Lost and found Zorro…

Basenji Talk
Log in to reply
  • AnaA

    Hello!

    I haven't posted here in a while but I wanted to share my last few days with you.

    Zorro turned three years old last december. It has been a crazy couple of years with him, but I wouldn't change him for anything in the world. He may be a monster, but he is my monster :) !

    I decided to move to the Netherlands last year and obviously did so with my little man! We got here in November and moved in with my boyfriend. The first month was a little tough for him, but he enjoys not having the snow and cold of Canada (he is a bit of a wimp).

    So, we decided to visit my boyfriend's mother for the week and brought the beast with us. He usually spends his time there terrorizing the cat and relaxing on the couch. On Wednesday, my boyfriend was at work, so his mother and I decided to go to the beach with Zorro. She opened the door as I was putting my coat on and Zorro ran out (she didn't know I hadn't put his leash on). So I ran out after him and he was being his usual jerkface self and was checking behind to make sure I was running after him. He then turned on a busy street and stopped in front of a lady who was walking her two dogs. I was sure I could catch him then but as I got closer, the bigger dog scared him and he ran right into the street. Two cars were coming from each direction and as they braked I heard him scream. I got so scared, but saw him run away even faster. Unfortunately, we lost sight of him.

    We spent the rest of the day running around in the neighbourhood trying to find him. My boyfriend even came home from work for a few hours to help in the search. We asked everywhere and called the animal ambulance but no one had found him. Eventually, around 8:30pm (he had been gone over 5 hours), we were so exhausted from running and crying, we went back home and my boyfriend went back to work. We were going to wait for news and start our search again the next day.

    Everyone told me to relax, that no news was good news… I was losing my mind. I kept going back out... In my head, he was gone... I would never see my little monster again. Around 1am my boyfriend's mother went to bed but I decided to sleep downstairs on the couch in case he came back and scratched at the door. My boyfriend and his mom thought it was silly... I thought I wasn't going to sleep anyway, so why not?

    At around 5:30am, I was finally starting to fall asleep but something weird happened. The cat, who was sleeping next to me the whole time starting running around and meowing next to my face... Seeing as she was going to prevent me from sleeping, I sat back up and started watching a show on Netflix. A few minutes later, I hear the faintest scratch. I was sure I was imagining it but I went to check out the window anyway... And I SAW HIM... But I thought it was too good to be true, my mind was playing tricks on me. I ran to the door and when I opened, he wasn't there... I looked down the street and there he was!!! I called him back and he ran like crazy!! He got in a started crying in my arms, I was crying too. I went to wake my boyfriend's mother and she thought I was joking but he jumped on the bed and started licking her face.

    We went back downstairs to make sure he wasn't too hurt. He wasn't hurting anywhere on his body but had bloody back feet and his little cushions were cut. But after licking his feet, the first thing he did was try to get under a blanket and passed out.

    A few hours later, when my boyfriend got home, we went to the vet and had him checked. No broken bones or bad injuries. She cleaned his paws really well and put some antibiotic cream on them. As usual, Zorro was being the drama queen he is a cried like crazy in my arms. She gave me more cream and pain killers and we went home.

    He spent the rest of the day sleeping and cuddling us (never does that). And today he is sitting in the sun like he usually does and looks happier than ever! And so am I... I have never felt so relieved in my life. I had cats that would be outside for more than a few hours... But this is something else!!!! I never thought I would feel so miserable. All I can see when I think about this nightmare is seeing him out the window... I smile every time. My little fox came home!!!

    0
  • eeeefarmE

    So glad you had a happy ending! It is terrifying to lose a dog, especially a hound, as they will follow their nose or their eyes and never realize until it is too late that you aren't with them! I have been through a harrowing situation involving horses (one was lost for 3 days in our regional forest) and know what a panic you can be in, looking for a missing animal and expecting only bad news. So happy for you and Zorro that he is home and safe.

    "In order to get along with a Basenji, you have to be at least half as smart as the dog!"

    0
  • agilebasenjiA

    How scary. I'm so glad he came back.

    0
  • DebraDownSouthD

    Some of my "stress dreams" are losing a dog or a household of dogs… yes I understand how terrifying. So glad he is okay.

    Debra

    0
  • AnaA

    Ohh that must have been horrible to lose your horse for three days! It came back?
    I never thought I would ever feel that horrible. I was always scared something would happen to him. But when you are actually in that situation, the rush of different emotions is overwhelming!
    I am glad he is safe as well. I don't know what I would have done without him!
    He is now acting like nothing happened… Wondering why I have to put cream on his paws. Hahaha
    I realized how much he was a part of me when I sat down to read a book and he automatically came to his spot between my legs and fell asleep. I felt such a rush of love for him! :)

    0
  • eeeefarmE

    @Ana:

    Ohh that must have been horrible to lose your horse for three days! It came back?

    It was my friend's horse. We were loading our horses back in the trailer after a ride, and due to a dominance issue (my mare was afraid of her mare) they both bailed off the trailer and took off! We expected to find them eating grass around the next bend, but no, my mare ran from her supposed attacker, and at some point lost her in the woods. We found my girl, but nothing to be seen of hers. Three days later she wandered onto someone's lawn at a house across from the forest, and since we had canvassed the neighbourhood thoroughly, they knew to call us. All's well that ends well, no harm done, but we always wondered where the h*ll she was for those three days! We had searched high and low, on horseback and on foot…...nothing!

