A true, small town story

Several weeks ago, Liane is walking home from work when she happens upon two Corgis, Bella and Buck, on leash patrol nearby. Elated to discover two more Corgis in our new, small town (this makes seven that we know of) she snaps this photo on her mobile. Bella and Buck belong to a couple of USD students who share a house. The Corgis are about seven months old and live nearby on Pine. Flash forward...

... to today. A sunny afternoon. A small Corgi is seen running lose near Main and Pine. The dog is shooed away from someone it approaches. A bystander, observing this, coaxes the dog into his arms and takes it to the nearby animal hospital.

An employee at the animal hospital just happens to see the small, lost dog being dropped off by the good Samaritan. She believes she knows where the dog lives because she often sees a couple walking their Corgis down her street. She leaves the hospital with the Corgi to deliver it back to the house where she thinks it lives.

Our house. Fletcher and Audrey are snoozing while I'm grading papers. A unexpected knock at the door. Alert! Bark! Someone's here!! Something is about to happen! Alert! Alert! Bark! Standing on the porch is a woman with a small Corgi on a nylon leash. The woman introduces herself as Shawn and she seems somewhat disappointed to see both of our Corgis greeting her. There are now three Corgis on the porch. Fearing she is disturbing us (she isn't) she somewhat apologetically explains her presence.

Seeing that the Corgi is young and small, I immediately recall Liane's encounter with Bella and Buck. After checking the lost Corgi's gender we decide it must be Bella. The Corgi responds to her name. Fletcher and Audrey are delighted with their new friend. Bella jumps right in for some impromptu playtime. Abundant Corgi smiles.

I call Liane on her mobile and ask if she still has the snapshot. She does and sends it to me on my mobile. Sure enough. We have a match. It's Bella. Now stay with me here. We can't claim to know her or specifically where she lives on Pine, but we do happen to know that Bella's person, Amy, has a house mate who knows Spencer. Spencer is Ashley's partner. Living at Main and Yale, Ashley and Spencer have a Corgi named Nigel. Ashley is a grad student in Liane's department at the university. Mobile phones all over town are ringing and the dots are connecting as quickly as falling dominoes.

Within about 15 minutes I am walking Bella, Audrey and Fletcher over to the Jolley Elementary School to meet a search party that includes Bella's buddy, Buck. It's the first time I've ever walked more than two Corgis at the same time. It's a hoot. My only disappointment--one that Fletcher and Audrey share--is that Bella didn't get to stay and play longer. But, while getting acquainted, we agree that a future play date for all the local Corgis is in order. Here's a picture of the three friends as we're walking to the reunion at the school. Audrey (left), Bella (center) and Fletcher (right). We couldn't have scripted a better search and reunion scenario.