#findella and a thank you

Three years ago I welcomed into my life Ella, a bundle of Shetland Sheepdog joy (and fur…lots of fur).

On Sunday, Oct. 2, that bundle of joy got spooked by a loud noise and pulled away from us while we were on a walk on the Plaza in Kansas City. After a frantic two mile chase down two busy streets and up numerous hills, there was no sign of her. I was left with only her harness and leash she had slipped while running away.

I knew I had close friends, both online and offline, but the support and work you put in helping to spread the word about #findella was beyond any of our wildest dreams. The shares on Facebook, tweets and re-tweets on Twitter, texts and emails were a true testament to the power of good in the world.

Eighteen hours after she was last with us, a young woman spotted her running down the street  at 5:45 am after taking her fiancee to the airport. We flew out of the house and into the car, caught up with Ella sprinting down the street, and with a simple command of “Ella, get in the car” our nightmare was over.

Some people may look at how we reacted to losing Ella as a bit strange or a bit over the top for losing a dog. Three years ago I cried in the car when we brought her home from the breeder.

Ella is the only constant in my life. The thought of never seeing her again broke my heart in a way I cannot describe.

Ella’s a little worse for wear. She’s worn off most of her pads on her feet and adopted a new found fear for going outside. She will heal, we will tell stories about this later and we will always remember how lucky we are to have her back.

We would have never found Ella without your kindness. You are all amazing people and I am forever grateful.

Thank you to everyone who made it possible for us to be a family again. We will never forget it.