A pet aids with contracts

 

Q: Masters, five years ago my beloved pet dog disappeared. I was heartbroken. I put up signs all over the neighborhood for his return. I visited all the local animal shelters and veterinarians. I was not able to locate him anywhere. I always had the feeling that he was around, but I could never confirm this. After a period of mourning I moved on but could never get another animal since I always knew he would return. This week, out of the blue, I was notified that he had been brought to a clinic as a stray. We had him tagged with an identification chip and my name and phone number popped up. I am beyond ecstatic but would like to know why he left, what I was to learn from the experience, and where he has been all this time.

A: Your friend did not willingly leave. He was taken, “dog-napped,” by some very lonely children. They convinced their mother that your dog followed them home and didn’t belong to anyone. She decided he would be a cheap babysitter. The family lived on the other side of town, too far away for your signs to be seen.

Your dog sensed their need for companionship and remained to care for them. They were home alone every day after school and he kept them company and gave them the love they craved. He was turned out by the mother when she decided to move the family to another city, but your dog didn’t know where you were, so he wandered in ever-widening circles until he was picked up and subsequently identified.

For your part, your soul had the desire to feel deep sorrow, abandonment, despair, and betrayal. All of these emotions played in your life for several years, intensified by the knowledge that your dog was out there somewhere. You blamed him for not breaking free and returning to you, but that was a human characteristic you attributed to him, not an animal one. For his part he was torn by loyalty and love for you and the need of the children who took him. As you could see when he got home, he never forgot you.