dogdaze

About 10 years ago on a cold and rainy November night, my husband came home from work with a young, black Labrador retriever. The dog had jumped in the back of his pickup truck sometime during the day and my husband didn’t see it until it was time to go home.

She was a very sweet dog and had recently been spayed. We kept her inside through the weekend and vowed to find her owners. On Monday morning, I called our veterinarian’s office and gave them the vaccination number on the dog’s tags in an attempt to locate her owners. Of course they were able to identify the dog and her owners and gave us the phone number to arrange for them to get their dog.

By this time, my husband had fallen in love with the dog we’d been calling Stormy (because she came to us on a stormy day). Rather reluctantly my husband drove Stormy to her owner’s home that evening.

According to the dog’s owner, Stormy had a habit of running away and they were getting tired of it. My husband immediately volunteered to take the dog in the event they decided to get rid of her.

A couple of weeks passed and my husband kept bugging me about missing Stormy. He was concerned she would run off again and be hit by a car. I assured him that her family loved her very much and would take good care of her. Secretly, I believe, he prayed for that dog.

The day after Christmas, one of the girl’s from our veterinarian’s office called me and asked if we were still interested in the black Lab that we had returned to its owners a few weeks before. She said the dog’s owners had decided she was too much to handle and wanted to find a good home for her. They remembered my husband’s offer to take the dog and asked the staff at the veterinarian’s office to call us and see if we still wanted her.

As soon as I told my husband, he took off work to bring his Stormy home. She was our late Christmas present and what a gift she was. I think that dog missed us more than we did her. It was a great homecoming!

Stormy Jane was an incredible dog — so lovable, smart and completely devoted to us. We loved her dearly and cared for her up until she passed away 18 months ago of cancer.

A friend recently e-mailed me with this video honoring those pets we’ve loved and lost. Remember them as you watch it and keep some tissues handy!

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