What a nightmare.........all THREE gone!
 

I am still shaking, in tears and can't even think straight! I've also been watching the great debate regarding collars and tags over the past several day and I can now say HANDS DOWN that I have never been so glad to have collars and tags on Pebbles, Bogey and Doodlebug! Here's what happened this morning.

My son went to start his truck this morning and the battery was dead. He was working on trying to give it a "jump" and left the gate open! The neighbors had their 2 PITA pugs out bark and antagonize all the time so when Pebbles heard them barking and went bonkers to go out so Drew let her out. She always immediately runs like a maniac around to back of the garage and runs the fence with them. Once she was out the other 2 wanted out too so not knowing or being able to see that the GATE WAS OPEN I let Bogey and Doodlebug out too. Mind you my son was in and out of the house at this point getting ready to leave, making himself breakfast, his car was running in the driveway so I thought all was well and did my morning business~I was in the bathroom brushing my teeth and my cellphone rang. With a mouth full of toothpaste my son answered and he looks MORTIFIED and my heart just sank. :( He didn't even say a word and walked out the back door and I was right behind him, the yard is totally quiet and I see the gate open :eek:

All I could think about was they were all DEAD run over by cars since we live on a main street. I was in tears, grabbing my keys and just screaming at him "where are my babies!". He was on the phone with a woman that had picked up Pebbles and called because SHE HAD ON A COLLAR AND TAGS. She was safe and I was on my way to get her but she was BLOCKS away! Bogey and Doodlebug were still missing and I had no idea even were to begin looking. Pebbles was far from home 5 or 6 blocks away but safely sitting in the back seat of a Lexus with the most wonderful woman who was in her pajamas (like me) who had picked her up. At this point I am bawling my eyes out and just shaking telling her thank you over and over again but my mind was racing because Doodlebug and Bogey were still gone. She told me that someone who was walking their dogs saw 2 other small dogs but they ran from them. So I know they had to be somewhere in the area but where???? :confused:

I head back toward home and I see my son in the driveway holding someone and it is Doodlebug :) He said that I drove right past them as I was going to pick up Pebbles! He saw something jumping around like a bunny over a block away and yelled "HEY" and Dude stopped, turned and started running toward him happy to see him :)

I NEVER even saw them through all my tears as I was driving and running ever horrible scenario thru my head~hit by a car, eaten by a coyotes, the expressway, train tracks, Cookie and all the others that were never found. My Bogey was still missing but my son and the woman that called about Pebbles both said that they had been together~of course they are best buddies ;) Then my cell rang again and someone in the townhomes down the street had Bogey! :)

When I got there she told me the he was with another small dog (Dbug) but who ran when they tried to call him........must have been when my son saw him.

They were gone for 45 minutes but it was the most terrifying 45 minutes of my life! I am sitting here with all 3 on top of me, still hugging them and so grateful that they all had on a collar and tags. Doodlebug and Bogey are both chipped and I'm planning on taking Pebbles this weekend to be chipped at a PAWS event too BUT I would never gotten them back so quickly without their tags! I was also very lucky that honest caring people found them and called me. I know that I am rambling like an idiot at this point but we all know these are our babies and don't know what I would have done it they were not ALL safe back home with me!

That had to be a nerve wracking 45 minutes. I'm so happy for you they were found! Thank goodness for good neighbors too :)

OMG! I couldn't read fast enough! So glad they're all back home and safe! I think the main thing with collars though, is to be aware of the dangers when using them and check on one's dogs often while wearing them. They definitely helped in this situation!

Very happy, they are safely home! :D

What an awful way to start the morning. I am so happy all three were
returned to you safe and sound. It's only common sence that if a dog
goes out into the yard without a leash he/she needs to have tags on
weather it be with a collar or harness. I hope the rest of your day
is wonderful. Your neighbors certainly are.:thumbup:

OMG what a horrible, nerve wrecking, miraculous morning. I know you must still be shaking. Your three little furballs had guardian angels watching them this morning, sending honest caring people to find them and to then call you.

Nothing is worse...so glad all of them are home safe and happy!:)

omg I'm in tears just at the thought of how horrific those 45 minutes must have been!!! Thank GOD they are all home safe and sound - so great to hear there are still some honest and caring people out there.

OMG Jodi!!! :eek: I was literally shaking when I started reading your story. Thank God all of your babies are ok!! I don't keep collars/tags on mine because I'm so scared of them catching on something and choking my babies while I'm at work. But this may have scared a change into me!!! What kinds of collars are safe for me to leave on my pups?

Thank you for sharing your story. I'm sending you all huge hugs!!

I'm so happy you got your babies back, that would of been so terrifying.

I am so glad they are safe. I cried reading the story I could not even imagine what I would do.

Glad they are all safe and back with you.

