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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So glad Sadie is ok! Anytime one of my three fur babies is out of my sight and not coming when they are called I panic a bit, I know the feeling you had and it’s terrible. I almost lost my pug baby to a medical emergency years ago, it was the longest night of my life.
My husband and I have a Golden Retriever (who oddly reminds me of Ms. Sadie) and we cannot let her off leash. Soon after getting her we let her off at a big park around 6am on our morning walk and as she kept on creeping closer to the exit we started to get worried. That’s when she ran out of the park and started going up a main street. The more we ran after her the more she started to walk away. A car turned the corner and my dog bolted in front of it. Our hearts stopped and I jumped into the road screaming for the car to stop (which it did JUST in time). I was hysterical and my heart was pounding. Our girl kept walking away and finally my husband was able to slowly, one inch at a time, get closer and closer to her where he could finally grab her.
I completely understand. They are our babies. We also had to deal with a pitbull attack recently so this dog has put us through the emotional ringer. Doesn’t matter, we love her so much!
that comment made my heart start racing!! so glad your girl was okay!
Ugh. As much as I think some dogs have been given an unfair reputation (dobies and rotties), pitbulls are ACTUALLY evil creatures!
I hate to see you call them all evil… I have a red nose pit who is the sweetest dog I’ve ever been around, and I’ve been around a lot of dogs. They of course can be ferocious, as can any other dog. Don’t base your thoughts of all pits on the ones that have been raised poorly. It is human behavior, not the dog’s breed that has caused this reputation.
I have met both amazingly trained pitbulls who are the best dogs and ferocious ones. A lot of the times it comes down to good and bad owners, as well as genetic disposition. After that attack happened on my dog I didn’t want to curse the whole breed, but I’m definitely weary around ones I do not know. It’s a shame that a few bad seeds ruin the bunch!
as they say “hate the deed, not the breed.” i personally don’t have experience with pit bulls, but – like people – i think the way they’re raised has a lot to do with how they turn out.
I’m so sorry that your dog was attacked :[ Is he OK? You’re right- you never know, and it is unfortunate that there are so many that give people reason to be afraid. Thanks for keeping an open mind, even after a traumatic experience.
Carol-
In reply, perhaps I should clarify: I do agree that there really are no bad dogs, only bad owners. BUT it is a fact that the inbreeding that more commonly occurs in pitbulls has created a breed with more aggression. Therefore I suppose I do not curse the entire breed, but rather the lines that have been irresponsibly bred by humans. I believe THOSE dogs to be unpredictable, and nothing will change my mind on that.
Sorry to have offended. 🙂
Blair
i would be wary, too! in fact, i AM wary of pit bulls in general because of the stories that seem to pop up. i’m so sorry you had to deal with an attack. VERY scary. that would be enough to make me freak out around them as well.
There are actually TWO pitbulls that live above us (2 more days and counting since their lease is almost up). One is a sweetheart and got out the front door of the house when my husband and I were coming back with Remy (our dog) on our evening walk. When she bolted out we got nervous b/c we knew that the second pitbull who is not so nice would be behind her. Our dog got out of her leash before my husband could hoist her up, they were both chasing her, and thankfully she ran right to our porch and not the street. I nearly died I was shaking so hard. It was the scariest minute of my life. All I could hear were yelps and growls. Thankfully the “damage” was just a tooth through her front paw and nothing major (aside from emotional scarring).
Of course not all pit bulls are bad, I just want that one who lives above me gone! My poor dog doesn’t even want to walk down the driveway anymore. It’s sad 🙁
oh that IS terrifying! i don’t blame you for being totally freaked out.
Oh Julie I am so glad everything is ok!! I got a little teary-eyed as well as I read your post this morning. Dogs are so much more than pets they are family members!! So glad Sadie is safe and sound 🙂
Oh my gosh, that is so scary and I’m so glad you found her. We have had the same thing happen with our dog and it is so, so scary. Thank goodness our little pups are safe at home. Hugs to all. 🙂
SO glad she is home and safe! Its so scary to have a dog get lost and go missing.. I got a little teary-eyed! Have fun hanging with her all day!
Oh my goodness. I feel your pain. My Rally got out and sprinted down the alley and I was chasing him fearing he’d dart into the street as a car came by or something. He veered right and up the street and I caught him. Your stomach really does drop and your heart stops.
Also, I was out for a run last weekend and saw a sign for a missing Vizsla and thought of Sadie and felt so sad that someone’s lil baby was out missing. 🙁
Both of my cats have gotten out for short periods of time before… One time one of them went missing for an entire hour and it broke my heart. We drove all over the neighborhood looking for him and couldn’t find him anywhere – my fiance eventually dropped me off at home because I was crying too much to be any help. I went on the back porch to call for him, and what do you know, he walked right up to the porch and reached his arms up to be picked up. It was one of the worst mornings of my life… I almost started bawling when I read your post this morning! So glad you found your baby girl!
