I am so sorry Iggy, I know the pain you are feeling and it really stinks. I cried for days when I had to do it........
Hang in there, maybe you can write a Iggy adventure with her in it?
Heather and I had our adventure when she was about 6 months old. She was in the yard at the ranch and the UPS guy came to the house. He left the gate open and scared her out of the yard.
She came back around the yard trying find the way back in, just as the UPS truck drove out. That scared her again, and she took of across the meadow.
My cousin called and said he had seen her go running by his house.
We started looking just as a snow storm hit. I drove around the place in bigger and bigger circles in hope of crossing her tracks with no luck. At dark,I finally gave up, knowing that my chances of ever seeing her again alive were nill.
I called and called for her all night in hopes she might have made it back within hearing distance to no avail.
I had to leave at 4AM the next morning to ship cattle. Itchy spent the morning on a high hill, scoping the place in hopes of spotting her. Imagine trying to pick out an jack rabbit sized brown and grey dog across this landscape.
I got back at noon and the snow had melted. No chance of tracks now. I got on an ATV and just started looking with little hopes of finding her.
After 4 hours, I gave up and headed home. It wasn't gonna be easy telling Itchy the news.
I asked the Lord if he could help and made him a promise if he could see his way to help.
For some reason, I took one more chance and swung by a spring in the middle of a pasture about 3 miles from home and
there she was!!.
You see that second row of white rocks out in the distance? That's where I found her. She was afraid of the ATV and took off running down a draw.
I made a fast run way out around her. I got way ahead of her and went into the draw on foot. She recognized me and came to me.
Got her!!
I buttoned her inside my Levi jacket with only her head sticking out under my chin.
I can tell you that was one happy ride home. It ain't easy ducking badger holes and cow trails with tears in your eyes.
Itchy was watching when I rode up and couldn't see the dog because of my beard.
The tears in her eyes changed from sorrow to joy when that little head poked out through my beard.
Heather had a couple of cactus spines in her feet, but was otherwise unscathed. She acted like she had just been out on a lark.
Finding her out on those miles and miles of prairie was a miracle. We had a special bond from that day on, and I will never forget that ride home with her looking out from under my chin, and that look on Itchy's face.
Yeh, we had an adventure alright.
You can durn well bet I kept my promise too.