Oh please don’t answer that! Last night we found out that in the wee hours of the morning a lot happens.
So Molly was a little antsy last night. She was moving around and my wife and I were lying in bed at around midnight, wondering if she needed to go outside and go to the bathroom. Senior dogs tend to have to go when they have to go! But also they could be thirsty, in pain, hungry, yada yada yada. Molly‘s full of nighttime worries. She’s always seeing the light flashing or movement that doesn’t exist. She can’t see very well, can’t hear very well, and has some dementia so sleeping at night can be a bit of a pain in the ass.. for all of us but more for her since she can easily become stressed out.
As you may have guessed by now, last night was a bit of an adventure. Like I said she was a bit antsy and so we decided to let her out. I got up out of bed put on my pants, sweatshirt, socks... I picked her up and carried her downstairs to go outside. We can’t trust her to go down the steps by herself because of her poor eyesight, especially at night. I got downstairs and put her outside and turn around for a moment to look for my coat and shut the door. In that moment she was gone prancing around the yard as if she had to make a bowel movement.
Next thing I know I can’t find her. I CANT FIND HER! I CAN’T SEE HER!!! Sheer panic set in!!!!!! I turned around quickly and grabbed the flashlight and a couple of other items and knew that I only had a few moments before she would be lost. You should’ve seen me running around the neighbors yards with anxiety and panic. I was clapping because Molly’s hearing is not good at all and she can only hear loud clapping sometimes. I was also yelling out for her trying not to wake my neighbors up. They also have a ring doorbell and cameras around their home so I knew that would be fun for them to look at in the morning.
After about two or three minutes, my wife noticed I was gone for way too long and came out to find me. She called out to find out what was wrong. I yelled to her and said that I lost Molly and I am frantically looking for her. I must’ve looked like an idiot. I now know what it feels like for parents who lose their children in the blink of an eye. I felt extreme anxiety and panic overwhelm my entire body. All I could think about was this 7 pound, half deaf, half blind, dementia ridden dog running around the neighborhood in fear. Everything from losing her forever, her being snatched up by a fox or coyote, or her getting hit by a car filled my head in a matter of seconds. Terrible terrible terrible feeling.
Best case was that if we did lose her that someone would find her. The only problem is they wouldn’t know that she was an Addison‘s dog. She wouldn’t get the medicine she needed and the people who found her wouldn’t know why she wasn’t feeling well. It makes me sick to think about it.
In the end, after about two or three rounds around the houses and a lot a lot of clapping, yelling, and looking with a flashlight, she appeared in our yard. She definitely came from another direction where she shouldn’t have been. THANK GOD she remembered where she lived! I was sure that she would have forgotten her way home.
My wife could tell you that I was sweating, angry, scared, pissed, thankful, all kinds of emotions. But in the end I was happy. I was happy and grateful that she found her way back to us. Thank goodness! I don’t know what We would have done if I would have lost her.
We didn’t end up sleeping well that night, but she did. She eventually fell asleep and slept soundly. At least one of us did!
Things are going to change. My wife and I said that we can’t leave her out by herself anymore like we used to. She just can’t remember where she is half the time and looks like she’s confused especially in the dark. I don’t want to go through that again, that’s for sure! I feel like I lost several years off my life after going through that.
I’m back home with us. She wouldn’t survive the cold night and dangers that fill it.
Tonight, just about 20 hours later, sh is back to snuggling in the voids of the pillows and blankets. Our hearts dropped a little but we feel much better now knowing that she’s home and we will treat this type of situation much differently in the future. Unfortunately we can’t trust her to remember where she is from now on. It is sad but it is also a part of life. That was a wake up call!
There is only one Molly for us. We want to keep her around as well as safe and sound as long as possible. We are blessed.
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