[Dailydrool] boys day out

[tcm541 at gmail.com]

What is one of the worst things you can think of regarding your dogs? For
me, the top three in my mind are the passing of a hound, an emergency that
requires a hound to rush to the vet, and the boys going for a walk. Alone.
With no tags. Yup. My boys took a long walk today. While I was at work.
Absolute panic when I got home and the gate is open and the boys are gone. I
don't think anyone messed with the gate. I probably didn't do a good enough
job latching it after taking the trash out last Thursday. 

My closest neighbors (who recognize the dogs) were all at work too and
didn't see them out. Near neighbors (that don't know my dogs) told me they
saw them wandering, but didn't try to corral them. They don't know the dogs,
so they didn't feel comfortable trying to round them up.  Anyway, I called
county animal control (and the local sheriff's office), the local humane
society, no reports there. So I took to the road in the car. For well over
an hour, maybe one and a half, I drove and called out. Local, then run a
loop a little farther out, then local, then farther again, ever widening
circles, then back to check the phone and the local alleys. I even had the
UPS driver on the lookout for them. He was only a block away when I found
them - he would have found them in a few moments if I hadn't. 

They were several blocks from home, hot and tuckered out. They had been out
for hours.  Both are resting calmly after dinner and a long, long drink.

I had their collars off because they wear bark collars when I'm at work, and
I can't have both of those on at the same time. They are chipped, and I hope
that would have been effective had it gone so far as them getting picked up.
I've got to find a way to get their tags on the bark collar strap. 

So now it's time for me to relax and get my stress level down. 

Tim and the Wandering Goofballs, Dexter and Reggie