Zoe's homecoming

As of Friday morning, October 23rd, Zoe is HOME!!!!

Here's an update from Zoe's mom:

I was feeling pretty down this morning wondering if it was going to be another let down day like Wednesday was [when there were no sighting calls]. This week has been a rollercoaster of emotions for me. I was physically tired and emotionally drained. I hadn't cried this much in a long time.

As I was sitting there IM'ing with my daugheters about Zoe and our plans for the day, I received a phone call from a lady named Debbie. She asked if I was the person who owned the dog on the flyer. I said that I was. She told me that she had just seen Zoe by the woods at West Springfield High School. I asked how long ago that was. She stated that she had to find a phone since she didn't have a cell phone with her so she said she guessed it was a couple minutes. She was still out of breath from running to get to a phone.

She also asked if Zoe was "a little plump." I knew right then and there that this was definitely Zoe. As we more mature women know, we do tend to get just a little more middle as we pass into the wonder years. I IM'd Rikki and told her to send out the alert and dashed out the door. I wasn't going to waste any more time since it seemed that for the entire week I was always just 5 minutes too late.

Of course, I found the brother to the slow lady I was trapped behind yesterday. I honestly think they have an entire clan of those people who watch to see when I leave my house and plan their departure accordingly. I pushed his car up the road until I was able to turn off at the high school.

As I pulled in I saw a female coach and about six high school girls coming from the woods next to the school and starting to enter the school. I asked them if they had seen a black and white Aussie. The coach asked if I was the owner of the dog. I replied yes.

She looked at me for a second or two and then said, "yes, we've seen your dog." I immediately asked where she last saw Zoe. She says, "in my bathroom."

So in my calm and cool manner I scream "Oh My God, Oh My God....where can I park my car?" She told me to just pull it behind any of the cars parked there. I did so and jump out of the car. Unfortunately, in my haste I didn't put the car in park. Luckily, it only went a inch or two. I jump out again and then immediately realized that I had left the keys in the ignition with the car running. Once again, back in the driver's seat I turn off the car and try to calmly get out of the car with leash.

As we were walking through the girls locker room to the coach's office, she told me that they had seen Zoe stuck in a bunch of briars and together she and her six or so girls sports team (Lord, I wish I had the state of mine to ask what sport) worked to free her and bring her into the school.

As she unlocked the door to her office, she looked at me with these kind eyes and said, "I sure hope this is your dog." I looked around and saw that the girls were a little apprehensive. I guess my eyes welling up with tears and me hopping around like I had to pee had them a little tense.

As soon as she opened the bathroom door I saw my precious little Zo-doggy. I kneeled down to her eye level and she started kissing my face. I burst out into full fledge crying now. When I stood up, I saw that the coach and all of the girls were crying with joy along with me.

As they were walking me out to my car and I was saying my one hundredth thank you, the coach said, "just how did you know we had the dog?" I looked at her kind of stunned and said, "you weren't the person who called me? Your name isn't Debbie?" She replied in the negative.

Just as she said that Debbie walked into the parking lot. All of the stars and planets had fallen into place. At the right time and at the right place. If Zoe hadn't of wandered into the high school where a team of girls worked as a team to get her and someone else had called me immediately upon seeing her, I don't know if she would have been returned to me.

We'd like to take this opportunity to thank you all the folks who helped with bring Zoe home: the folks who flyered and made phone calls, the people who donated online, the folks who crossposted info about Zoe, those who checked feeding stations and offered advice, everyone who called in sightings and then responded to the sighting calls, and the wonderful people who finally coralled Zoe!