cute puppy
by Raymond Smecker
Princess Kate is a part of our Royal King Charles Spaniel family here is this Plain Folk town of Churchtown, PA. She is a 7 year old Ruby CKCS and half sibling to our other Cavaliers, Prince William and Lady Elizabeth. They sleep in our bedroom in their separate huge crates but have the run of the house with our 7 indoor cats. *They are all a part of our book series: The Four Seasons of Lancaster that is very popular around here and does well on line.
Our huge outdoor carpeted deck is their place to play and relieve and it overlooks the vast expanse of farmland that is open for about one square mile with farms on the corners and in the growing season our neighbors kid us, “Ha, Ha Ray and Megan are corned in again!”
On March 5th this year we put them out to do their 'duties' and as usual a cat was on the back porch and they all rushed out to see it. Ten minutes later I opened the door and Prince William and Lady Elizabeth came rushing in but no Kate? I called to my wife and elderly Amish visitors, “Kate is gone she broke through a crack in the gate.”
Kate was gone out into the dark, cold night and the search was on...
The next three and a half days were tortuous as Kate has a 3rd degree heart murmur too. We had her listed on all of the modern day internet search machines and passed out and handed out and tacked up posters everywhere and I and my friends walked miles searching for her. It was so depressing as nothing worked so I called a man who was listed as a dog tracker and he called me back with this advice. “Ray you need a dog trapper. Believe it or not all the calling won't bring her back. She knows where you live and is scared and hunkered down somewhere. She will eventually come out. She knows where you live but may not come home as most dogs go into a 'wolf survival mode' and will run from all. At the next sighting call the dog trapper and if you do go after her take your other dog with you and if you corner her stoop as low as you can to the ground with your dog and softly call her name...”
Those words rang in my ears and in my heart...and boy was he right.
The first day she was gone I got a tip about a lost dog locally and called the person. No it was not my cavalier but a black and white one she had located 3 miles away and that she was giving it to a local friend of mine in Churchtown for safe keeping.
As I made my travels throughout the neighborhood I also told them about a found dog and to spread the word. My Plain Folk neighbors told me they would put it on their 'hot Church line' and that it would be in all the local churches. I was thrilled and being a devotee to St. Francis I felt St. Anthony and everyone of God would help and this would have a happy ending. (many of the locals were very upset too as many have our books and know her as she is in book 2 of our series…)
Early Sunday morning my phone rang and a local neighbor asked me about the Found dog and I gave him all the details. He said I think it is my daughter's dog. One half hour later my phone rang and my friend who had the Lost dog in Churchtown advised that the owner of the lost dog had just picked it up. I later called that neighbor back and he was so grateful. “Thanks Ray for helping us find our lost dog!”
Sunday passed and no calls and we went to bed exhausted and so sad, tomorrow is the fourth day and she will surely need food and water.
Monday morning my phone rang and my wife answered and blurted out, “Ray! Joe located Katie in a field below their farm just where we had last seen her Thursday night...He wants you to come over now.”
I left quickly with my male cavalier, Prince William and we rushed the mile trip in our car arriving and Amish friend Joe and I spotted her and headed down into the massive field surrounded by hedge rows. We closed in on her and she saw us and she ran, and ran, and ran with the two of us and dog Willie behind. Then we lost her as she headed under a huge tree with a gigantic mound of stones and logs and brush with huge holes everywhere. “She went in here my friend said.”
We waited for about ten minutes and my friend had to leave for an important meeting so there I stood with Prince William in the middle of this huge field and watched him head up the hill. I switched on my cell phone and my battery was low. In all of the turmoil I had forgotten to charge it. I called my wife and left a message to call me back. She did and I told her to call our friend Katie and get me some help and also to call our friend at the store and tell him my dilemma as we are right behind his store in the middle of the field.
I stood there and bent down and petted Prince William and prayed. I found Kate but she was still lost here.
It seemed like an eternity but when I stood up and I could see a host of Plain Folk coming over the hill and one was carrying a crate. I teared up and I said to myself, “This reminds of the closing scene in one of my favorite movies, “Witness.”
I told them as they approached that we think Kate is in one of these holes. They looked around and my dear Amish friend Danny started to talk to the other man in Dutch and they both headed up the field and then they all left me standing there and I said what's going on? “Danny spotted her she's up there,” and my dog and I followed.
It was a merry chase as Kate ran through their arms and headed around me and my dog and off she went, the roadway at the end of the filed was where she was headed. One of the Plain Folk girls ran up beside me and I told her to try and catch her and turn her back to us. Well as a Pittsburgh Steeler fan, let me just say this girl was the fastest human I had ever seen. She caught Kate on the run and got in front of her and Kate turned and ran back to all of us as we circled her. Then I remembered what the dog expert said, “If you corner her get as low as you can with your dog and slow call her name.” So as I ran low to the ground and I watched Kate's eyes they caught mine and then she ran right to Prince William and laid down right at his feet and he licked her and I jumped on her and hugged her!
On the way back to the car one of the group took my dog Prince William's lease and followed us back to our car and the Plain Folk girl came over and I said, “Honey, I am a grateful grandfather can I give you a hug for rescuing my dog.” She smiled and came over and as I hugged her she said back,” Mr. Smecker you don't have to thank me you helped me find our dog.” (The black and white found Cavalier was their dog!
As is written in our The Four Seasons of Lancaster book series: https://www.masthof.com/collections/top-sellers/products/the-four-seasons-of-lancaster-county
I am a creative writer and I live in a very creative town named Churchtown. You don't have to be creative here … and I could not have written this story.
Needless to say, “That was one of the sweetest days of my life,” and all the rescuers got a cake from Kate.