This morning was one of the most terrifying experiences of my life. Within a short 30-minute timeframe, I was shaking, crying and freaking out.
Thank God, everything turned out okay.
This little lady gave me and Ryan quite a fright.
At 5 a.m., right after our alarm went off, Ryan let Sadie outside to go to the bathroom.
As you may remember, our new house is located on three acres. The land is unfenced, but we didn’t think this would be a problem because Sadie is very much a true vizsla in that she is a “velcro dog.” She never lets me or Ryan out of her sight and typically stays within 200 yards of us.
Well, this morning, in the pitch black, Sadie went out to pee and when Ryan called her in, she didn’t come.
I heard him call her a few times as I was changing in our bedroom, and when I came out, he said he couldn’t see Sadie and she wasn’t coming when he called her.
I looked around and called her as well. It was pitch black and the lights of our house only lit up the land close by. Ryan ran inside to get his phone for some light since all of our powerful flashlights are still in storage.
My heart started to race.
I ran around our backyard, close to the nearby woods and headed out to the front of our house to check the streets.
Nothing.
I called and called for Sadie.
I then pulled Ryan’s car out of the garage to use his headlights to light up more of our backyard.
Panic took over when I saw nothing.
I drove the car out of our neighborhood with the worst feeling in the world in my stomach. I prayed and prayed.
I drove along the street behind the trees that back up to our backyard praying I wouldn’t see anything.
I didn’t.
I made a u-turn and headed back home, keeping my high beams on for any sign of our little girl.
Again, nothing.
It was then that I started to worry that an animal got her. There are bears and coyotes in Ocala (seriously!) and my mind was going a mile a minute.
I turned down our street to head back home to continue to search with Ryan. I saw him walking around towards our driveway. When he saw me he started waving the light on his phone dramatically.
I rolled down the window.
“DID YOU FIND HER!?”
“YES!”
Relief rushed through my body and I broke down. I started crying and crying. Ryan hugged me and we and hurried inside where I tackled Sadie with all the love in the world.
The 25 minutes Sadie was missing felt like an eternity. I felt frantic and helpless. My heart was filled with the most intense longing to see Sadie’s smiling puppy face and feel her warm kisses on my face.
Seeing her wiggly little body inside our house – safe – was the best feeling in the entire world.
I don’t think I’ll be leaving her side for the rest of the day. And she will now be on a leash whenever we let her out to do her business at night.
Regular blogging will resume momentarily, but right now this is all I can think about.
I know this post may seem extremely dramatic to some, but to those of you who have an animal (or person!!!) in your life that you love more than anything, hug them a little tighter this morning. I got a very tiny taste of what it would feel like to lose Sadie and I am so grateful everything turned out okay.
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Oh gosh, not silly at ALL! So glad Ms. Sadie is okay…that is definitely a scary experience!
That is NOT
aww I cant imagine how scary that would be im so happy you found her! Ive been dogsitting for a week now and im so attached dogs are just so loveable.
SILLY!! Haha sorry didn’t finish my comment! 😛 When my dog went missing for an hour, I was in floods of tears!! So glad Sadie’s safe 🙂
it was really strange b/c i didn’t start sobbing until after we knew she was safe. i was in panic-mode – OVERDRIVE – until i knew we had her back. so, so terrifying.
Oh Julie! The same thing has happened to me before! My backyard is unfenced as well, and Buddy has taken off to chase a squirrel and kept going! It is the scariest thing not knowing! Cars, animals and even other dogs make me nervous when Bud escapes his leash! I am glad that Sadie is okay!
we think that’s what must’ve happened with sadie – she saw a cat or a squirrel or something. she seriously NEVER takes off and is out of our sight. it was so scary. i’m so glad your dog was okay, too.
Not overreacting at all- my eyes got a little wet reading this and I’m SO glad Sadie is OK.
I think anyone that loves their dog as a family member understands how scary that feeling is… especially people with vizslas who know those dogs don’t run away. Our yard isn’t fenced either and I never think twice.
