Weddingbee boards

Hi Bees,

My dad just told me that on Friday afternoon my dog Katie escaped from the backyard of his house. He said they have searched the streets, and called and visited the vets in the area, called the council, and went to the pound, but she hasn't turned up anywhere. She is microchipped, but wasn't wearing her collar because it had gotten waterlogged on her walk, so my sister took it off her and hung it up to dry.

I'm afraid she has run away to die. She is 15 years old, deaf, has cateracts, and is deathly skinny despite eating lots and being on supplements. She has had an ear infection recently and the antibiotics didn't seem to be working. Last week we talked about it maybe being time to take her to the vet and say goodbye, but she seemed happy to potter around the yard, and go on her walks, so we decided not now, but soon, if she got worse or was in pain.

I'm afraid too that maybe she has been hit by a car, or perhaps the pound did pick her up and thought she was being mistreated and put her down. (She is looked after well, but is a scrawny old thing with patches of fur missing due to old age.)

I feel like I've been cheated out of saying goodbye. She was my first dog. My dad bought her for my sister and I after my parents got divorced, and for 4 years she travelled with us between my mum and dad's houses before setteling at my dads when they got another dog to keep her company. She was a sweet little black ball of fluff who would eat anything and got into trouble many times for eating people food. The funniest time was when my step mum made a cake, and Katie got on the table and ate only the icing, apparently she didn't think much of her cooking.

I feel like I need closure, but I don't know what to do. :(

*hugs* Definitely give it a couple days, PPs are right that a shelter will check for a microchip first. Or, someone could have taken her in and is waiting to get her to a vet/shelter to check for the chip.

I know it is hard to think about, so you don't have to read this part--but if in fact she did go off to die, in a way she received a great gift--the final choice to go on her own. It is a natural thing that animals do, as you know, and although you may not be able to say goodbye to her in person, she will always be with you in your memories and your heart. It is kind of weird but sometimes I can still recall my childhood pup's stinky smell or the feel of his ears when you scratched them--it has been years, those memories will never leave you. Katie sounds like she had a big personality and was a real sweetheart!

@MsJeep23: Aww thanks MsJeep, that made me cry. I needed to hear something like that. She was a good dog, and I will miss her a lot. But you are right, I will never forget her and her funny ways, like when she'd run on the floorboards and try to change direction, but would skid on the spot for a while like scooby-doo, lol. :)

We still haven't heard from her. My Dad and sister are going to visit all the vets and pound again today, But its been a week now so we aren't holding out hope. Its winter here and gets very cold overnight, and she is very skinny and doesn't have much fur. If she hasn't been picked up by someone then I don't think she could survive this long without food and shellter. :(