Jan 4, 2014

Pookie


http://www.with-heart-and-hands.com/2014/01/pookie.html


 Miracles come in all shapes and sizes.

Sometimes, they are small, furry, and can't find their way back home, So, you just use your heart and your hands, and help them along. And then, you suddenly, have a miracle in the making.

Pookie was our first miracle for the New Year.

This little Pomeranian mix showed up at our house, out in the countryside of Salem, on New Year's morning. He had a collar, but no tags, and was friendly and a bit shy. He seemed older, but was not matted, nor undernourished. And he had a little plume tail that wagged every time you said anything at all to him.

We'd had a lot of fireworks all over Salem the night before and assumed that he was one of those little animals that had gotten scared and run off in fright. But we also assumed that we just had to do our best to reunite him with his owners no matter what it took!

Well, it took us a couple of days and a couple of very interesting synchronistic happenings. But we reunited Pookie with his family just two days later.

And Pookie, this tiny little dog was far more than 5 miles away from his farm home in Brooks, Oregon to our house in Salem.  It turned out that he lived more than a mile north of Brooks and then down a long road to a peony farm where Abe and his wife had two dogs. Pookie is owned by their 20 year old daughter, who loved him more than anything in the world.

They went to friends in Keizer on New Years Eve and then home to Brooks to discover that Pookie was missing. The daughter was so distressed that she wanted to call in sick to a brand new job. Her mom told her she'd post a lost dog report on Craigs List, which she had, and then she heard that our Willamette Humane Society, here in Salem, had a place where you could also post missing dogs. So, 4 p.m. on the second day of his being missing,  she decided to check the Willamette Humane Society, just in case and leave her information about losing their little dog.

I had already made flyers, with his little photo and our phone number, and put them up and down our country road.  And I kept his family in my thoughts, and in my heart, so they'd feel that someone kind had found their little dog and was caring for him.

At 4:30 p.m., just half an hour after the owners made their phone call, we decided to call and leave a 'found' message, just in case, as well.  At first the receptionist didn't seem to connect the dots, especially since the little dog lost had no tags and they are only able to take and keep them for 3 days without tags.  But thinking upon our description, it suddenly dawned on her that this dog sounded just like the one in the phone call earlier.  So, she gave us the phone number, just in case..

For a little dog to have walked more than five miles, through the night, in the dark, whether it was along a busy New Year's Eve highway, or through dozens and dozens of back country farm fields, is a very long way.

But little Pookie, as we later discovered he was named, must have just searched and searched for someone who loved animals and knew just how to connect the dots of the impossible because he apparently came to the right house, at the right time, and everyone else just followed his lead.

By 6:30 of the second evening, Pookie was the little dog lost, now found, and on his way home with his absolutely delighted and thrilled beyond belief, family.  As his 'grandma' said to me as she grabbed my hands and held his little face up to mine, to say goodbye."This is such a blessing."

Yes, it was. A wonderful tiny, furry little blessing for a New Year.




Did you know that Pookie was the name of Garfield's teddy bear?
Such fun learning new things!

Michele Bilyeu blogs With Heart and Hands as she shares a quilting journey through her life in Salem, Oregon and Douglas, Alaska. Sewing, quilting, and wildcrafting, with small format art quilts, prayer flags, and comfort quilts for a variety of charitable programs. And best of all, sharing thousands of links to Free Quilt and Quilt Block Patterns and encouraging others to join her and make and donate quilts to charitable causes.   Help us change the world, one little quilt at a time!

17 comments:

paulette said...

And they all lived Happily EVER AFTER!! Such a sweet story for a sweet little Pookie!!

Karendianne said...

Aww, what a grand story and a super magical pup!!! I Love happy endings.

Maritza said...

Michel qué historia tan bonita!!!! Me parece genial que Pookie haya podido regresar a su casa. Un beso

Bev said...

Oh, that is such a great story! I always wonder how dogs "get away" unless they are left outside. How do they get out of the house? I have a doggie door but, if I am gone, I close it because you never know. You are a saint for going the extra mile to find his family. Great way to start the new year! XO Bev

allthingzsewn said...

I love a happy ending. You left me smiling this morning.
Blessings Tonia

Beth in MN said...

What a wonderful heart warming story!!
Hugs

Lynne said...

What a lovely story to start the year.

BillieBee (billiemick) said...

What a gorgeous dog. So glad you shared the miracle story.

Dawn said...

Thank you for going the extra mile to reunite Pookie with his family. Wow, that was a very long distance for him to have traveled. Poor little guy must have had an angel on his shoulder to have gone so far and not to have been hit by a car or eaten for dinner by a coyote or fox. Glad he's home and surely do hope they learned to keep him secure when fireworks and loud happenings are going to occur. It is a know fact that more dogs are lost on July 4th than any other time of the year and 2nd is New Years Eve. :(

Carol- Beads and Birds said...

Don't you just feel wonderful! We have helped a few dogs home in the past 10s of years. Over time, we have had several dogs that liked to get out of our privacy fenced yard and put us through the ringer. Most times, we found them and brought them home. A couple of times they found their way to the highway....sadly.

A person that helps a pet find his way home is a very special person.
Happy New Year, friend.
xx, Carol

stitchinpenny said...

You attract blessings and share your love so easily. You were a wonderful surrogate mom for Pookie.

Winifred said...

What a lovely story Michelle. So nice to hear a happy ending. I often see those "missing" posters & your heart sinks at the thought of what the family is going through when you've experienced it yourself.

Happy New Year lovely lady!

Celia said...

Such a great new year's story. Pookie couldn't have chosen better than your house for a soft landing.

IHaveANotion ~ Kelly Jackson said...

If ever there was a woman to trust it would be you. I'm not surprised even one tiny bit...you are an angel for sure :)

Kelly

Maureen said...

What a lovely story Michelle! Until my present companion Sam Wise came into my life, all my fur babies have been street kids./rescue.
I am so thankful that there are still caring people to help

Junie Moon said...

Pookie is adorable and I'm so glad all is well now!

Karen H said...

What a happy ending! Pookie is lucky to have ended up on your doorstep Michele! Happy New Year to you and yours!