our dog was lost, and now he's home again!

This is definitely a happy thawt! We thought we'd lost him forever, but today Puffy's wagging his tail and munching on treats just a few feet from me.

It must have been two months ago or so when he disappeared. We were pretty convinced he was stolen. He's a pure pomeranian, the cute kind that attracted the attention of the neighbor kids. Our theory was that someone from the nearby squatters area climbed our wall (again), nabbed the dog and considered selling him for a couple thousand. We looked around the neighborhood for Puffy, and after a few days we resigned to the probability that we might not see him again.

I know it may sound silly, but I prayed for our dog. I asked God to bring him back - maybe he could escape and come skipping back to us, or maybe the dognappers could repent and deposit him at our garage - but if that were not possible, I prayed that he would be adopted by a loving home that will care for him well. Of course after awhile, I just sucked up the emo-ness and tried to convince myself that Puffy was in a good place. I hoped and chose to believe that nice dog-loving people took him in. After all, he's too cute to be mistaken for an askal, too charming to turn into pulutan.

We never threw away his bowl and bag of dog food. It just seemed too soon.

Then the other day, our house helper's morning greeting carried good news: She saw Puffy! She spotted him tied to a pole at the tricycle stand by the nearby squatters' area. She was sure it was him because he recognized her. Apparently someone picked him up, took care of him and brought him there. She didn't take Puffy home right away of course, since she had to ask around and look for his new "owners" and wanted to be gracious (If it were I who had spotted Puffy tied at the trike stand, I would have just grabbed him and warded off anyone who tried to ask questions. He's our dog. Good thing our helper had more manners than I did).

So anyway. By the end of yesterday, Puffy was finally brought back home. He appeared well-groomed and well-fed, so I couldn't complain.

It turns out a tricycle driver saw Puffy wandering in the street two months ago and took him home. The driver's family took care of Puffy for two months - apparently they took very good care of our dog. They even brought him to the vet when he got sick, bought him his own soap and shampoo. We were told that people have been offering to buy Puffy for a few thousand bucks, but his "caretakers" didn't feel they had the freedom to sell him because they knew he belonged to someone else. The driver would tie Puffy near the trikes, thinking the real owners are likely to be looking for the dog. I'm so happy that Puffy has been in good hands all this time.

I felt sorry for the driver though - he looked really sad when he came by the house to tell us he was the one who found our dog. Apparently he already fell in love with Puffy and was probably even hoping he could keep him.

But the happy thawt persists - Puffy's home! I prayed to God that Puffy would come back, or that he would be well-taken care of by a nice family - and both my prayers were answered. I know that a dog's welfare may seem too unimportant a thing to ask of the Lord - but as I have been told, if it matters to you, it matters to God, and that is very comforting.