SO glad ya’ll found Sadie!!! I remember that when we had a dog, he got out once and I almost had a heart attack!!! My parents bought him when they got married, and when he got out, he was already like 15 years old, so I was really worried about him!
I understand this feeling all too well! Our german shepherd (our baby!) got out of the backyard about a year and a half ago and was hit by a car and she didn’t make it. One of the saddest days of my life! Give Sadie an extra hug for me too! 🙂
I have a 1 year old golden retriever and that is my worst fear! I ‘m so glad you found her and she is safe and sound, I would have had the same reaction =(
It’s not silly at all to react like that!
I had three cats, and unfortunately, I found one after he was missing for a day, laying on the road. Car hit him 🙁
The second one was missing also for a day, and a dog got here. She died few days after. The third one just went missing, and never came back 🙁 So I completely understand and I know what it feels like.
I’m glad Sadie got back!
Ohhhhh honey…I am so so so sorry for the scare!
My dogs are velcro dogs, too, and we often let them off the leash when we’re just a few steps from the door. A few months ago, though, we did that and Junior got distracted by a squirrel and took off. I went running after him, because it looked like he would never stop. Thank goodness, the panic in my voice made him stop short about 100 yards after he left me, and he came back with his tail between his legs. I was terrified, and that was only a minute or so!
we think she must’ve seen a squirrel or a cat or something as well and taken off after it once she was doing doing her business. definitely scary!
Julie I don’t have pets but I can somewhat understand how scary this was!!! I’m glad Sadie is back home safe and sound. Sorry to see you had a rough start to your day. (Hugs)
I’m so glad she was okay. Our cat used to run out the door all of the time, but she would just climb up trees.
I know our puppy would always come back home…it’s where the food is!
But really, I’m glad Sadie was okay. And please post that one you wrote about 20 things you love about her. I would love to read it 🙂
Not silly at all! That is so so scary. I got tears in my eyes just reading and thinking how you must have felt. As someone who rarely ever has her dog on a leash I totally empathize with you! So glad to hear it all turned out well!
Don’t feel silly…I had this experience with Maverick once in the middle of the night, and he had broken out of his collar. A black dog, in the middle of the black night, with no collar. I know how you feel! Glad she’s back safe and sound. We just put our family dog down this morning so I also urge everyone to hug their pets a little tighter today.
That is so scary! Has happened to me many times before with my puppy (he’s 7). Glad you found Sadie and that she’s safe.
That sounds terrifying, I’m glad everything is okay! Any idea where she went while she was missing?
we’re thinking she must’ve seen a squirrel or a cat or something and chased it. she literally NEVER strays away, so we think it must’ve been some kind of animal instinct.
I understand how you feel. Once I had my dog Becca, our now almost 12 year old golden retriever, out in the front yard with me while setting up fall decor. I went inside to get more when I got side tracked. Becca would NEVER run away but hours later I realized I couldn’t find her and asked my bf if he saw her and asked my brother who was living with us at the time if he’d seen her. No one had seen her. After searching the ENTIRE house and backyard I remembered she was in the front yard with me. I freaked out thinking this would be the time she would have wandered off and got hit by a car. I flung open the front door in a panic and started calling her. She’s a little deaf now so it doesn’t do much good and it was pitch black. I couldn’t see her. I almost broke down when I saw a big fluffy thing coming around the corner. She was at the side of the house (most likely sleeping) but yes, it was very scary.
Another scary time is when I let my black lab off his leash when we got to our driveway. He normally would run to the front door. Not this time. He’s black and it was night. A car started coming – I almost fainted I swear to god. Luckily the car slowed down and didn’t hit my Hades. I finally got a hold of him (by crinkling an unused poop bag – he is really bad at listening to the “come here” command) and was so angry with him but only because he scared me so much. I never let him off leash until I was indoors again!
I’m glad Sadie is safe and back home where she belongs. It is scary when you lose sight of your treasured pet.
two scary experiences! you poor thing! glad everything turned out okay!
No way. I know exactly how you feel. We just recently adopted a dog of our own and I am already so in love with him. He’s still just a pup and whenever I have to leave him I get serious separation anxiety!
I’d definitely be in tears too. Glad you found her and good idea about the leash!
I’ve had two close calls with my dog running into a (busy) street and I can assure you I also freaked out and cried. Your reaction is completely normal….she’s your baby after all!
