Dogs are people too!

My dog Belly got out last night.  It's my fault.  Part of my boys' bedtime routine is that they let the dogs out and then let them back in before we go up to bed.  Last night, I was in the living room picking up toys and what not while the boys ran to let the pups out.  I went around picking up sippy cups and snack bowls that wind up behind couches and tables, etc.  I tossed them in the sink and rounded up the boys to head upstairs.  Did the bedtime routine, came downstairs to straighten up and watch Survivor, and headed to bed.   I NEVER checked on the dogs. 
My dogs are tiny.  Belly is about 2.5lbs, Scout is about 6lbs.  They're pretty quiet, and spend most of their time in or around their bed and their food bowls in the kitchen.  When I'm sitting and have an unoccupied lap, Belly likes to sit with me.  Last night, I didn't give it a second thought that I didn't see them before bed.
Around 2 or 3am, my son got up and wanted water.  I went to the kitchen for his cup, and that's when  noticed that she wasn't sleeping next to Scout.  I didn't panic right away.  First I checked inside to see if she was on a couch (a no no) or fell asleep in a pile of laundry or something.  Nope.  I checked everywhere- the basement, back porch, under couches.... then I ran outside and called her and whistled for her.  No Belly.
I forced myself to go to bed figuring that I was going to have a horrible day come sunrise, so I'd better sleep since there was nothing more I could do at that hour to find her.

I woke up around 6 and checked my cell phone.  There was a voicemail from an unfamiliar phone number with my area code!! Hallelujah!!!  I knew right away that it had to be from someone that had Belly.  Sure enough, the message said that he found her late last night up on the main road of town and picked her up.  Thank God.  I waited until 8o'clock to call him, and definitely woke him up.  He gave me his address- a few blocks away and I got the boys in the car and headed out on our rescue mission. 

I called the number when I arrived on his porch, but it went to voicemail... twice... three times..  Then I knocked.  Nothing.  I knocked harder.   By this time, I was having the horrible thoughts that this was a mean joke.  That someone had found Belly, but sent me to some random address.. That they were going to torture me by withholding her where abouts, or call me back and demand a crazy amount of money.  All these things were racing through my mind as the boys were sitting in the car yelling to me, wondering why they didn't see Belly yet...

I knocked REALLY hard now.  This time, a really big sounding dog started barking, and I could hear him bounding toward the door.  This was a good sign. The guy on the voicemail said that I don't need to worry about her because he has dogs, and so Belly was in good hands, and that he had food etc for her.  Finally, he called me back to ask if I was outside.  "Yes. I'm here."  In a few seconds, he opened the door with Belly on his shoulder, holding her like a baby- the same way I do.  I told him, "her name is Belly..."  he said, "That's funny, cause I was calling her Bella..  I kept her in my bed with me because she was so small I didn't want my other dogs to bother her..."   He was so nice, and so normal.  He handed her over to me, and I gave him a check.  We played that game for a few seconds where he refused, and I insisted..   Eventually, I won, and he thanked me for the check, and I thanked him for returning my baby to me.  She was, after all, my first baby.

Truth be told, I'm very very lucky.  Belly and Scout are the type of dogs that are so small and cute that a lot of people might have just kept her, or sold her for a good chuck of change.  I was really lucky that she was found and picked up by a fellow "dog person."

When we got home, Scout greeted us at the door as usual, and turned to walk back to the kitchen.  Then I put Belly down to let her run... As soon as Scout realized that Belly was back, he turned and skittered and tripped over his own paws trying to run to her!  They licked each other's faces and did their best version of giving each other dog hugs.  It was about the greatest thing I've ever seen... I only wish that I'd had the foresight to get it on video.  It was magical.. They are brother and sister from the same litter, and best friends... and they seemed so human and so emotionally equivalent to us in that moment.  I know all the non-dog people out there are rolling their eyes right now, but it's true.  They love each other and us just as hard and even more faithfully than us.  I'm so happy to have my little family all back safe and sound.