I have to admit, I read the post below you to make sure your babies were safe, before I could finish reading your story. It immediately brought tears to my eyes. I am so grateful you have your precious little ones back home, safe and sound. ;)

OMG i am so glad you found all three of them safe.

How horrible for you, I could barely read the story. I would be dying, speaking of dying, how's your son, did you browbeat him within an inch of his life? I'm just kidding, your son sounds so wonderful, I remember the time you said he went with you on a long trip to pick up a rescue, and my heart bonded with him at that point. I'm so glad all your babies are safe, what a morning!

Thanks everyone for listening to my babbling after this morning. I am not finally calmed down and taking a deep breath. The very worst part was they were ALL gone and then getting one back at a time. I just kept thinking OK I have Pebbles but now where the other two. When I had Doodlebug and Pebbles I felt absolutely panicked because I was felt like my LUCK had run out and I would never find Bogey. :(

As for the best type of collar I really don't have an answer which would be the safest for choking, catching on something or being injured. In the past I was totally opposed to regular dog collars and used breakaway CAT collars on them but Doodlebug got his mouth caught because it was elastic and stretched. By no means did anything as horrible as what happened with LOU but he did have an "incident" with the cat collar. They now all have Coach collars and ENGRAVED tags. Their last tags were only PRINTED and one day I noticed that my phone number had rubbed off.......so what is the point of a tag that the letters comes off :confused: So I bought tags from Etsy.com there are copper and hand engraved. That is what they had on today-Coach collars and Etsy engraved tags. My three are also BIG so a Coach collar would be huge on a little 5 lb pup. Everyone has an opinion about collars but I can't imagine what would have happened if they didn't have them on today. :(

Oh my that had to be really scary. I'm glad you got them all back and they are ok.

OMG that is a nightmare but thank God they are all back home with you safe and sound !!!
:animal36

So glad they are a safe at home!

I'm so sorry you had to go thru this...SO SO SO very happy that all of them are safe in your arms again!! I Love happy endings!

Collars and tags are VERY IMPORTANT! My Yorkie and Westie wear them all the time, not just when we are on walks. WHY? Because they can slip out at any time.

My Westie slipped out of the house one night when one of my guests was leaving. About 20 minutes later I got a call from a neighbor saying, "I have your dog." I NEVER EVEN KNEW SHE WAS GONE!!! The tags saved me a lot of heartache.

It's funny, because we only take the collars off at bathtime. After I dry them, I hold up the collars. Both dogs come to me and stand very still. THEY KNOW they are supposed to be wearing the collars. I think it is funny--kind of like a woman wearing jewelry.

My dogs are also microchipped. But tags will bring your babies home sooner.

Thanks for your story. I am so glad it turned out well. :thumbup:

I am so glad your babies are home safe and sound. I was afraid to finish reading the whole post as I thought it was going to be terrible.

Thankfully, great people found your babies. :)

Glad you found all 3 of them. I too have their collars and tags on full time since the same thing happened to us and thanks to their tags, they all found their way home. Of course not before I had a total melt down. :eek:

I could feel the panic as you relayed this story, I'm just so relieved it had a happy ending!
I do think it's important to have tags on them. Everyone just needs to do it in a way that is safe for their baby!
Thank goodness your babies are all home safe and sound!

That was scary!! So glad you had a happy ending and I am going to put tags and microchip my puppy for sure!

The buddy belt harness is another great option, the tags lie on the side and the soft leather doesn't mat hair. Here's a picture.

I have never seen a harness like the one that Joey is wearing. Do you have a link for the site? Is it a step in?

Jodi, my heart is racing after reading all this. Thank God it has all turned out ok, and so quickly. I know it will take a while for you to recover from this scare.

You bring up again a very good point, collars do enable honest people to help get your pet back to you quickly. I will once again have to re-think the whole collar issue, even considering possible risks.

My fur kids are not street wise, and I am so afraid if they ever got out they would immediately end up on a busy nearby street (dead), so a speedy return is very important.

Hugs to all, including your son who must feel terrible.

OMG -- my heart was racing reading the story. How SCARY!!!

At my dad's house, he has a big fenced in backyard so when I'm there it's 3 dogs total. We always just open the door and let the dogs outside to do their business. We always peek from the windows to make sure they're okay or we're out there with them... we got lucky this morning because I had just let all 3 in, and through the window, I saw the gate blow open! It must not have been locked/closed all the way, and I was so glad all 3 were inside or we could have had the same dilemma.

I'm with you on collars-- growing up, I remember several dogs roaming around that would come from seemingly nowhere and we returned probably about 10 dogs to their owners just by calling them on the phone from their collar tags!! Jackson wears a collar 24/7 minus bathtime and sometimes I'll take it off while we're sleeping at night just for comfort, but his harness also has tags on it, even tho he doesnt wear the harness 24/7.