This is a two-part saga…

Chapter 1

While we were out for the evening, on July, our dog Lilyb, a Spaniel Poodle mix, found one of our French doors accidently ajar and ran out! This had never happened before… Since I had washed her soiled PetLink collar that afternoon and put it to dry on a table, she was wearing no visible ID. We quickly gathered some neighbors together, flashlights in hand, to call and look for her on our dark country road. More than a touch of panic was felt by all of us.Through a succession of happy coincidences, and to our enormous relief, we found her in the nearby hospital emergency room. Apparently. she had entered, by herself, through two sets of automatic doors and was greeted by the receptionist who asked, ‘And what can I do for you?’ Lilyb, tail wagging like mad, was her usual happy, friendly self, greeting patients and entertaining hospital staff. I gave them our information, just in case! We all had a good laugh though mine was with more than a tinge of relief. \On returning with us, Lilyb seemed only mildly pleased to return to our quiet home…

Chapter 2

Exactly one week later, coming back from a brief evening out, we saw odd patches of screening on the step and then a gaping hole in the door. Lilyb was gone! She had escaped again! This time around she was wearing her ID collar. Though the moonless night was unusually dark, we were less worried and went to only one neighbor’s house but she was not there. Now her location seemed likely, even obvious, so back to the emergency room we went! Once again, there was Lilyb, happily enjoying the company of the now familiar staff and a few patients.

The happy ending

I learned that the receptionist had called PetLink when Lilyb first arrived and that PetLink had then contacted me. By that time though, I was already heading out to where I thought I would find Lilyb. Back home, having retrieved Lilyb, I picked up the PetLink message and responded as requested to tell them she was now safe with me. Our French door is now secured and the screen door is being repaired. I do hope this clever girl will not find another way of escaping but, if she does, I know where to find her!