It's good to know where "Home" is

This is true even, or maybe especially, if you're a dog.

I had an emotional day. I had just finished watching a Lifetime movie about a woman with breast cancer... and it made me cry a lot.

Then the FedEx guy came by to drop off the baby furniture. In order to prop the door open so he could put it in the entry way, I put Henry (our beagle) on his leash.

As I was propping the door open, Henry was pulling because he thought we were going for a walk. The next second, I see him running across the yard while I'm still holding the leash which is attached to his collar. His head slipped out of his collar. We have a harness we use when walking him because we've had this problem before, but I thought it would be fine for the 5 minutes I needed it.

So I walk behind Henry calling his name as he crosses the street. He looks back and then keeps going. I start crying because I know I can't catch up to him. He's really fast, and I'm 7 months pregnant. And he doesn't have his collar on anymore, so if someone finds him they won't know where to return him.

I follow him to the end of the block, and he has disappeared by the time I get there. With the FedEx guy waiting, I go back and finish the delivery, then drive around for 30 minutes, crying, and trying to find him.

I finally just go home. I open the back gate so he can get in if he finds his way back, and I open the front door (leaving the glass door closed) so I can look out. Then I start making calls to the animal clinics and shelters.

During the 3rd call, I walk out on the front porch again just to look up and down the street...


...And Henry comes up and sits at my feet, looking happy and tired.

Of course, he runs again when I reach down to pick him up, but luckily he just runs into the garage, and sits by the door to the inside. I take him inside, and put his collar back on him while he gulps down water.

He seems to know that he got lost, cause he hasn't left my side for the last 2 hours since he got home...but I guess all those walks through the neighborhood were good for more than just exercise. Our Henry knows where his "Home" is.