My Little Lost Puppy Friend

My little dog Brody - my puppy baby, my sweetum princess - has been missing for the past 3 weeks.

If you live in the Lincoln Park area of Pomona, between the North-South boundaries of San Bernardino & Alvarado, and the East-West boundaries of Garey & Towne, you cannot go a block without seeing at least one of the millions of fliers we plastered all over your neighborhood. If you see a squeaking car creeping around the streets at 3 miles per hour, that's us too.

She has been with us for over 8 years. She ran off in a panic after accidentally running into the fence and hurting herself. The problem is compounded by the fact that we had just moved to the area that same month. She doesn't know how to get home on her own.

Never did I ever imagined we would be separated from her for so long. We have done all the practical things suggested: check the shelter, put up ads, walk the streets, talk to people, post notices in various lost pet boards/forums, check for found dogs. I've walked around the neighborhood, rubbing myself on every tree & light post, hoping she would somehow pick up my scent and figure out a way to follow it home. The grunt work going out to look for her everyday after work and on weekends, combined with the overwhelming "needle in the haystack" aspect of it, are physically and emotionally exhausting. Life is reduced to the basic essentials - we go to work because we have to, we eat because we need sustenance, we sleep because we need strength to do it all over again. Despite still being grateful for the many blessings I still have, life, it seems, is not nearly as enjoyable. A dark cloud cast a pall over my day to day life that never goes away. To quote Al Green: "Ain't no sunshine when she's gone."

She is a little dog. A chihuahua, although not the tiny teacup kind. I have faith in her survival because she hates cars, so she is less likely to roam in the streets or run in front of cars indiscriminately. She also hates strangers - not the kind of dog who would come to just anybody or let anybody just pick her up. Unfortunately, this also renders it less likely for her to be rescued by somebody. And since she is small there are a million places when she can hide and keep out of sight. Three weeks into it and we still could not find her. We refuse to give up - mustering up all our stubbornness, determination, faith & patience - yet still end up crying at the most unexpected moments. I would give up my right kidney just to have her back, just to have this all over.

I am praying harder than I know how to do - to God, my guardians, her guardians, whoever else wants to listen and willing to help. She is still alive. She is still around. I am trying really hard, I want her back so badly. But I don't understand why I can't find her. (Oh, I understand the reality of the limitations well enough...) Then I wonder if I am doing something wrong, if I am not trying hard enough, if I am not looking right, if I can't push myself a little harder & sleep a little less...