FOUND!!!!!! The long-ish and exciting recap.

Diddy's Back!

Headed down to DC on I-95 to help search, and Alizabeth called saying something about a shelter, but the call kept breaking up. I was anxious to hear so she texted me, but it was just asking about whether he really was tan and black, because they were saying there aren't any black Yorkies. Stupid and random, and got my hopes up that there was something.

About an hour later, she called again and THIS TIME it really WAS something! She said one of the shelters called her (Washington Humane Society, for those tracking this sort of thing) and said "we might have found someone who has your dog, did he have on a harness with little black bones? (YES!) Okay, she gave us permission to give you her number."

Liz called her but only had a last name and no work extension and no other information, so had to give the operator the story and why she was trying to reach her. She found and connected her, and Liz said "Hi, I think you might have found my dog, can you tell me more?"

The woman told her where she found him (3-4 hours later, and 5 miles from when/where he got loose.) She was driving and saw him running around and there was a lot of traffic, and she worried why a little dog was running around there alone so she opened the door and called him and he went right over and hopped in her car. (He loves being in a car!)

She said "Oh, he's real spoiled, we love him, we've been taking care of him all week." She said they were falling in love with him but knew he was probably someone's pet because he was so friendly and well-cared for.

And she actually called the shelter for the first time on Tuesday, and they said nobody called about a lost dog (LIE, we had been calling for days and the service we paid for was to send them posters - didn't, so I'll be sure to note THAT online.) She actually tried a couple of times, and today finally got someone who looked and said "Well, we have a report, but that was for a 2-3lb dog. (LIE, as you all know everything clearly said 7-8lbs). The woman said "are you sure, I think someone must be looking for him, he's well-trained and housebroken, can you check again?" And finally after 10 minutes they said it could be him. And called Liz.

I was already halfway there so kept going and met her at school. The woman said the dog was at her mom's house and we would meet her there. Luckily the woman was an animal lover who had two Yorkies of her own (and if you own a Yorkie, you KNOW you cannot ever walk down the street without noticing one and probably saying hi!) and knew someone wanted him.

Even though she would have liked to keep him, she thought about if she lost one of hers so she said she had to do the right thing.Thank goodness, most people would either have not bothered to try, and once they did, not kept trying. She said she was planning to put up lost dog posters herself this weekend.

Soooo - cautiously optimistic, get to the house and who bounds out but Diddy himself! I had my dog Karma (his littermate) with me and they went crazy bouncing all over each other. He was bouncing from Liz to Karma to Liz and back. We talked for a while, I gave her the reward (and some new, really cute dog outfits I happened to have in the car as a bonus, which she loved). They had really spoiled him, he had bags of bacon treats, a new harness, toys and the whole nine. He also looks like he gained a pound! Her mother had been keeping him, since she had 4 dogs and he wasn't getting along too well with the male. She was really loving him and had started to get attached. (Awww.)  But she's going to get a Yorkiepoo now.

We spent about an hour chatting and thanking them so much, and then finally bundled him and his new goodies up for home. He was very comfortable there, quite at home. The whole time we sat and talked, he laid in his bed, sat on the couch, and played with his temporary family, but the minute Liz stood up he flew across the room and was at her heel. No way he was letting her leave without him!

And now, he's home, miraculously, after a whole week of being missing. And for the first time in a week I'm gonna eat, and then sleep! And then instead of spending tomorrow searching the streets of DC, I'm gonna go home and get some of the work done I haven't been able to do all week.

But first, we want to thank every, every, everybody who posted the message to their status, sent it to a friend, emailed it, called, texted, FB-inboxed us, offered assistance, prayed/chanted/sent up smoke signals for us. Thank you thank you thank you. And then thank you some more.

*grateful and exhausted*
Alizabeth, Cee, Diddy & Karma

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