Ginger's Big Adventure

I drove down to Brenham, Texas from Hutto to pick up Ginger, one of our 2005 Nikita/Indy puppies. Her owner died suddenly & her family had to move. Her family was supposed to be trying to find a place to live where they could have her back but since we haven't heard from them in over two years now, she is back home permanently.

Stephanie met me in Brenham where we had met four years before for Ginger to go home with her. We got her transferred to my van amid many tears and hugs, and drove 88 miles back to the house just fine. She was great on the drive. Just perfect…she lulled me into letting my guard down!

When we got back home, Lou opened the back door of the van to get out Ginger's bedding and blankie that came with her. When I reached in to get her out of the van, she suddenly rushed past me. I had hold of her collar, a flat buckle, but after almost having her under control again, she suddenly backed up and out of the collar. She ran down to the end of our cul-de-sac, but then she darted past me and out of the street. Fortunately she turned back into the subdivision and not out towards 685, a very busy road! I jumped in the van to go look for her. Every time I passed someone who was outside their home, I yelled, “Big brown dog?” and they would point which way she went.

I circled the whole neighborhood and found one of our local officers & one of her colleagues who said they would put out the word. I asked them to tell our wonderful Animal Control officer, Becky, too. I started back towards our house, as the van would have to have gas soon.

I decided to make one more round. A man who had previously pointed where she went yelled, “There she is!” And there she was, lying down by the community mail boxes about 2 blocks from our house. I had driven right by her. I turned back, all the time praying for St Francis (animals) and St Anthony (lost things) to see that she would go back down our cul-de-sac. SHE DID! Lou was standing outside and I yelled at him to help me. She went in our neighbor’s garage further down in the cul de sac, which was standing open. We went in and to either side of their car and got her! I put on a regular chain collar & fastened the leash on and she walked calmly back in the house with me with no problem whatsoever.

Oh, you don’t know how I prayed not to have to call her mama and say she was lost, or worse! Thank God, St Anthony, St Francis and helpful neighbors, we got her!!

I felt like I would go sleep for 2 or 3 days after that chase. No, I didn’t make it to work. Called & told them I wasn’t going to make it. I think I gained a few more grey hairs that day. But as they say, all's well that ends well.