That’s what happened to Two Socks.
I remember when Caryn got Two Socks’ mom and I kinda remember about when Two Socks was born. Being wolf-hybrids you don’t forget these things. Two Socks was Caryn’s beloved pup which she had raised from about 3 days old.
You see, Two Socks’ mom rejected her and kicked her out. That’s why Caryn took to raising the puppy. Of course the two dogs still lived together on the farm until one day, the Mom attacked Two Socks, breaking one of Two Socks back legs. It took some fancy vet work to repair this severely damaged leg but Caryn relied on good ol’ Doc Eckerman at Westbury Animal Hospital. From that point on Two Socks was kept separate from the mom.
The Search Begins
Well, this past Saturday morning when Leila and I were walking our dogs , this big old pick up truck rolled to a stop and I heard this familiar voice over the low rumble of a “diesel duelly rig” saying, “Hi Jim! We’re looking for our dog that’s been missing since Wednesday.” As Roland unraveled the story with the “wolf-hybrid” description of Two Socks, it hit me – Caryn’s dogs! I’ve got to help.
After I was done with my Saturday training schedule, I was able to devote Saturday night, Sunday and Monday to helping Caryn and Roland find Two Socks. My weekend was just starting so I could devote a good chunk of time to helping Caryn and Roland with the search.
Two Socks had been through more than any dog needed and now here she was, alone and scared. Being accustomed to the quiet of farm life with easy, familiar country sounds, she was now forced into urban settings with fast moving cars, houses close together and seemingly no place to turn – except to her survival instincts.
I met up again with Caryn on Sunday. She had been searching and at the same time laying tracks with 2-3 of her other dogs in hopes that Two Socks would pick up on the scent of her and her dogs and stay in the area. Caryn had already clocked in 25-50 miles through neighborhoods, gullies, bayous and every neighborhood street.
I decided to try and use our black lab Sammy to track Two Socks as I had taught him to find Leila in the neighborhood from blocks away. I picked up a used blanket of Two Socks and began our search. I don’t have to tell you about the heat this past weekend. We began our search using all of Sammy’s dog training and tracking skills – to no avail. We were exhausted and Sammy was pooped.
Flyers were everywhere. Constables, policemen, postal workers, business owners and scores of homeowners, bikers, joggers, became aware of Two Sock’s dire straits as Caryn shared her story. We were getting lots of support on Facebook and via email too. The community of dog lovers always rise to the occasion!
Things Go From Bad to Worse
What I didn’t know was that Caryn and Roland were being forced to evacuate their farm due to the tri-county fires directly to their north. So on top of trying to find Two Socks, they reluctantly were forced to move all of their horses and other animals to a friend’s spread a safe distance away. Nothing is going as planned. We just hope and prayed they would not lose the farm
It’s back to our sweet Two Socks. Sunday was a long, hot day – more ground pounding by Caryn with her dogs searching and laying more track for Two Socks. Family shows up with all-terrain vehicles to cover more territory.
Caryn was a trooper, not eating all day Sunday and barely staying hydrated she struggled on through the thick of it. Sunday night ended with no Two Socks. Next kick in the pants, on their way home, Roland, exhausted from searching, crashed his truck. Don’t need this. Nothing is going as planned ! Fortunately he was okay.
As Monday comes we start the search again checking leads to the west near Hillcroft and West Bellfort. We combed every street in every subdivision looking up every driveway. I’ve never seen anyone so driven as Karen.
She finally got a couple of hours sleep Monday afternoon promising to call me at 4:00 p.m. to strategize our planned stakeout of the Home Depot/Westbury Square area where she had been sighted. We set out food and water up wind of where she had been seen. The hours go by as we wait. We got a call about a possible sighting on Sanford in Westbury and chased that lead to no avail. It was 10:00 p.m., we were tired and we both had to work on Tuesday.
Caryn started Tuesday back in my subdivision worried sick about loosing grooming revenue because of having to cancel appointments. She didn’t know how many more days she could take it. Torn between her business and finding Two Socks with no credible leads, her phone rings. Another sighting. It was out west at West Airport and Bob White. Two Socks had been seen Saturday morning sitting in the parking lot and the caller had just seen the flyer. Caryn headed the diesel truck west.
I Love a Happy Ending
The rest says it all in an email Caryn sent me.
“Dear Jim and Leila,
Thank you for sticking this out with me. It is hard to believe that she is with Roland and I once again. She is very tired but you can tell she is at peace now. She is so different from the dog I saw running today. It was a tense chase and one that I knew if I lost sight of her would possibly mean more long, sad days ahead and possibly a bad ending. Jim, your kind patience and help in this matter will not be forgotten. The days ahead are happy now for Two Socks. Keep in touch. If I can help you, please let me know.
Many paw travels ahead, Caryn and Two Socks”
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