Meet Hailee…or Houdini?

This is Hailee.  Hailee is a senior (9+) Rhodesian Ridgeback that I rescued last fall.  She is a typical RR: fast, loyal, good-natured, calm, stubborn, independent and goofy.  I adopted her when her prior owners moved to New Zealand and didn’t want to subject her to a six-month quarantine.  I wasn’t sure I wanted to take in a second older dog, since my other pup is also 9.  But when the rare opportunity arises to bring a Ridgeback into my home and if the timing is right, I can’t resist.

During the past six months Hailee has been quite obedient, sticking close to home and not venturing off the front lawn…until she did.  I was washing the car last week, and she was sitting next to me and then suddenly she decided it was time to explore.  She started running up the street (of course in the direction of the busy street and not the quiet residential block in the other direction).

Did I mention Ridgebacks are fast?  Right before she disappeared around the corner, I could swear she glanced back with an “F-you Mom, I am out of here.”   Ridgebacks were bred to hunt lions in Africa, and I suspect the daily walks around the neighborhood and the occasional backyard squirrel are not as stimulating as running through the savannahs of Zimbabwe.

Okay, what to do?  I grabbed a leash and started roaming the neighborhood, yelling “Hailee – treats!”  Usually that works but when one is hunting for a lion, treats are no longer a priority.    After a fruitless search I got my car and started over.  In the meantime, my neighbor – alert to the issue and a fellow dog lover and occasional dog sitter – got in his car and started looking for her as well. 

During the 3-hour search, I learned that she had been spotted dashing down a few of the adjacent streets.  Another neighbor, whom I had not previously met, when hearing she was missing, got into his car with his young son and started a search as well.  (I love my neighbors!)

Now, one huge issue – and I admit I was an idiot and still hanging my head in shame  – is that I had taken Hailee’s collar off to wash it so her only ID was a microchip which requires extra effort to find the owner.  She should never have been loose without a collar or leash.  Dogs are unpredictable no matter how well you think they behave.

Disheartened, I posted on Nextdoor, with a photo, and emailed the neighbors to watch out for her.   I then went back outside, and as I was putting on my sneakers once again and plaintively yelling, “HAILEE!  TREATS!!!”  while silently cursing both of us, a woman drove by, stopped and said, “Are you Kathy?”  Turns out she had my dog and was looking for me.  Nextdoor worked!  Someone posted that she found Hailee, and soon after that, my escape artist was home and I was grateful.  She’s grounded.

Here’s the kicker:   Hailee traveled about 1-1/2 miles, crossed several busy city streets, including a major thoroughfare with 8 lanes and a lot of cars, and then eventually ended up INSIDE a Burlington Coat Factory Store, startling the shoppers as she happily trotted around the aisles.  She does have short hair as the African plains are usually hot, but I didn’t realize she was in search of a new coat.  Maybe a fur coat that resembled a lion. If I were her I would have spent more time in the adjacent Trader Joes. Lots of good stuff there.

I am so thankful for the many kind neighbors who took the time to look for her and brought her back to me.   I learned that in many ways, Nextdoor is an excellent resource and not just a place to vent or criticize other viewpoints.  I am so relieved she was not hit by a car.  I learned my lesson – never assume your dog will come when you call when she is on a mission.  Lastly, she is going to get regular visits to the local dog park so she can run wherever she likes and remained fenced in. (Side note – I took her to the dog park twice this week. She stood there. Didn’t run. Grrr…)