August 4. Day 216. Wagging their tails behind them

“Leave them alone and they will come home wagging their tails behind them.” 

And so they did. But I didn’t believe it.  For two hours this morning I was a hysterical mess, walking the streets sobbing frantically calling for my 1.5 fur babies. My baby Rumple and The Fed – the beagle who belongs to my brother but for the moment is living with us in a kind of “shared custody” arrangement – had escaped under my feet and through the gate and into the wide world. They just disappeared. I love those fur creatures and I just could not imagine my life without them. As a person just a little bit prone to the negative, I imagined them dead collected by a truck or similar. I was just so relieved when they came home, so relieved that I could have killed them in one of those great ironies of life. I am just so, so grateful to have them back and also so grateful to all the people who helped me find them. My mate Donna dropped everything to come round and join the search – and as importantly offer me cup of tea – and others on phone and text offered suggestions and support. There were also those who jumped in and covered my work while I searched. And for a period today my name trended on Twitter in Australia as the message of the lost dogs of Highgate Hill was spread far and wide. I can think of other ways I would prefer to achieve my 50 seconds of Twitter fame, but in the moment it was just what I needed, a feeling that something was happening.

They dogs have Twitter accounts - @Sir_Rumple and @FeddyFurFriend - but did they tweet that all was good and they would be home soon? No they did not. But bold and brass and looking like something the cat dragged in they found their way home. Now they are back where they belong and this week I shall be investing on a GPS collar. This time they came home. I’m not sure I could survive a next time.

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