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Our 4th of July holiday this year got off on the wrong foot. Things initially started out really well as we attended a fireworks display the night of the 3rd. However, about an hour after our arrival home, we knew something wasn’t quite right. Our dog Sammy was missing. Since we live in the country, it’s not unusual for him to wander off behind our sheds or into the fields. But, he usually comes back when he hears us calling, and that night there was no return of Sam. We went to bed assuming he’d be at the back door in the morning. Instead, we got an early morning call.

Our roof was being replaced the few days leading up to the holiday. The night of the 3rd the roofers stayed extra late trying to get things buttoned up in case it rained. The contractor was still at our house when we arrived home and heard us searching for Sam so he knew our situation. What he DIDN’T know was that, for whatever reason, Sam was cowering in the back of his pickup and under the bed cover. We ALL knew about this fact first thing Sunday morning. And Sam was NOT happy to be in an unfamiliar setting because when he was discovered he took off like a shot out of the contractor’s garage.

The whole family loaded up and headed off for a subdivision 6-8 miles south of Kearney. As we started out, I think we just assumed Sammy would be roaming around the area golf course waiting for a familiar vehicle to come take him home. The closer we got to our destination, I think it started hitting us that “Hey, this dog is in unfamiliar territory on the worst possible day of the year for a pet. He‘s scared, alone, and miles away from home. How on earth are we going to find him?” Our 4-yr-old however, was asking if we could get a new puppy if Sammy wasn’t found!

After 3 ½ hours in the area with no luck we decided to head home, hoping Sam still had his tags on and that he let someone get close enough to get his info. (Needless to say we missed the July 4th celebration at Fisher Fountain.)

Once home, our caller ID showed we had several Kearney area phone calls while we were gone. Thankfully, one very nice gentleman left a message. After talking with him, I learned Sam had been in his garage most of the day but was gone again. At least we now knew where to search so I headed back for my 2nd trip to northern Kearney County. And thanks to caller ID, I set out calling numbers that hadn’t left messages. Luckily my 1st call led me to Sam’s exact location. He had been holed up in a family’s basement stairway via their garage. By 4:00 I had our dog and he was on his way home. And one family was relieved the holiday hadn’t ended on an upsetting note.

I learned a little something that day. People DO care when it comes to help finding a lost pet. People care enough that they won’t accept a reward when offered–they are just glad to see a pet reunited with its family. Sammy, however, didn’t seem to learn much. A few days later he was cozying up to the contractor when he again arrived at our house. New rule though–no leaving tailgates down and check your pickup before you leave!. You really can’t teach an old dog a new trick, or at the very least Sammy can’t be taught!

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About the author: Jill Kimle

Jill is a farm wife from the Kenesaw area with two BUSY children under the age of 5. She will admit to being in her upper 30's, and if you ask her specific age, she won't shy away from telling it. ("My kids will look at me in ten years and think I'm pretty old!")