinking or eating as much as normal but considering his body weight....well, if he were a horse I would put him at a CS 1. He was weighed at the vet at 8.6 pounds.

He is a changed dog, I will tell you that...but last night, after the drugs kicked in, he actually played for a few seconds! Of course I promptly started crying, but it's all okay...miracles DO happen! Really.