So glad this had a happy ending! Very glad for your humane society! I would have been bawling right there with you. Giving you and your dogs and your humane society a big cyber hug.

A dropped leash is such a common thing . It happens to us all. That is why I wear a crossbody leash and hook up one of my dogs.

When I have three or four dogs I put two of them each on a handle. So I have two sets of dogs on each handle. I believe it's easier for me to drop a leash because my hands are smaller.

So VERY glad you were able to get the dog back.

Thankful that he is now home and safe!

I’m so glad you found him and he’s ok. I probably wouldn’t have thought to call the Human Society. It’s uplifting to see that sometimes those safe guards we have actually work.

I can "almost" imagine your panicked feeling! I'm so glad your found him. And how nice of you to give a big donation to the Humane Society.

True confession time here: I used to roll my eyes (inwardly) at people who were sooooo attached to their dogs. And then----3 years ago we got our first dog. She is the love of our life, and we can't imagine not having her. She has added so much joy to our lives. So now I understand!

So glad Dusty is home and safe.

What a relief to read your happy ending!! I have felt that panic more than once with my own animals. So nice of you to thank the Humane Society in that way!

I have had this happen too. It is a terrible panic. Glad you have a happy ending here.

In this area there are so many rescues of all types. I am glad the Humane Society had your baby but I would like to suggest to others especially those who have moved if this happens to you call the vet's office immediately. Verify that they do have the correct information. The vet's clerk last spring just happened to mention the various contact information and it had a telephone number that I used 5 years ago before I went to this clinic.

Been there and know the anxiousness and fear you experienced. So glad you had a happy ending.

Been there, done that, don't want the T shirt!! In his younger days, my escape artist would take off for parts unknown if given the slightest opportunity. And yes, it is terrifying when your best furry buddy has disappeared into the wherever. And mine, a Cocker Spaniel with limited brain power, will only come when called if it suits him. And if off on an "adventure", it rarely does :-)

But he is chipped, the info is up to date and he is tagged with his name and phone number. And I have received a few late night phone calls!

Glad yours had a happy ending. An extended family member recently lost one of theirs and two weeks later, still no return. It is suspected (and by the local police) that the very friendly Alaskan Malamute was taken in by a suspicious couple who then sold her.

Thanks for your kind words, everyone. tvq1, I had to laugh at your comment about not understanding the love we have for our pets! I'm glad you are in on the secret now, I'm sure your girl is so loved and now you get us fool pet owners, ha ha. Eld, I'm going to add a couple of those collars to my next Chewy order, thanks! It breaks my heart when I see the lost dog posters up, or read about them on Lost Dogs. When I got home to drop the two off I tried to set up a post on lost dogs of Wisconsin, but I was so frazzled I couldn't think straight how to do it. The little guys are staying home today!

Aww Gardengal, that is so sad. I'm so sorry for your family member.

What makes me sad is all the lost cat posters I see. In my area, a lost cat is a dead cat, most likely a meal for a coyote :-(

Kudos to the person who found him and did the right thing right away. I wonder how far the dog had strayed? You would have thought the finder could have determined you weren't that far away. But so glad how things turned out.

I’m so glad you are reunited!

Oh, I was afraid to read this just knowing it would be sad. What a great ending! 😍

So good of you to make that donation, too.

Scary! Glad you found him.

So glad you had a happy ending!

I lost our cat Misty last night...well, not really lost her. It was time for her to come in...we feed them at 6 and they both excellent about coming back to the house by 5 or 5:30...we rattle the food dishes and they come running. She approached the door as usual and then, as I held the door open for her, she decided to take off. I was outside grilling so I figured I'll call her and she'll come back. She didn't. Then I spotted her down by the pond near the woods, so I went down to get her, got within 3' and darned if she didn't head into the swamp, under the ferns and brambles where I couldn't get her. So DH called her, we rattled the food dishes, and nothing. I walked back down by the swamp, nothing. DH walked around the other side of the pond thinking he saw her on the far side of the swamp, nothing. Another 30 minutes we go out again and nothing. Now it's getting dark so I get a flashlight out and wandering around the edge of the swamp, nothing. By this time it's after 7 and still no Misty.

