Albert the dog 1998-????

Albert on our favorite trail.

on the morning of Friday July 31, 2009 Albert the dog went for his usual walk around the property to check on cat activity and other critters who may have crossed paths during the night. When he hadn't returned by 10am I became concerned that something wasn't right. He hadn't eaten his breakfast which was unusual for Albie. He does like an early morning stroll down the road to see 'lil dog' (neighbor Moe) so I went over to check. No sign of Albert. I walked down to the highway expecting the worse but again no sign. I checked the ditches and the beach because its been hot and maybe he decided to go for a swim.Then I remembered the neighbor who likes to shoot dogs if they step on her property. I walked a mile down Longbeach Road but again no sign of Albie despite my whistling and calling. So I headed home. I worked Friday night and expected to find Albert tucked into his favorite cool spot in the backyard upon my arrival at 10pm. Nope, no sign of Albert. Saturday I did the same walk checking ditches and the lake for any sign of him. Again Sunday and Monday I went back to my previous house on Kokanee Landing Road and to the park to see if he'd wandered over to visit the dog beach. No sign of him anywhere. My neighbor Barb had called the SPCA to report Albie missing and Tuesday morning they called to inform me that no dogs had been turned in missing that matched Albert's description. Its been 4 difficult days coming to terms with the thought of losing my buddy who's been with me since January 1998. I think the hardest part is not knowing what happened to him. Thursday night I had groomed him after our walk and his collar was not put on properly. Friday morning I found his collar on the lawn so he had no identification. Anybody finding him would figure he was a stray and this is what I think happened......

for days I've been going out to the backyard and checking his favorite snoozing spot under the deck where its cool and sheltered. I must have checked 6 times today and no sign of him. About 2 pm I heard a noise in the back and figured the cats were wrestling and one of them had jumped off the deck. As I was heading down the steps I noticed someone had taken a big drink from Albert's water bowl. I was SHOCKED to see 2 beautiful brown eyes staring out at me from beneath the deck. Albert was back!! My eyes must have looked like saucers as I crawled under the deck to touch him and confirm I wasn't hallucinating. Nope, it was Albert! The neighbors must think I've lost my mind as I jumped around and cheered. I don't know what happened to Albert or where he's been but I know he's come a long way and must not have slept for some time. He came out to greet me and is very wobbly on his legs. I gave him some food and he just wolfed it down so he hasn't eaten either. Once both of us had settled down I gave him a bone and he lay down on the lawn and slowly chewed. Bones are his 'thing'.....

I sit here thanking GOD and the universe for returning my little buddy from where ever he's been. I just wish he could tell me the whole story! I learned a good lesson about collars. This also reaffirmed how much I love Albert and how important he is in my life and how many good memories we've shared. I also truly appreciate the support I've got from friends who helped me come to terms with the thought of never seeing him again while staying positive and not to give up on a happy ending. Thank you all!!! Albert's sleeping now and I'm going to go have a nap too! We've both earned a rest.....:-)