So scary, but happy there is a happy outcome!
exactly!! i’m glad you – another vizsla owner – can relate to this. it was SO out of character of sadie to be so far away.
I COMPLETELY understand. Luckily our dogs don’t go far and the “runner” of the two is easily distracted by flowers and such. But we had a similar experience when we thought one of the indoor cats got out and couldn’t find her for an hour or more. So glad Sadie is back by your side where she belongs.
The Kidless Kronicles
Wag More, Bark….
Julie, you so do not sound crazy! I have a yellow lab, Dallas, and he’s done this to me once also. Our front door blew open once during a storm during the middle of the night and we couldn’t find him for an hour or so. Turns out he was on our neighbors porch waiting out the rain! He almost gave me a heart attack and I was full on crying and I think he noticed how ridiculous I was being and has never run off again. The things we feel for our pets! Glad you found her and hope the rest of your day is much less dramatic!
i’m so glad dallas was okay!
Awwww, poor thing! PS- LOVE the Sadie captions- ha!
I saw your Tweet this morning and was genuinely worried! I know how stressful losing an animal can be, and I’m glad all is right in Sadie-ville again 🙂
Your momma instincts kicked in for sure! So glad your baby is safe and everything turned out ok. Hope the rest of your day is relaxing an uneventful!
OMG I’m so glad you found her!! I don’t have a dog right now but I can only imagine how terrible and scared you must have felt. So glad she’s ok! 🙂
omg i freaked out once when my friend let my dog out for me and she ended up being lost for 10 min- worst 10 min of my life! i was the same way, crying, screaming, heart racing because you’re helpless. so happy your little fur ball is ok 🙂 xo
super scary! my dogs got out when a neighbor left our fence gate open one time and it took us an hour to find them! glad you found her 🙂
That ‘sobbing after everything is okay’ happens to me a lot! One time my sister thought I was lost in NYC (I had just moved there and she didn’t realize the phones turn off in the subway) and when I got on the phone with her again, after making sure I was all right, she burst into tears on the phone. It was very awkward but it was really sweet of her to worry.
SO glad she is ok! My pup just started having seizures, so I know what it’s like for your baby to give you a scare!
oh no. 🙁 i hope your dog is okay. that’s so scary. dogs really are part of the family. thinking of you!
no… I understand completely. One time, the gate to the backyard was left open & I couldn’t find my dog & was terrified she’d been hit by a car when I saw one stopped out front. I’ve never been more afraid of anything in my life. I would have started bawling at that moment if I hadn’t seen my little Miley sitting on my front steps.
Soo so happy you found Sadie & everything was ok.
when i drove the car around on the street in back of our house, ryan saw me slow down and said he thought someone was stopping b/c they saw her. i can’t even imagine how he must’ve been feeling! i’m sure you were absolutely panicked!
My old German Shepherd ran away and I prayed and cried ever night until we found her…which was on Christmas day. And one time I got home and there were fire trucks all over my apt complex and I was freaking out bc I thought the building was on fire and my poor little kitty baby was inside. I think I sprinted up the stairs in .4 seconds flat (right past the fire fighters). My heart was going to explode and I almost started crying when I saw her just laying on the couch when I went busting in. Glad Sadie baby is okay 🙁 tell her no more scares!!! She planned the whole thing…she wanted to be the center of attention on PBF today 🙂
the last sentence of your comment made me smile. i needed that!
I understand panic over a pet being missing. When I was growing up our dog ran away and it was awful.
Your advice to hug your loved ones is something I wish people thought of more often. I just lost my grandfather the other day and I am so grateful that I had a chance to say goodbye but even if I didn’t I know I try to always leave loved ones with a hug so I know that they know I appreciate them,
So glad you had a happy outcome and that your loved ones will be getting lots of love from you. There needs to be more kindness and love in the world.
Oh my gosh- that is seriously the worst feeling ever!! I’m so glad everything worked out!