So I get the flashlight again, go down by the neighbors side of the swamp thinking I need to ask them to check their out buildings to make sure she didn't get locked in. I'm listening and looking and then I think I hear the tinkle of her bell on her collar. Then I see her. She finally meows and starts to come over to me and darn if she didn't head back into the swamp!!! So I'm calling her and, using the flashlight as almost a "laser pointer" for her to chase, she finally leaves the swamp, back to the field and heads back to the house. Hurray!! So as I'm walking back to the house, instead of heading for the door, she heads for the back patio, crosses the patio and starts heading for the barn! Dang it! I start approaching and she starts to walk away again. Finally after some patience and coaxing, I managed to grab her and get her cat butt in the house!!!

Needless to say, she's in the dog house! For her this was all great fun. For us, not so much.

She's too sated. A hungry kitty is a homebody and she's a little overweight anyway, so time to cut back on those cookies! I want a kitty with appetite!

Annie, I think it's the time of the year. I also have mine come back to the house before dark so I can put them in the cellar with supper and warm beds for the night and plenty of litter boxes. It's worrisome when they can't be found.

Well, it's getting dark earlier and earlier and they are not as inclined to come in. The older boy, Thomas, I have been walking down to the barn or to the storage building ,where he lays in wait for mice, since summer to pick him up and CARRY him to the cellar. Otherwise he won't come. I think he likes it! He doesn't run from me - most of the time.

The younger cat, Peach, has decided now he'll begin to play the game of running away too. He acts like he's coming, but then sits down and won't budge. If I go to him, he runs a little further, I follow, he runs and sits down. UGH. Finally either I trick him and pick him up quickly or he decides he wants supper and treats after all and walks to the cellar with us.

I do feel sorry that they have to spend so many hours in the cellar, but I tell myself it's for their own good. They get let back out at 7:30am.

I was almost afraid to read this post but I'm happy to see you got your little friend back again. Did the spca tell you of the circumstances under which Dusty was found? I live in Suburbia so it's a little hard to imagine losing a dog in the woods, unless out for a hike!

Oh, Sleeper, how awful! SO glad you found Dusty.

I’m very happy you found your pup. And happy to hear someone found him and turned him in. I guess you have no way of knowing, really, how long it took for someone to find him and get to the Humane Society. Perhaps they didn’t want to waste time.

So glad you got your baby back! Such an awful feeling.

Glad you found him! Just talking about dogs running off with a friend of mine just now. Mine will run out the door or gate at any opportunity. They won't let me near them if I'm on foot. So, I then have to run in my bedroom, get my purse that has my key fob in it, get in my car and drive to where they are, even if it's at the end of my driveway. Only way they will come to me. They then just jump into the back of my car. I think they do it on purpose.

I am SO glad you've been reunited!! That is quite a fright, and I can so relate about dropping & crying!!

On our NextDoor site, a post was made recently about a Border Collie that had slipped under a fence behind someone's shed. It had on a collar. A picture was posted and the owners found!! What is so amazing about that?? The dog had been missing for over A YEAR! And she was within 3 miles of her home. It was such a wonderful story!!

So glad this story has a happy ending.

So glad this had a happy ending. My dachshund has always been an escape artist and although we have a picket fence around our 1/2 acre , he always managed to find a place to squeeze his long body thru. But luckily he never went far. Once he was there beside me and then he wasn't. But in five minutes I got a call on my cell that Wally was heading down the block. He's 15 now but I still tether him on a long lead to the back porch. The other dog never would leave and in fact, he runs loose when we walk the trail every day. Wally is always on a leash.

Re: cats. I never have that worry because my three cats never leave the house and all the cats before them have been totally indoor. Indoor cats live over twice as long as outdoor. I could not be constantly worrying about cars hitting them ,dog fights, cat fights, poison, coyotes, mean people. So that's one worry I'll never have.

