Our Beloved Sandy

For those of you who live around here and know Sandy, you will agree - she is the perfect dog. We were lucky to have been given Sandy several years ago from a rancher down south in the throws of Daniels hog hunting obsession. She began as a hunting dog in Daniel's kennel but worked her way into our house and into our hearts. She, at first, started jumping the kennel fence so we brought her to our house to keep in the back yard. She next, started jumping our 6 foot tall privacy fence and so we had to bring her in the house. It was like she knew that that was where she belonged because she has been the perfect house pet. Potty trained from the very start. Very mellow. Content to lounge around and just be with us. She has proven over and over again just how smart and wonderful of a dog she is. She is great with kids - great with Jack. Just the perfect pet, really. We have been so lucky to have her. Maybe you know where this is going, and it's been easy for me to not think about it since the new baby has arrived but a week ago from Friday she went hunting with Daniel's brother and ran off - and never came back. Daniel has spent hours of each day looking for that girl - we just don't know what happened to her. Is she dead? Has someone found her and kept her? Is she still wandering around somewhere? We just don't know. But I do know that I miss her. Jack asked to give Sandy a treat this morning, and I almost lost it. I just wish I had some closure on the issue, wish I knew what really happened to her... how long does someone wait? A week? Two? Today is day 10 without her and I'm really feeling sad - sad that I never said goodbye, sad that it was so unexpected and sad that she won't be the dog that Jack remembers as a kid growing up, sad that Ivy never even met her. Sandy, we will miss you! We are so sorry, whatever might have happened to you. Surely we will see you in heaven some day.