Soooo scary!!!! My back yard is not fenced either, and occasionally my velcro dog will chase a cat or a squirrel farther than we would like her too, but thankfully she hasn’t gotten in the road or ran off. Honestly, I don’t think we could lose if we tried (not that we ever would, she is our life!). My parents lost an inside cat overnight, and we searched for hours, getting no sleep! Finally, he wandered into the backyard the next afternoon, but we were soooo upset the whole time!
Lots of hugs for you and Sadie today!! Hopefully things resume to a normal Tuesday quickly.
Glad you found her, I’m sure that it was scary!
You’re not being dramatic at all. We have 2 acres of land at our house and let our dog out all the time off leash. She’s done the disappearing act a few times at night which have made me run down to the street, flashlight in hand in total panic mode. The adrenaline pumping through your body when that is happening is unreal. The crazy part is how nonchalantly they come trotting back to the house like “what, you were worried or something?”
So glad Sadie is ok 🙂
i KNOW!! ryan said she was just waiting at the porch door like, “what? here i am!”
So glad you found her! It is such a frightening experience to lose a pet.
I went through the exact same situation with a friend’s dog! You can’t lose someone else’s dog! Thank goodness I found her right outside my neighborhood…but it sure gave me a fright!
I am soooo happy that you guys found Sadie, safe and sound 🙂
both of my brothers have dogs that are literally their “babies.” My brother’s dog did the same thing one night, except my parents live on 20 acres! I am pretty sure I have never seen my brother cry and he was definitely close to tears until we found him! It was heartbreaking for me just to see him so upset.
Ugh I can’t imagine what that must have been like. I would have reacted the exact same way. So glad you found her and that she is safe and sound.
This isn’t dramatic at ALL! Believe me, I would have reacted exactly like you did. Actually, I probably would have been even more hysterical. People without dogs just don’t understand. They are our children and when something is wrong it is the scariest thing ever.
I am SO sorry this happened to you but I am SOOOO happy that your sweetie is just fine. She is a lucky girl to have such a good mama and daddy! Give her an extra big hug (or three!) today.
I know that feeling too well. Growing up my family had a dog who liked to “explore” the neighborhood and there is nothing worse than the feeling when you realize they are gone and you can’t find them. So glad Sadie got home safe. Hope you feel better soon!
UGH. this story makes me so anxious.
my sister’s yellow lab ran away years ago.. her twins were two, let her out accidentally, and she never came home. definitely definitely keep sadielady on that leash… too scary!
That is scary! I can def. understand what it’s like to be attached to your animals they are family!!!…the world lost an amazing dog yesterday…my 16 year old Jack Russell was sick and we had to put him down yesterday. At least we got to say goodbye and give him a proper burial. He will be missed! We still have another family dog so she will be getting lost of hugs and kisses!!
on a happier note the captions for Sadie are hilarious…she is too cute!!
So scary!!!! So glad Sadie is OK!
I completely understand your fear (and tears)! The same thing happened with my dog, Mack and I swear I wasn’t “normal” the rest of the day. There was this unsettling fear that came over me and I couldn’t control the tears. It’s scary to think that something you love SO much could be gone in a split second. 🙂
I’m SO glad you found her! We have a springer that’s usually the same way – she stays so so close, but then she’ll see something and take off. There was once that I couldn’t find her and it doesn’t take long for all the what-ifs to take over. Plus, we’re only a couple blocks from a busy street. Absolutely panic. Fortunately, we found her quickly and she was fine and I eventually recovered. : ) So glad Sadie’s home safe and sound!!
ps we built a fence. My heart couldn’t handle those scares!! I know that’s not an option on the rental right now, though.
Oh, my, god! My heart was pounding as I was reading. I’m glad she’s safe.
I’m so glad you found her and she is okay!!
Aw, I’m so glad everything turned out fine. My Dachshund was originally adopted by my husband’s family, and a few years ago they weren’t keeping an eye on him in their unfenced backyard and he wandered away. He didn’t have a collar on, and the person who found him called animal control, so he was brought to the shelter. Of course, by the time they found out where he was, it was Saturday night and they were closed, so he couldn’t be picked up until Monday morning. I was several states away at the time and I just felt so helpless. The animal control’s website had a photo of him in the stray section, and he just looks so scared in the picture. Definitely one of the worst feelings ever.
I hope moments like this never happen!! Our dog Bentley snuck out of the the house when we were visiting my husbands parents and ran off into their neighborhood. I remember feeling just like you did! Extreme panic and helplessness! Luckily we found him. We always call Bentley “Baby Bentley” because he really is our baby! I can’t imagine my life without him! We love him so much, I’ve even mentioned to John that I can’t even imagine loving our children (when we have them) more than Bentley!! ahah I know that thought will probably change but if that gives you an idea for the love I have for my Baby Bentz!!
