I'll never forget the day Kitty ran off. When I think about it it still scares me so much I can feel the squeeze around my heart. Kitty was gone for 4 days and it was the longest four days of our life.
Here's what happened. Kitty was going to the dog park with her two friends, Meadow and Paco. She was going to get some playtime and run and play with her friends. Two of the dogs got in the car and then Kitty jumped in. They had been going everyday for a week so it was pretty much routine. No one realized the window was down on the opposite side of the car. It was early so it was still dark. Somehow Kitty jumped out of the car without being seen. She probably saw a bunny and went for a chase. Nobody realized she was gone until they got to dog park. Once there she was nowhere to be found. Thinking she had probably tried to chase the car we searched the route to the dog park and back over and over. Nothing.
Later, after posting on Nextdoor.com there was a message that she had been seen just shortly after she went missing that morning. Only a few blocks down from the house but not on the route to dog park. She was spotted in a shopping center located next to the Pantano Wash. We searched the wash, we put up signs everywhere, we put ads on Facebook and Craigslist, just about everywhere we could think of. We checked the wash everyday, three times a day, in the roasting sun and in the pouring rain.
Kitty was lost in the desert for four days. Four horrible, excruciating days. It was awful. So many people tried to help. They called, emailed and texted with tips about possible sightings. They sent pictures of rottweilers in shelters. Every call, every text, every message gave us a little more hope.
Then we got the call. A wonderful groomer at PetSmart had seen her that morning and thought she might have run back to the wash. It was an hour drive, we could not get there fast enough. When we got there she was in the wash. FOUND! The relief was overwhelming and yes, there were tears.
While life has gotten back to normal we will always remember the time that Kitty went missing. Every day is a blessing but we will never forget how close we came to losing her and we will never forget all the people that helped us in her rescue. The scariest moments bring out the best in people and we can't thank everyone that helped us enough.