The Night Scooter Ran Away

by Linda
(Elizabeth, Colorado)

I got Scooter when he was 4 mo from a tiger refuge in Colorado, we lived around the corner from it. We were on 5 acres so he was very used to running free with all the dogs out there. He was real good at staying close to home for 3 years.

We ended up moving closer to town. It was December 17th and we had only been in the new place for 3 days and there was a blizzard warning for that weekend and he bolted on us, we searched for 3 hours till the snow got so deep we couldn't search anymore. 20 inches in 3 hours. Buy the time the snow ended there was 36 inches of snow on the ground and 2 days had gone by, I couldn't get out of the driveway, for 3 days so I walked the area and put up flyers.

I hadn't met any of the neighbors yet, and didn't know the area it was completely forested. I searched for days 7 long days, no sleep, and my hubby and I could barely look at each other without losing it. I had a couple people call and tell me they were helping to look, and gave me all the numbers of anywhere he could possibly end up. I skipped Christmas with the family because I was afraid he would show up while I was gone.

There was another blizzard on the way, another big one. Day 8 you know what I'm thinking. I couldn't sleep (we were sleeping in the living room so I could be near the sliding glass door) 2AM I hear something at the door, there he was, cold, dehydrated, starved. He looked terrible, do you think he wanted to eat or drink? No he wanted to play frisbee first. We had another 15 inches of snow the next day, he must have had a guardian angel.

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