Buddy Goes Shopping

When you sign a greyhound adoption contract there is no doubt about the leash and fence requirements. So you use a martingale collar – the one they’re least likely to back out of - you put carabiners on your gates. You threaten your kids. You may even post signs to remind visitors. Ours said:

“I CAN MAKE IT TO THE GATE IN 3 SECONDS … CAN YOU”?

But no matter how careful you are, one of the kids’ friends, or the lawn service, or the meter man is likely to get careless one day.

So it was on that summer day in 2001. We walked in the front door after work and – no Buddy. Panicked, we did a thorough search of the house, thinking all the awful things that a creative mind conceives at times like that. No Buddy. And then, much to our horror, we spotted the open gate.

Quickly, we devised a game plan, grabbed our cell phones and were halfway out the door when the phone rang.

“This is Jack at Sunshine Video. Are you missing a black dog?”

“YES! Is he ok?”

“Oh yes, he came strolling through the door a few minutes ago and is happily greeting every customer who comes in. Sure is a friendly guy!”

“Please hold on to him. We’ll be right there.”

Sunshine Video was just down the hill from our house – perhaps a quarter mile. Still, Buddy had crossed two scary-busy streets. Thank goodness he hadn’t outrun his guardian angels.

When we walked into the store, it was clear Buddy was in his element. He had quite a fan club gathered around and he was happily inhaling the proffered Cheetos like he hadn’t eaten in days. He looked up briefly, gave us a sparkle of recognition, and stuck his head back in the Cheetos bag.

We thanked Jack and took Buddy home for pizza and a movie - seemed approrpiate - to celebrate his safe return home.

Turns out "Nobody" left the gate open.