What Kids Know

Remember how last year a neighborhood dog followed Mike home and for a few hours we had a 3rd dog?  Happened again yesterday. Only this time, the dog started to follow me when I was walking Bailey and Jules, and I took him home.  See, Mike treated the lawn yesterday, so I had to take the dogs on a walk to go potty.  And it was a beautiful day yesterday with the sun and the slight breeze and warmer temperatures (have I mentioned I love Charlotte weather?), so I get the girls leashed up, and we start taking a jaunt around the neighborhood.
Long story short, a cute little dog with a collar started to follow me and the girls home.  The address on the tag isn't from the neighborhood, and it's not a local area code either.  I knew I couldn't just walk away, because if it were my girls lost, I would hope someone would do the same for then.  So I scoop up the little guy and carry him home with me on my hip and take everyone back home.
I get everyone crated, call the phone number, and google search the address. This tag is from an hour and a half away.  I start to freak out.  I don't know how far away from home he is, when's the last time this dog has eaten, or how long to keep him.  I text Mike to let him know we have a 3rd dog at the moment, and just wait for him to come home to help formulate a plan.

Fortunately, Mike's home in an hour, and he thinks the best plan is to walk around the neighborhood with little dog to try to find the owner.  We still have the 3rd leash from when we took in Buddy, so the girls get their second walk of the day.  As we're walking along the area when I found little guy, there's a few kids playing in the front yard across the street.  Mike has the brilliant idea to ask them who the stranger dog belongs too.  They all say "that's Sparky! He lives there!" and point to the house next to me.  Mike rings the bell, and a kid answers the door and is happy to see Sparky. Fortunately the kid's mom is right behind him and when she sees Sparky, she is visibly relieved and thanking us profusely.  So we're now 2 for 2 on finding escaped dogs in the neighborhood and  returning them to their owners. 

But I learned a lesson from taking Sparky in for a few hours.  I learned that when in doubt, ask the neighborhood kids.  Because kids know dogs!