Finding Grace

Last year we found a pretty female Brittany Spaniel wandering the area. We took her in to look after her. A quick trip to the vet revealed she didn't have a microchip. We enjoyed our sweet canine guest, but were concerned that she was lost and her owners were probably worried about their beloved pet.

A fellow neighbor heard we had found a dog and recognized her. This neighbor had taken care of this wayward pooch a few times herself. As we were talking with her, up pulled the local Baptist Church van-the dog's owner and his son inside. They told us that despite my daughter's belief that this dog's name was most assuredly Petunia, her true name, in fact, was Grace. The preacher went on to tell us that we didn't find Grace, Grace had found us. He went on to say that Grace was there to invite us to church. You know, we almost went too.

Late this past Sunday night, our doorbell rang. There stood our neighbor-the one who helped us find Grace's owners. She was upset and concerned. She and her husband were sitting out on their deck when they heard someone loudly, angrily cursing. They found the preacher's son walking along the rode with Grace in tow. The neighbor talked to this man and found him to be really out of it. So much so, that the man picked up Grace and threw her down with all of his might as he told our neighbor that she could have Grace. The only problem was, she has a territorial dog and four cats. According to her animals, Grace was not welcome.

Our dog and cats were much more accommodating and Grace has been with us for five days. Grace has had two flea and tick baths, had over a dozen ticks extracted from her, and got a pretty new collar with hearts on it. We love her. We're all still adjusting. I know she misses her home and family. Only time will tell if Grace will be here permanently. We're all still learning about each other. She is extremely well behaved, but does enjoy the comfort of furniture. I think we're going to take her to the vet for a physical and a round of immunizations. I love her so much already, I don't want to give her back.

The preacher and his wife have seemed to have disappeared. Their son went to the neighbor's yesterday asking about his dog. During the course of the conversation, she found out that he didn't know where his parents are, he was living with a friend, and that the house they all had lived in no longer had electricity. Something major is going on with this family. I can only hope and pray that they are well and getting the help they need. I hope that they have peace about their dog. She is being well cared for and loved. May God's grace find them.