Recently, we had two experiences with finding dogs that had run away. The first was Gary, a 90 pound Golden Retriever, and the second Dakota, an American Bulldog.

One day we, me and my mom, were doing school work after my brother had already come home. We heard our dogs going crazy at the front door. That usually means that they see something outside in the front of our house. Finn went to check it out. He came back and told us that it was Sunny, our golden retriever, barking at her reflection in the front door glass. They kept barking like crazy. So my dad went to check it out and realized that it was another huge golden retriever sitting on our front porch. He went outside and checked him out and found out that he was a really nice dog. My dad brought him in our house. He had no tag on his collar. He was so funny. I think he thought he was a chihuahua. He kept leaning on us and knocking us over. Our dogs loved him.

Well, we took him to our veterinarian, Dr. Woodby of Calusa Crossings Animal Hospital, to see if he had a micro chip. He did! His name was Gary and his family lived very close to us.

I was really sad to take him home. I cried and did not want to get out of the car. But I did and then I felt really great about bringing him home. My dad said that according to the mother, one of her children had Autism and relied on the dog for comfort.

The second experience was with Dakota. We, me, my dad and Finn, went to Publix and when my dad opened his door she jumped right in. Silly dog. We looked around the parking lot and asked a bunch of people but no one claimed her. We took her to the vet to see if she had a micro chip but she did not.

We brought her home and put her in the back yard. We were not sure if she would get along with our dogs.

My mom called the shelters and went around the neighborhood to see if anyone had put up any flyers. There was nothing. She then found a website, http://www.lostmydoggie.com, that lets you list any dogs you find or lose. We had a response the next morning.

A nice man called and told us his 18 year old grandson must have let her out of the house. He said that his grandson has Autism and sometimes does not watch what the dog is doing and he slips out past him. But that the boy loves the dog so much and also like the other family uses the dog to comfort himself when he is upset.

These are two tales of happiness for our family. We wanted to keep the dogs but knowing that they went back to their families made us happy also.