So glad you had a happy outcome and I know how worried you were about Dusty. That was always one of my fears when we had our German Shepherd. He climbed over fences and then when we when raised the height he dug underneath. We even installed an invisible fence along the 'visible' fence but his urge to roam was greater and he still took off. It's not like we left him alone outside for hours - he'd even do it while you were in the yard with him.

I can still remember putting the kids in the station wagon and driving down to the creek with the windows open and the kids calling his name. He would always come running back to us soaking wet but very happy to see us. He finally outgrew it when he was about 4.

So glad you have him back, what a stressful event!

I did stop at the police station and asked if they would contact whomever found him and thank them profusely for me. Pudger, that's an amazing story!! Annie, glad you got that little stinker Misty back. Sounds like she had a great time:)

It's good to know the system works -- find a dog, turn it in, happy reunion. :-)

Glad this had a happy ending! I think I would have called the police, too, if I found a dog with a leash attached, imagining something had happened to the owner in the forest. I found a purebred blue merle border collie in the middle of one of our rarish snow storms. He had a bit of a rope attached to his collar but no info. I live at the very end of a long dead end road, on a steep hill that no one would venture to in a snowstorm to drop off a purebred dog. He was reluctant to come with me and kept looking up the hill, as if waiting for someone to come back. I am NOT a dog person, but I couldn't leave him there and coaxed him into my car. I had to put him in the utility room for the night, then moved him to the garage the next day while I searched for the owners. Never found them and worried about how this all came to be. Finally placed him in a good family home, but I still wonder how he got there - if something happened to the owner.

I used to be able to get my reluctant cat to come in at night by singing to her. Apparently, it hurt her ears and she would come running from wherever she was, meowing her head off, as if say, "Stop, that! You're killing me." Happy Birthday or Silent Night both worked great. Luckily no close neighbors to hear.

Hah Olychick...I'll have to give that one a try.

I thought you meant that other kind of "lost." Whew! Glad you found him. Microchipping is so important.

I had a crying meltdown at Humane Society not too long ago. It's embarrassing but what can you do? Our cat had gotten outside, gone 3 weeks, weighed 4 lbs when Humane Soc. called after finding the chip. She didn't live, but at least we knew what happened to the poor thing.

Oh Socks, I'm so sorry. I'm glad you knew what happened to her, but so sorry she didn't make it.

Hooray for the happy ending!

If the tags clink too much, try scotch taping them together. I also used a sharpie and wrote my phone # on my dogs' collars - just in case!

Wonderful "Lost" post that has a "Found" at the end of it!

As my daughter and I hiked the deep woods yesterday with my two dogs, a lovely woman asked if we had seen a black cat. No. She said her cat hikes with her but was scared off by a crowd of people. She gave us her phone number and we looked but didn't see. It was in the upper 30's last night and I hope this woman lives nearby so the cat could find it's way back. Very dense woods.

So glad for the happy ending! 😊

You can go to the website for the microchip company and change your information, address, phone numbers etc. I had to do it for Mia when we moved. So many times people forget to do that.

I got a new collar for Mia that has all of our information and her name right on the collar so no need for any dangling things.

Big thanks to the person that saved your fur baby!

Nextdoor is a great resource for anyone who has experienced this type of situation. Our nextdoor always has a list of lost and found animals.

For anyone interested in a collar with the information on it, this is where I got one for Mia. Very nice.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/692233213/personalized-dog-collar-customized

I didn't want to read this because of my fear of how you lost her. I'm glad it was only a temporary physical loss, but still. Bad Dusty! :-)

Olychick's post about a friend singing to get her cat home reminded me of today. They just put kibble in the bowls and all all the kittens came running from everywhere.

I took a friend to check out some kittens today, they were at a farm and there were about 15! Soooo cute, I was cuddling a bunch of them. I'm not in the market for a kitten......but still. Hard to resist.

There were also 2 Aussies and I had a great time playing with them, and sheep in 2 pens.....adults and kids. Man I need a farm! LOL

I was worried by the title, too. I also cried when you said they had found him. Panic doesn't begin to describe our feelings when something like this happens. I love happy endings.

I can just imagine and empathize with your panic! I'm so glad that the Humane Society had him.