We also have a shock collar for Bentley. We don’t normally use the shock part much but there is also a beeping sound. Everytime Bentley hears that beep he knows he needs to come back to us. It gives him the freedom to run but he also knows that he has to obey when he hears that little beep!!
I’m glad all 3 of you are safe and sound!! Give Sadie a hug from Bentley!!
PS- sorry for the long comment! AND, I absolutely love your blog!! 🙂
i love long comments. 🙂 sadie says thanks for bentley’s hug!
That is the scariest feeling! One of my dogs got out and somehow ended up in our neighbor’s house. They haf a whole in their fence and a doggie door. She was inside their house chasing their dog. In here defense, their dog has attacked ours while out walking and they have no control over their dog. She was mad like I intentionally let her in their house. I was so embarrassed but the Santa Ana winds blew our gate open. Maybe they need to fix their fence too! She hasn’t escaped since.
Oh my gosh! The same thing happened to me with my beagle, Annie. We just moved and I let her out in our fenceless yard. She got a scent and took off. I couldn’t find her for 45 minutes. I was balling my eyes out, screaming and there was probably cursing involved. The scariest thing of my life! You cannot trust beagles without a leash! So glad Sadie is ok :)!
OMG, so glad your little girl is ok! That is so incredibly scary. Our dog means EVERYTHING to us, and I totally understand the feeling of panic when something may be wrong and also how time passes so slowly until it’s resolved. The only time our dog got really far out of our yard was to chase a skunk…needless to say, once I got a hold of him again, I was both relieved and pissed at him because he was doused in stinky musk! Still relieved, though 🙂
I’m so glad Sadie is OK! That happen with my dog, we didn’t have a fence and had woods in our back yard, and he took off somewhere. Its the worst feeling in the world, but he came back too! But I was like you, oh no we have coyotes and I was afraid one got him (he’s a dachshund). We got invisible fencing, best decision ever!
Oh my!!! I am so glad that you found Sadie! That happened with my family dog a couple of times. Luckily, we were always able to catch him! There aren’t enough words to express how scary it is when your pet goes missing! I’m so glad that you are reunited with her! 🙂
That happened a year ago to my indoor, declawed 9-year old cat!! We had a houseguest that left a door open and it was probably over an hour until we realized that she had escaped the house. We searched our neighborhood from 11pm-1am and finally found her hiding and terrified under a neighbor’s car. I honestly don’t know when the last time I cried so hard was prior to that incident. I am SO GLAD all is ok w/ Sadie.
How scary! I remember when our cats got outside on new years eve one year. They are not outside cats and it was like 20 degrees outside with snow everywhere. We could hear them crying somewhere but could not find them at all. We were running around outside at 4am trying to find them! It is such a relief when they finally show up again!
That’s the worst feeling! I’m soooo glad she is okay!!
NOOO! 🙁 I don’t even know Sadie but I can only imagine how this must have felt for you and Ryan, Julie. You probably got your workout in by just shaking and the adrenaline! How about some Chamomile tea to calm the nerves? This makes me freaked for when I get a puppy. I can’t imagine the attachment yet but I know it’s going to be powerful…a sigh of relief and hug coming your way!
Oh my gosh…how terrifying!!! I’m so glad you caught her and that everything was ok. I know what a horrible feeling that is. Two years ago our family cat got out a few days before Christmas when we were having a family party at my mom’s house. It was pitch black and he’s a very dark brown cat. We had about 10 people calling for him and running around the yard like maniacs. I was sobbing I was so upset! Luckily, he happened to dart across the driveway which was somewhat lit up, so my sister body slammed him to catch him. It was quite a scare!
I can definitely understand your panic and worry! I’m so glad you found her, where did Ryan find her?
Hunter once jumped out of the back of the truck on a moderately busy 4 lane road and I LOST it! Crying, shaking and completely freaking out (good thing my husband kept it together). He had a huge gash on the back of his leg, it was so sad. You can read the rest of the story here! 🙂
http://lifeisbetterthanfiction.blogspot.com/2011/06/hunter-took-tumble.html
she was waiting at the door to our back porch when ryan came around to the backyard after searching around in the front of the house. crazy!
i’m so glad your hunter was okay!
I hate when those things happen! When I moved into my old condo, I came home for lunch one day. A worker was coming that morning to fix something and I wanted to make sure it all looked A-OK. Well, I couldn’t find my cat. I thought the guy left the door open and she got away. I seriously looked EVERYWHERE, then called my dad in hysterics, only to find that she hid underneath my comforter. There was a tiny little lump on my bed. I hugged her so tight inbetween sobs and laughter. Almost tramautizing.