Happy ending
My s-i-l was out with the dogs, and doing some work on a mower. He gave the dogs each a treat, and they were both hanging around just outide the garage. When he checked on them, after about 20 minutes, the little dog, which is my granddaughter's, was gone. My daughter called me and asked if I'd go over help look for her. They live in the country, and are surrounded by a large wooded area. Lots of coyotes and bobcats. So I was afraid of a bad outcome. By the time I got there, my s-i-l had checked with some neighbors and driven along their road opposite the way I had driven. No dog. We called for her but no luck. We went back out driving and stopped by other neighbors, called the humane society and sheriff's office. When we got back to their house, I texted a lady I know who is devoted to locating lost dogs, and asked her if anyone had picked our little dog up. She didn't have any news for me, so the next thing I did was post a picture of the dog on the local H.S. Facebook page. Got an immediate reply. Someone had picked our little dog up, right at the end of the drive, which is several hundred feet from the garage and out of sight. The lady who picked her up took her to the closest vet's office to check for a microchip. They took a pick of her and posted it. After that it was easy to get her back, and she is home safe and sound. We will all make sure to have her leashed or maybe a pet enclosure from now on if she is out and not our main focus of attention.
I am just so grateful we got her back. She is a really good little dog, but she doesn't realize how vulnerable she is. Anyway, wanted to share a story with a happy ending. I'm really grateful that I'm part of the local shelter community and that my post on Facebook was visible to so many people. Made a vital difference.