Rocco Scare

Today I am snuggling with rocco a little tighter, giving him extra love every second I can and being grateful for his precious little face looking up at me.

In a single moment, a wonderful evening changed to a panic-filled experience that altered my perspective entirely. We went out to dinner and had the most enjoyable evening; a delicious meal, a fun-filled drive home full of laughing, talking about our bebe-on-the-way and just general happiness. However, when we walked into our home and rocco did not come running to greet us, we knew something was wrong.

(left to right:  new years day 2012; the day we picked rocco up from the breeder  /  a kiss for rocco in 2013 after the broncos won a game  /  my favorite, snuggling with rocco in bed)

For nearly 2 hours, we were tearing our house apart, running through our neighborhood in a panic and crying his name; my heart broke in sadness that my sweet little 3lb yorkie was gone forever. I had the most horrible thoughts running through my mind and I could not stop the tears streaming down my face. I ran inside to use the restroom around 10:30pm after searching through the parks and yards around our house and when I opened the door, he was standing in the hallway looking up at me. 

(my heart was smitten from the moment I saw him at the breeder in 2012  /  ryan and rocco playing in the snow last winter 2014)

I have no idea how he reappeared, how we did not find him in our search or why he never came to us after the dozens of times we said his name... but he's home. When I saw his innocent and scared face, the most intense relief consumed my entire body. I was sobbing in happiness all night that he was okay, wrapped up in my arms. I also was overcome with appreciation and love, as our closest friends dropped everything to come help us look for him and our family's offered to do the same. So much fear and sadness quickly turned to the most extreme gratefulness... to say it was an emotional overload would be an understatement.

(ryan, rocco and I ringing in the new year, december 2014  /  rocco loving up on my baby belly this spring 2015)

People's pets are like their children and rocco is no exception. I have never experienced the terror and anxiety of losing a pet before but last night was something I would not wish on anyone or want to go through again. I am blessed he is safe and thankful that so many people love rocco like we do and that I can look back on last night knowing it is in the past.