I had one of my best Winter Solstices *ever* today. Fellow members of my Bernese Mtn. Dog club and I, as well as other Berner lovers, have been blanketing the northern S.F. Bay Area ever since Thanksgiving, when it came to our attention that a Bernese Mtn. Dog newly moved to the town/city of Santa Rosa had been spooked on November 21 during a wind and thunderstorm. A transformer *also* blew up across the street from his new house (they had moved in just the day before), and Doggie was--GONE.
Two flyer posting parties, many phone calls, active community reports of sightings, advice from professional animal trackers (who use dogs to find other dogs), at least one helicopter search flight, many efforts to find this boy and bring him HOME ensued. The adults in the family have two daughters who've grown up with Doggie for the last five years (Doggie is 5 y.o.), and they were all pretty rocky, as you would guess. The husband took indefinite leave from his work to do off-road bicycling along the creekside trails where the dog had been reported seen. The wife's cell phone number was on each and every flyer and poster.
DH and I participated in the two flyer-posting parties, supported the benefit auction held at our club's Annual Holiday Party last Saturday (right after the parade), and contributed a little more than was comfortable to the fund-raising site established by someone else on behalf of the family (by no means wealthy). They had promised a Reward ("Recompensa Ofrecida") for information leading to the safe return of their dog, and of course the laminated posters, full-color 8.5"x11" flyers, and the rest of it weren't free, even if price breaks were offered here and there along the way.
Working on the physical plane is critical, but back-up and reinforcement on less tangible levels also can help. Many Berner friends wrote that they were praying for the dog's safe return.
I was casting Beneficial Circles on the dog's behalf and sending him targeted Healing Thoughts at least once daily as soon as I knew a Berner was missing, but somehow felt that Solstice would be critical--he would either consent to be found/taken, or he would decide to roam permanently. I cast an extra-special Solstice Circle for him last night and sent practically infra-red Healing Thoughts to him ("[Name], allow yourself to be taken, your people love you, they want you back") three times from inside my house, facing as accurately as possible the direction in which he had last been reported.
TODAY HE AGREED TO BE TAKEN. He approached his people, who were on the property of someone who had reported seeing him. His people had brought cooked meats to lure him: salmon, chicken, steak, and the dog's own bed. At last, at l-o-n-g last, he approached and ate.
He is with his family tonight after a brief vet check this afternoon. His weight was "perfect." The vet recommended that the family--the four humans and the dog--simply enjoy being together this weekend and the vet will perform a thorough examination on Monday (foxtails between the toes, blood work, etc.).
Happy Solstice! Goede Jul en goede hond! (Good Yule and good dog!)
