Where's Sarabelle when you need her?

“At about 8:30 I let Shane out to "do his thing" and turned around for 30 seconds (tops) to pull my tent out of the "tent dresser" for an upcoming trip. When I turned around to check on him, NO SHANE ANYWHERE!

My daughter and I scoured the neighborhood for 2 1/2 hours and called the police to report his absence. I slept fitfully on the couch with the back door open in case he barked to be let in. Anybody that has been on a hike with Shane knows that although furry little animals are distracting, he always comes back home (or to where my tent was pitched the night before he wandered).

I awoke from a sleepless night and still no Shanedog! Promptly at 8 this morning I called animal control. His tags had gotten lost in the night but they knew my description right away down to the greying face and leather collar...GREAT! "We have an Irish Setter just brought in that has been hit by a car".......Whaaaaaa!

I sobbed the entire way to the vet like a baby to find him in shock and shaking but able to sit up and recognize me. The vet seemed optimistic and we took x-rays.

Severely bruised, not even broken bone but in a good deal of pain. Nothing painkillers and antibiotics won't cure in a short amount of time. However, the x-rays showed that he dined on baby squirrel last night.

He is in a drug induced sleep on his comforter right now after having been carried in to the house. I know I'll lose this old dog someday within the next several years but I'm so glad it wasn't today. This is his second brush with death this year. (the x-rays also showed that the abcess on his lung has completely cleared).

Sarabelle, will you tell all your doggie friends on this board to be very careful not to go out hunting without their peoples?
Thanks”

“Best wishes to Shanedog, and dhutch1.”

“Scary, scary. So glad you have him back. Speedy recovery and happy trails to you both.”

“Well at least Shane wasn't the squirrel. Hope he has a fast recovery.”

“best wishes to you and shane.”

“Glad it worked out for you, D.

We lost our old family dog this spring, and shortly thereafter, our even older kitty. We lasted a few weeks before we broke down and rescued 2 little kitties.
After only a couple of weeks, one of them disappeared. We thought maybe the coyotes had gotten her; they’re very thick where I live. We were quite sad.
Only a week or so later, the second one disappeared. We were very, very sad.
We looked around, and talked to the neighbors, and it turned out one of them had seen her the night she went missing. But no one saw her again.
3 or 4 days later, we got a call from the daughter-in-law of our neighbor who lives in a town nearby. She had our second kitty!
Long story short – she hitched a ride into town underneath our neighbor’s truck. He went into town to visit the daughter-in-law, and the kitty got out. She was a cat lover, and kept her, and put an ad in the paper, and someone was at her house to take the kitty away when the father-in-law stopped over again and recognized the kitty as ours.

The first one probably did the same thing, under my car, unfortunately when I left that morning I drove for 2 hours down to Detroit. I guess we’ll never know…
But the kitty we got back sure gets spoiled now.”

“Wow, that's quite a story leSub! That is sure one lucky kitty you got back. My grandpa had the same under the car thing happen with a squirrel but the the critter was not very lucky. (under the car in that case may have meant closer to the engine?)

Right now Shane is still just laying there but he CAN walk some with the pain meds. Just not far and definitely not upstairs to sleep by my bed. I'm thinking that it would be a good thing to coax him to get up and walk a little tomorrow. Since nothing is broken we'll give it a try.

Thanks for all the well wishes, I'll never take letting the dog out into the yard for granted again.”

“dhutch, I'm glad you were reunited with Shane. I hope Shanedog recovers nicely in the very near future. Sounds like one lucky dog to have a mom like you!”

“Cool deal about Shanedog. Hope he's all better in no time!

LOL, the cat stories reminds me of my long-time buddy Punk. Showed up at the apartment of my ex and myself and wormed his way into our hearts. (and he stayed in mine waaaay past the ex!)

Punk disappeared and I looked all over. Maybe a week or two later I was at some neighbor's house and I can't even remember why. Not someone I would normally see.

THERE was Punk in her house!! And she said they had made arrangements that the next day he'd be taken to the country, to a farm, to live (now, I hope it wasn't that ole "to the farm" nastiness!!) Anyway, I hauled the boy home!! He was around for a good long time.”

“hutchie: come to marengo river, party at pros house, and bring shane... it will be good for your soul and your friends miss you... :)”

“Thanks jimmysan. I will make a concerted effort to take another look at the trip and watch Shane's condition. It may be that we can catch up with you but I won't be able to make all the days of the trip. Shane stood up to go outside this morning. Although very shaky, before I could put down my coffee mug to carry him down the deck stairs he had hobbled down by himself. Good progress, but it's painful to watch my whorling dervish of a dog struggle through every step.

skiracer, thanks. I've been reading about Merlin and just could not find the words to type my feelings of empathy for your pain through the tears. I guess I just did.”

“Yay Shane! My goodys! Did he get ressel ups from nother dog gangs? Did he fald off a clift?

O! Mebbe he was on a sekert missin to get terrierists! (he can not say theengs a bout sekert missins BWT)

What never. The mane theeng is he is ok and at home. I gess yall are happy a bout that!

I gess we mite vissit yall if we go to The Cago agin.

Get helfy Shane!”

“Thanks Sarabelle. Shane's back to being his usual active self. Even if he is getting up there in years. No lasting damage.

And if you are ever in the area, of course you'd better visit.”

“Shane, Shane....wasn't that an ending to some cowboy movie?

Get well and healthy Shane.....”

“John Wayne”

“Shane's getting shaved at 8am central time on Saturday, HA!

Ever seen a practically bald Irish Setter? lololol”

“Shabed??! O the huge manatees!
I gess he will get verry code then.

I done a Brasill shabe be for, but I wold not like a shabe ever wher! BOL!”

“dang - now that is an image I really want to get out of my head - Sarabelle with a Brazillian”

“lmao: huge manatees!

Thanks for your concern Sarabelle. Shane has a polar fleece sweater I made him to wear while his own coat grows out.

:-)”

“Ptttttttf!
I shold of sayed he culd borry my swedder! Why didnt I theenk of that?

But it did snode heer the nother day so I better keep my swedder in case it gets verry code and snode heer some more!”

“I need to get a picture of shane now for you sarabelle. He's not nearly as handsome without any hair.

It's not "code enuf to snode" here quite yet :-)”

“It "snode" above 3000 feet here. Nice cap up on Thunderhead and Gregory.”

“Ha! you said Thunderhead :-P”

“what's wrong with saying Thunderhead???

I could see it iffn y'all were talking about thunder mug but even then ...”