Bulldogs World

Is because Sophia decided to take a little trip this morning...alone! I was dishing up breakfast for everyone and when I went to put it down for Sophia, I realized she wasn't right up under me like she normally is at meal time. Now, we have a screen door to the backyard, and somedays it closes and latches, and some times it just closes....When it just closes Sophie likes to go out back by herself, and that normally would be fine but a couple days ago one of my horses got a shoe caught in my backyard fence and he pulled the bottom of the fence up some. I didn't know it until I was out back a couple mornings ago with the dogs and Sophie walked right to that fence and went under it. I almost fainted! I ran out to the front of the house and caught her. I have been keeping her in since then until we fix that spot, and have been making sure the screen door latches or I close the main door.. 

But this morning I didn't realize the door hadn't latched. Sophia knew it hadn't though, and helped herself to the backyard, and yes, right out the fence. Except this time I wasn't aware of it until she came up missing for breakfast, just a couple minutes after we had been out for our morning potty. Well, I ran to the side yard and all the horses were on that side grazing, so I knew Sophia wouldn't be on that side. I worried she had gone to the road though, she heads right there any time she does get out but I am able to catch her. So this morning I frantically was calling for her, saw nothing at all of her, and had no idea which way she could have gone! I live on a small highway that isn't real busy, but enough cars go by that a dog will get hit out there pretty quick. I ran for my truck and took off yelling for her and sobbing. She wasn't on the highway either direction. I came back home quick and checked around the house, inside and out. It had now been about 10 minutes since I knew she was gone. She was NOWHERE. I called and yelled and called. Nothing. I jumped back in my truck and took off down the county road we live on, drove to the bottom pastures next door to us, nothing. I came back up, headed down my barn driveway to the bottom of our barn pasture. Nothing. I yelled, got out and looked everywhere. Nothing! I was nearly hysterical by then...I just couldn't imagine this happening. My darling baby girl, gone. It had now been nearly 30 minutes since she was gone. We have a lot of water on our ground here, a large pond and run off from recent rains. She loves to head right for water if she has the chance. I imagined her drowning alone and frightened. Of course, that made me even more hysterical. I got back in my truck...35 minutes now since she went missing. I drove and yelled out my window going back up the barn drive. About the time I was almost to the top of the drive, I saw a flash of black from my left. I looked, and there came Sophie out of my 10 acre pasture, NEXT to my 10 acre barn pasture. She was more than 20 acres out when she must have heard my yelling or seen my truck, and thank GOD she came to the sound. Talk about a flood of relief! She was muddy and tired, but she was ok. I grabbed her, got in my truck, and she and I headed home. 

I am ever so thankful that my girl is ok. And I want to just say, I believe God heard my frantic prayers and answered them by turning her around, where ever she was headed, and bringing her back to me. Thank you Lord!