[joeys mom]

I had only 3 hours of what Gen went through, but believe me, they were the most uncontrollable gut wrenching longest hours of my life. Just ask Richard, whom I posted and was crying so hard I couldn't even tell the phone numbers I typed were incorrect. I let Joey and cabella out back to go potty before bath time. I went to let them back in and in runs Cabella, no Joey I went out and he was no where to be seen. I got my boots on and walked the fence. Could not see where he got out. I went back thru the house and out the front door. Joey will always go there if he gets away from us. A white SUV had stopped in the road just down from out driveway, Hum!!! I go back out back and look under the dog house. Then I drove around the neighborhood trying to think of the steps Gen was advising we should do. I went home made some posters, handwritten missing Yorkie with phone numbers and address. Called the shelters and police dept. Called my husband, crying uncontrollably asked him to call the radio stations and to please come home and help look for him. I then went around the outside of the dog lot went back inside and looked up and yes it was just like he had dissapeared. I though of Cookie, could a hawk have grabbed him up? I then walked around the fence again and found a very small space between the fence post and the chimmy to the outdoor grill. Could he have gotten thru that? There were tiny prints on the other side in the snow. I went around and tracked the tracks. I couldn't see where he had went toward the driveway and there were some cleared areas that he could have went up the hill into the woods. I then thought of the deer I saw in the back yard earlier. Hum, perhaps he followed them up into the woods. So I hiked up the hill, and called and called him walking the property line. I went back to where I went up and saw deer tracks with smaller doggie prints behind them in the snow. So I thought I'll go over into the pasture, perhaps the deer are over there, as I started down the hill there was the most beautiful little face ever. It was like he was frozen in time. It took me getting on my knees and calling him before he took a step forward. He was shivering so badly and Had about 4 inches of snowballs attached to his feet. Needless to say I was so releaved to see him and then was concerned for his health, He was out for about 2.5 hours running. During the whole ordeal Gen and Cookie remained in my thought and Gen's post kept me focused. Well, what little I could be through all the tears. When I would lose control I could hear the words I read on here in my head. I would regain control for Joey because I could remember her saying the first few hours are so critical. So as I have Joey here beside me tonight, I say a very special thank you to Gen for allowing us to share her heartbreak and learn from it. I really think Joey would still be out there if not for reading her story. Only staying calm and focusing on things she has posted made me keep my head in this terrible situation. And Richard, thank you so much for going the extra steps to reach me. I truly appreciate your efforts and kindness. Gen and Richard are the only two besides my husband I could thing of to ask for help. I know Gen's title "My baby is missing and I don't know what to do" is the thing that is in your head if this happens. But thanks to her, I did know good steps to follow to help me get my baby back!!!!!! So A GREAT BIG THANK YOU!!!!