    Animals never understand that we are afraid for them when they do something like this. They do know that they are frightened and alone, but it won't stop them from doing it again under the same circumstances!

    "In order to get along with a Basenji, you have to be at least half as smart as the dog!"

    0
  • AnaA

    Ohhh that sounds terrible! I am glad you found her. Three days is a long time to wait and wonder.

    I am pretty sure Zorro would do it again. Even if he is happy to be home and is pretty cuddly (never is usually), I know he would bolt at any chance he would get.

    0

Suggested Topics

  • wubangaW

    Basenji Found in Tolland CT

    Basenji Talk
    4
    0 Votes
    4 Posts
    4k Views
    K
    I'm from Tolland, and i'd say if you didn't find the owner, my mom would love to take him :)
  • dmeyD

    Ayo finally found another basenji!!

    Basenji Talk
    7
    0 Votes
    7 Posts
    3k Views
    P
    Filas are classified as Dangerous Dogs in the UK. Obviously a case of nurture not nature.
  • AJs HumanA

    Ad Found with Random Google

    Basenji Talk
    17
    0 Votes
    17 Posts
    3k Views
    AnetteA
    @Andrew: As to those who say the puppies should be taken to their new homes to be socialized in that environment from early on, I disagree. Callie didn't come home with me until she was 15 months old. Until that time she lived at the breeders, awaiting her forever home. She is the most well-socialized, out-going basenji, and she has never met a stranger. A man at the dog park recently told me he now wants a basenji because she jumped up on the bench next to him for petting & he is convinced all basenjis must be this way (despite Lola giving him the cold shoulder at the same time haha). I have had one rescue dog (rough collie), and one dog on breeding terms (cavalier) - both came to me at the age of 14 months old. The collie I had lived on a farm, either chained outside the house or in crate inside the hall, never been innside the house or sosialized. He was a very streetsmart dog, and had a lovley temperament. He was really great - a dog against all ods! However - it took me 6 months to rehabilitate him into being just a dog. He could not be taken on long walks in the start, his body wasn't up to it, and his head could not handle all the impressions. He was under weight, had never been loos in the house, didn't dare to do his "thing" outside of my garden, he was terrified of trains, cars, everything that moved. I gave him 3 months to prove to me that he could do better - and within 6 months he was "perfect". Something he never could have been if his genes wasn't on his side. Too bad I lost him only 4 years old due to autoimmune illness. :( So of course - some dogs can handle everything - absolutly. See the same thing with a houndmix (10 months old) I got from rescue 1,5 years ago and gave to my brother - he had lived with a single mom with 3chlidren under 5 years and was sky high with stress - but he is genlte and kind as the day is long. I would liked to keep him for my self, but I was 14 days from getting Kahlo and could not work with him, and a new puppy at the same time. So I thought my brother som stress mastering training - and Truls is now doing greate! (So is my brother - who has no dog training educationg or experiense befor he got Truls. I'm just SO proud of them both.) My cavalier, a female I got straight from the breeder at 14 months old, she was too active to just be "one of 10 dogs" and needed something more in her life to be happy, so she came to me. She had never been trained in anything exept from show, and only knew that her name was Rikke. However, she had been with the breeder everywhere and was perfeckt sozialsed. And she was the cutest dog you can imagine - even when she got sick (Syringomyelia) and was in constant pain, she never got grumpy - ever! I could do whatever I wanted with her, and she would follow me everywhere. If any breeder could give me a dog like that again, I would love to let them keep the pup after 8 weeks. But, some of her other dogs, who have had the same sozialising and "childhood" as my Rikke, was shy and nervous - why? Because not every dog is the same. Because every dog is uniq I want to do the sosializing between 8 and 12 weeks. I need a dog that I can take with me every where - on busses, trains, at my work, on plains when I need to visit my family on the other side of the contry. So I know what I need my dogs to handle - and no - I dont think that an avrage breeder (in norway) has the chance to give 4 or more puppies everything they need in sozialising, alone, in those 4 weeks. I don't know about breeders in the UK or US, in norway breeders ofthen have a regulare job, and just breeds a litter or two a year and combines hollidays with the puppies arival so that they can stay home as much as possible with the pups to give them what they need. And no, I don't think puppies learns to share if they live togheter more than 8 weeks, if allowed they learn that they must protect what they've got, or else some one will steal it. You snooze you loose. I got my brussels griffon at 12 weeks, and the breeder had done a wonderfull job with her - the only thing "wrong" was seperation problems, though I don't know if that came of the age or illness (she also had syringomyelia and had to be put to sleep only 1 year old. :( ).
  • DiegosMomD

    Lost Basenji: Columbus, Ohio

    Basenji Talk
    8
    0 Votes
    8 Posts
    2k Views
    WBLW
    Alright GREAT news!!!
  • N

    Interesting fact i found out about my basenji

    Basenji Talk
    15
    0 Votes
    15 Posts
    6k Views
    tashaT
    Corky's sometimes uncurls when he's sleeping and sometimes when he is comfortable. I can always tell if he's really OK with someone. If his tail is uncurled, they're OK by Corky!
  • BDawgB

    OMG, I've Lost My Mind!

    Basenji Talk
    8
    0 Votes
    8 Posts
    3k Views
    Capt_Jack_our_BasenjiC
    i personally LOVE the leather collars!! Jack looks SO classy in his