A heart warming story told to us by our minder Kate, from Rivervale WA, our featured Dog Minder for July 2013.
“I had a Labrador, Dally, he was a Federal Drug Dog who was retired at age five as he had chronic arthritis. He was the most beautiful dog. Being a Lab though he was a little bit of a greedy guts and as he got older he had to have a steroid regime to help his ailments. At this time I had put him on a diet as he was a bit too big (according to the vet) and what I didn’t realise is that steroids stimulate appetite.
The poor boy was hungry and had started to think outside the square. I came home one night and was chatting on my hands-free when I pulled into the garage. I sat in the car and chatted for another ten minutes then put the garage door down and when inside, that was when I realised that Dally was not around. I was very concerned and went looking for him. He wasn’t the sort of dog who ever left so I couldn’t work out what was going on. I jumped into my car and went to all the local spots where we walked. I rang my Dad hysterical and he came over. We searched the streets for two hours and couldn’t find him. My Dad then left and I thought I would do one more trip around the neighbourhood. I pulled back into my street and saw a police car approaching me. I flashed my lights and the police stopped. I told them my dog was missing and they could see how distressed I was. I told them where I lived and they said they would keep an eye out. I came home and went to bed.
At 3am, there was a knock on my door. I opened it totally disheveled with a swollen tear stained face and there was the two policemen with Dally sitting in between them. They had found him at the Rivervale Hotel where all the patrons had been giving him snacks off their plate. He had drunk out of someones beer glass on the floor and basically gorging himself on anything edible. I threw myself at him and hugged him for about ten minutes. I think the police thought I was a bit odd to be honest! The police reassured me that he had had a fabulous night and that everyone loved him down there.
Dally’s stomach was rock hard and full of food and he didn’t move around too much the next day but I didn’t care as long as he was safe and well. Dally was my family and the thought of losing him was one of the most traumatic experiences of my life to date.
Dally sadly passed away when he was 13 after a full, abundant and snack-filled life.”