I’ve had a similar experience with our yellow lab, Ryan. He loves to wander and explore, and one time I couldn’t find him for quite awhile. I drove all around our neighborhood in panic mode, and I came home to him sitting on our front porch. He must’ve wandered around for a bit and then decided it was time to come home! I’m glad little Sadie is okay! You are not alone in this feeling. 🙂
Aww what a scary morning! Glad she came back safe and sound 🙂
scariest feeling in the world for dog owners. i know how you feel. when i was a child, my mom took my brothers, me, and our dobie to a nearby field to play. she let kelly off the leash, not thinking twice because kelly loves to play WITH us. well, somehow she got out of our sights and took off, and we couldn’t find her. my brothers and i walked back to the house with my mom, sobbing, because i didn’t think i’d ever see my kelly belly again. i went to bed sobbing. probably an hour or so after i’d cried myself to sleep, my dad came in the room WITH KELLY. he and my mom had called the neighbor over to watch us while they went out searching for our dog. …she was in the park! i’m thinking she had wandered off, then realized she couldn’t see us, and gone back to where we had been, but by then we had gone home. WHAT A RELIEF.
so glad you found her. here’s an idea: if you want to let her out but don’t want to stand there on a short leash waiting for her to do her thang, those 30-50 ft cable leads that attach to a stake you twist into the ground are GREAT!
so glad kelly was okay!
and i love the cable lead idea!!! thanks for the thought.
So glad your sweet Sadie is OK, Julie! Our Sadie got away from me before we had our back yard fenced in and she was only about 3 months old at the time. I found her around the block sniffing in a neighbors yard but panic rushed through my veins like you until I saw her. Animals are like our children and it isn’t silly to feel such intense emotion when it comes to them. After all, they are our “babies”!
those sadies sure do like to keep us on our toes. so scary! i’m so glad your sadie was safe!
I got all teared up as I read your post! I am so happy your Sadie is safe with you!
I have tears in my eyes reading this because I know exactly how you feel! So glad Sadie is home safe.
I don’t think it is dramatic at ALL! I would have reacted the same way! When you love a someone that much it turns your world upside down for that moment. I’m really glad she is ok.
I’m so glad I’m not the only one who got teary reading this! I’m so happy you found Sadie and she’s okay
Aw, I know exactly how it feels to lose a pet. SO glad she’s home where she belongs.
OMG! So glad she is back safe and sound. We had Remington get loose once… I was running around our neighborhood in bare feet, pj’s, and the pouring down ran for 30 minutes… and I finally got my hands on him! So scary! We love our doggies just as much as our humans don’t we 🙂
Oh, goodness – that is quite the morning. I’m so glad you found Sadie. And it is not dramatic at all! My husky will take any opportunity to escape. I’ll never forget being 8 months pregnant and running barefoot looking for him, screaming and crying. It was horrible! We’ve now taught him the command “inside” and treat him each time he comes in.
awww. i love that visual. 🙂 pregnant, crying and running barefoot. i bet you were adorable. 🙂 so glad you got your guy back safe!
Omg wow I would have been freaking out!! I’m so glad everything is ok! I totally understand how easy it is to get completely terrified over your pet!
I TOTALLY understand! So glad that she’s back home safe and sound.
Awe this isn’t dramatic at all, I started crying reading this, I’m so glad she was ok! I have a 2 1/2 year old lab, Diesel, and he is the baby of our house like Sadie and if this happened to him, I would be the exact same way!!
Give her tons of hugs and kisses today, oh and I LOVE the comments you make on her pictures, they crack me up!
Oh my gosh – so glad she’s okay!! I’ve been there before, it’s the most terrifying thing ever. Every second just feels like an eternity.
That explains the heart attack then. God such a horrible feeling. It’s happened a couple of times now with my little Westie. Poor Sadie! At least she’s safe and sound now, lots of extra hugs today!
I cannot blame you at all!!!
It is very scary to loose even temporarily another family member
give her lots of love!
