Our place in the country is a 2 acre plot (1.5 fenced acres) with rocky terrain and mid-morning on July 6 ’24, I called the dogs in but Iris was nowhere to be found. My sweet Blue Tick Coonhound (she is not used to hunt but is a family pet) had found a soft spot, managing to dig & squeeze herself under the fence for a little adventure. Mind you, my closest neighbor is 1/2 mile away as we are near NWR (National Wildlife Refuge) properties at the Tennessee River.

I was an emotional wreck! After 2 hours of calling her, and hearing her bawl on a scent in the distance, I called PetLink. They took the report, gave me emotional support and advised me to contact local/county animal shelters & vets. I would not have thought of that.

I continued calling her name (yelling actually) periodically throughout the afternoon while I searched for the weak spot where she had made her escape, found and repaired it.

At 5pm, she came meandering home of her own accord, very thirsty and very tired. I notified PetLink & all other agencies I had contacted that she was home safely.

Now when we are at the cabin I walk the fence line every day to be sure the repairs are holding and there are no new escape routes in the making! And, yes, there have been a few.