Today at lunch, I decided to drive up to Safeway to pick up a salad or something. I only get 30 minutes for lunch and it’s only a couple of miles away. A quickie, I thought. When I got inside the store, I did a double take when I saw a little dog prancing up the food aisle. I stopped, looked both ways, looked behind me…no people. Just a little Jack Russell Terrier going up one aisle and coming down the next. My rescue head kicked in and I started asking people about her. ”Nope, not mine.” She made he way behind the deli counter and the staff started shooing her out. I laughed inside thinking if given the chance, this would such beagley behavior that it hardly seemed odd…except for the fact that nobody was chasing after her. Then she headed toward the doors and they parted like the Red Sea for her. Unfortunately, there is a busy Blvd right out there so that was it….”it” kicked in and there I was trying to corral a dog, only for once it wasn’t a beagle. She decided it was more fun inside the store, so back in she went. I was on to her this time and captured her over in Aisle 5. I scooped her up and started asking people again…but nobody came forward. I had the store announce over the PA system, “If you’re missing a dog, please come to customer service.” I waited there for many minutes…watching my lunch hour tick away. I left my name and number on a post-it and headed to the vet office up the street to have her scanned…..nope, no microchip. No collar, no tags, nothing. I left my number with them too, just in 
case. Grrrr. I headed back to work, dog in tow, and was stressing about what to do with her for the rest of the day. I brought her inside and went directly to the boss’s office and proclaimed, “I have a problem.” She said it was OK for me to run home and secure her there…thankfully I’m close. She was exhausted and slept in the car the whole way to my place, bless her. Then I started posting furiously on all kinds of media….hadn’t even gotten to facebook when my phone rang.
“Hello? I’m calling about my Jack Russel. She jumped out of the car and we lost her. Her name is Sadie.” I assured her Sadie was fine and safe and that she could come and get her….”Oh, and you might want to get a collar and ID tag on her!”
I’m home now after a long day and I’m hungry! Time for lunch/dinner combo. But I will rest knowing little Sadie is safely back home tonight!
AROOOOO,
Beagle Slave