(The following was actually a forum post made by me on January 1, 1998 on several Internet forums as I thanked people and updated all on our blessing!)

Lost Dogs – Conclusion

January 1, 1998

By Bob Zettler

After 10 days and over 1,500 miles of searching a small section of Illinois (Fayette, Bond and Marion County) by my two children and me, Barney (the Brittany) and "JJ" (the Yellow Lab) are home and safe!  Barney, the 14-year old Brittany, was recovered on Monday night east of Vandalia, IL, which is 10 miles north of where they disappeared and 80 miles from our home - but in the same general direction.

Barney is 10 or more pounds lighter and a little slower but a lot happier.  He was found by a young couple who live south of Bluff City, just a few miles east of Vandalia, on Sunday.  He didn't have a name tag, just his Sangamon County rabies tag, but Truman Rhodes and his wife (who is expecting) took him in and contacted the shelter on Monday when they opened. The Ramsey Veterinarian Clinic was so excited that they wanted to call me too but left that honor up to Mr. Rhodes.  I drove down that night to be reunited with Barney and found him absolutely exhausted and scared from his nine days of being lost.  He even slept in the car coming home that night, which is something he never does. 

As I felt that Barney was coming home finally, I printed up an additional 100 or so flyers with the new information on it and proceeded to place them in mail boxes and under business doors for over four hours that night.  This included Pittsburg, Shobonier, Bluff City and Vandalia - a total of 120 miles of country roads and over 200 flyers.  I was encouraged too by a phone call that night from a lady on the Marion and Fayette County border that had seen both dogs for several days - LAST WEEK - on her farm.  She thought they had been the neighbors and had run them off.  This was eight miles east of where they had disappeared, 10 miles south of where they were eventually found, and ACROSS the Kaskaskia River.  With all this new information and even though it was still snowing, finding Barney provided renewed energy and hope which enabled me to search that night until after 1 AM.

We returned home and went right to bed.  I was on cloud nine yesterday morning and called the primary agencies which had been assisting me to give them the good news.  I also called others in the new area to inform them of our plight. I went home at Noon to check on Barney and had three messages from a lady near where they had disappeared from.  The first stated that she had seen them that morning on her property.  The second and third was to update me on the fact she had followed them and discovered they were her neighbors dogs.  I called her and found out that she is an elderly woman who lives alone and had a heart attack last year.  Here it is snowing out with treacherous road conditions (especially in the country) and this kind person gets in her car and tracks down several dogs matching my descriptions.  Needless to say, I was so humbled by her kindness and compassion and we talked for over 20 minutes.  It appears that my attempts with flyers, personal encounters and the like were paying off - in more ways than just finding the family dogs.

As I hung up from our call and was on my way out the door to return to work - remember, I have to also work for a living - when I had another telephone call.   This one sounded bad.  A man started out by asking me if I had lost a dog with a Sangamon County Rabies tag number ###### and I thought he was from the highway department with news they had found "JJ's" body.  IT WASN'T!  It was a young man whose family had discovered him in their front yard Monday night and thought he was the neighbor's dog.  However, he was still there when they got up Tuesday morning and that is when they checked his tag.  Again, he didn't have his ID tag but he had a Sangamon County Rabies tag. They called the Sangamon County Health Department who gave him my name and telephone number. They then called me at work to let me know.

When he said that "JJ" was safe and alive I absolutely lost it.  I could barely talk with them and had to put the telephone down several times.  Between the sobs of joy, relief and happiness, I was able to thank them and get their telephone number before running back to work.  I hadn't driven two blocks when I realized that I didn't even have their names and feared I might not have copied down their telephone number correctly, so I called them from the cellular and discovered that the Chuck Tinker's of Bluff City had found him.  I continued to lose it all the way to work and then began the process of sharing my joy with others.

As I remain a slight pessimist, I wasn't going to believe it till "JJ" was in my arms and we were all back together at home.  So, even though they weren't going to be home from 6 PM till 8 PM, I left right after work to drive the 80 miles through the tail end of our most recent snow storm.  I still made it in record time and called the Tinker's early, on the off-chance they might be back home already. They were and hadn't even gone out due to the weather that night.  I asked for directions and the son (Chuck Jr.), said his Father would bring him to me in Bluff City and that "JJ" was just finishing a pork chop bone and that they would be there in 10 or so minutes.  The wait was excruciating and when he pulled up, I jumped out of the van to see "JJ" standing in the back of the truck under the topper.  He was so skinny and exhausted.  He was in a daze and could just manage a slight tail wagging.  These good people wouldn't consider a reward no matter what I tried to do and just simply asked me to return the favor to someone someday.  What great people.

I carried "JJ" to the van and after thanking them all, I drove off and bought him four Hardee's deluxe hamburgers (plain) and fed him small bites as we left for home and my children.  As they were with their Mother, I hoped to bring them by their Mother's home but she said they were already in bed when I called from just outside Springfield.  However, both Andrea and Jon got on the telephone and joined in our family reunion.  My daughter was in tears and they both talked to "JJ" while I tried to keep it on the road.  It was still blowing snow and it’s really difficult to drive with a formerly 90 pound dog (now 75 or less) that is lying across your lap and also hold onto the telephone and steering wheel!  They will see them both tonight.

Anyway, we got home just after 9 PM and it was the first time I had seen "JJ" really perk up and even wag his tail as he walked into the garage but that was nothing compared to how both dogs reacted when they were reunited in the kitchen.  Between the counter clearing sweeps of "JJ's" tail and the mutual kisses between Barney and "JJ", it was enough to make even the coldest of hearts melt.  I was almost jealous!  However, I believe they knew that I hadn't given up on them - ever - and were so very happy to be home and together that their exhaustion, shock, fear and hunger was forgotten in a tail-wag and a wet kiss.

They had been lost for 10 days in country completely unfamiliar to them.  They faced hunger, no shelter, coyotes, vehicles and highway traffic, the weather (rain, freezing temperatures, snow and wind), and the fear that their family had abandoned them - and not only survived but were finally home with their loved ones.

I watched as "JJ" drank what seemed a gallon of water and then they had to go outside and reclaim their home territory.  They were greeted by the neighbor dogs and "JJ" even began to bark at intruders this morning.  They both slept with me last night and "JJ" kept slipping off to lie next to Barney and then would jump into bed with me whenever I rolled over to check on him.  It will be complete tonight when I have my children and we usher in the New Year together, as a family again.

So many people contacted me directly with kindness, compassion, suggestions and even offerings of assistance over the last 10 days that I am trying to make sure everyone learns of our deep and sincere appreciation.  I wish there was some way that I could not only personally thank each and every one who helped my family and me during the last 10 days but also share the joy that my family and I have found as this year comes to a close and a new one begins.  Words, pictures and even stories can never do justice to all the goodness that has come out of our experiences of the last 10 days.

You need to know, that I will "walk the walk", as I "talk the talk" from taking all the above kindnesses and returning as much as I can to anyone or any animal I can in the days left ahead of me on this earth.  I encourage each and every one to do the same and from my heart to yours, thank you so very much!

Please have a safe, happy and productive new year with your family and friends! Also, please keep in touch and don't be surprised to find something good happening in your future, even when times seem impossible.  Never, ever give up hope and do whatever it takes to do what's right.

Gobs bless each of you!

Bob, Andrea, Jon, Barney and "JJ" Zettler
Springfield, Illinois