I totally understand! One of my little kittens went missing a few years ago and we searched for weeks but never got her back :-(. It breaks my heart just thinking about it! She must have got lost or been taken by someone and for weeks my sister and I put posters up in the neighbourhood desperate to find her. I’m really glad Sadie is home safe and sound! 🙂
the same thing happened to my childhood cat. he was an indoor/outdoor cat and one day (in the middle of winter in chicago) he went out and never came home. it was so, so sad. i just like to think a nice family found him and took him in.
Wow this post brought a lump to my throat- I can only imagine how fast your heart was racing! SO relieved that your baby is back with you!
Oh my gosh I would have freaked! Last year that happened to me, when we were selling the house, we were sshowing it to someone and they left the door open. We looked everywhere for bella and I was starting to cry. We finally found her outside at the back door after 15 mknutes but shes so little we ccouldn’t see her. I cant even imagine what it would feel like to lose a child!
i kept thinking the same thing after we got her back. my heart breaks for families who have gone through this with a child. unbearable.
This is not dramatic at all. I lost my dog for like 2 minutes one time and panicked! Dogs are a part of the family, and to lose them would be devastating. I’m glad that Sadie is home safe and sound!
I would have had a heart attack too. You might consider invisible fencing if you don’t have a real fence. It really is safe for the dog.
ryan was talking about that option. is it expensive?
It isn’t cheap but with the other predatory animals around maybe your landlord would split it with you? It is something you can keep for a long time and it is a good selling/renting point in the future. It would give her freedom in her backyard. I love this dog. Sadie is my favorite blog dog.
Just so you know, dogs can (and do!) break through invisible fences!
AHHH!! So scary!! I can totally relate! Its the worst feeling in the world to lose your pup! That happened to me once and she was gone for two days!!! My little pom had jumped into a car (she loved to go for rides) with a teenage girl and the girl actually took off her collar and took her home and told her mom that she found her!! THe mom saw one of our missing signs and brought her home to me! I have never cried so much in my life!!!
OMG! I would have bitch-slapped the teenage girl for that! That’s KIDNAPPING!
oh if everyone would just love each other the way you love sadie…the world would be a better place!!!
I’m so glad Sadie is OK! My dog got out of his collar when he was scared during a town parade, and he took off running. (Turns out he ran home). It is the worst feeling in the world, I don’t think you’re being dramatic at all!
i literally teared up when i read this… i so know how you felt! a few years ago there was a terrible snow storm (like feets of snow) and i lost my 10lb all white dog! it was the worst 15 minutes i have experienced. i some how found her a few streets down and haven’t cried that hard in awhile! this story sent chills down my spine, and while it might seem dramatic pets are definitely children/family
Julie –
A million years ago, when I lived in a 3 floor apartment with my family, I had been doing laundry in my basement when we realized about an hour later that we couldn’t find our 4-lb Yorkie. We searched the house, the basement, and the neighborhood, and it was fruitless. My family blamed me, saying that she must have gotten out when I went to the basement to do laundry.
After what was probably only 20 horrible minutes of feeling the worst guilt and trying to brainstorm what to do, the dog appeared out of nowhere in my kitchen – I’m actually pretty sure she was stuck under a bed. I think I yelled something like, ‘you little [expletive]!” while hugging and kissing her and crying.
Thank Gd you found Sadie!!
hahahah aw!!! i love the “you litte expletive!” 🙂
Oh my goodness I am glad she is okay! My husband and I feel the same way about our Kitty. She stays inside but sometimes tries to escape when we open the door. One night she did escape and it was pitch black our and we could not find her anywhere. I remember standing in the street crying calling for her; finally must have seen my husband through the window in the back of our house and she ran to the back door to greet him! Gave me a heart attack!
This is NOT silly at all! I can’t even imagine how you must feel…omg your little girl was missing. I know I would STILL be shaken up right now, so I’m sure that you are too.
SO SO SO glad that Sadie is ok!! We all love her so much 🙂
So… where was Sadie? Did she come back by herself? : )
yes! ryan said he walked around back after searching the front yard and she was waiting by the door. crazy girl.
Thats a GOOD thing! So glad that she is safe : )