As dog parents and dog lovers, our biggest fear is when our canine companion goes missing. It could be that they were scared off by a loud bang, or perhaps ran out of the gate after their favorite humans.
Either way, it is not a scenario we particularly like to imagine ourselves in. A while back, one parent, Debi Blaney had come face to face with her greatest fear. Her adopted Bernese mountain dog, Finn, had gone missing.
Debi and Finn were walking at the park and it was time for Finn’s free walking part. However, this time Finn was unclipped he was nowhere to be seen. Frantic and upset, Debi spent hours calling for him in the hope that he would return.
Unfortunately, there was no response and the day grew to night. The weather turned cold and Debi grew increasingly worried. The next day, Debi continued the search and alerted nearby citizens, as well as placed messages on social media.
The word spread wide, and a local school even started a “game” for scholars where they would search for Finn. With hundreds of people and a few brief spottings, Finn was still missing, and Debi’s heart grew heavier by the day.
A few days later, somebody had thankfully spotted Finn behind a gate, and Debi was contacted. Reunited with her favorite furry face, she breathed a sigh of relief! Later on, Debi heard that the school in which the search for Finn happened had started a game called “finding Finn”. This game replaced hide-and-seek and had become a major hit.
As heartbreaking as it was that Finn went missing, it seems that the story has raised awareness in ways one would never have thought of. What a happy ending indeed!
Feature Image Source: Washington Post
Images Source: Washington Post