Lost & Found

"What is your emergency, Ma'am?" asked the 911 dispatcher calmly.

"My daughter!  My daughter, Allison!  She's missing!  She went out into our wooded backyard to play after lunch and now I can't find her!  It's after dark!  ALLISON!!" roared Allison's mother in a fearful voice.

"Ma'am, stay as calm as you can.  How old is Allison?"

"Allison is nine years old.  My Allison," she spoke now in tears.

"What does Allison look like?"

"She - she has shoulder-length blonde hair and blue eyes.  She - she is wearing a blue dress with white, puffy shoulder-capped sleeves.  She is wearing pastel pink flip flops.  Allison loves flip flops year round.  Are - are you going to find my baby?  She is my only child," she spoke through a flood of tears.

"Where do you live, Ma'am?  What is your address?"

"I - I live at 1983 Coffey Avenue.  My house is log cabin-style, the only kind on my street.  The police shouldn't miss it.  Please hurry, Miss, please."

"I am putting a call out now.  Would you like to stay on the phone until officers arrive?  Is there anyone with you?"

"Pl - please stay with me, Miss.  I am alone in my house tonight.  My husband is on a business trip," she spoke through sad tears.

"Okay, I am right here."


Within five minutes of the dispatcher's call, two police cars arrived with lights and sirens.  The dispatcher let Allison's mother hang up to answer the door.

"Are you going to find her, officers?" She spoke through sniffles.

"Ma'am, my name is Officer Robert Jones.  This is my partner, Officer John Thompson.  The officers behind me are going to search the area behind your house.  They have with th..."

"Uh oh.  He's caught a scent," said Officer Danny Bent.

Allison's mother looked down.  To the left of the open door, she saw a large Bloodhound with nose glued to the ground, sniffing a pair of Allison's flip flops left near the door, and moving directly to the wooded area behind the house.  All four police officers followed.

"Where is that dog going?!  What do you mean he has caught a scent?!" She shouted in panic.

"Ma'am, Bernard is our search and rescue canine officer.  Catching a scent is his breed's nature.  Officer Bent and Officer Bayer are going to follow his track.  Officer Thompson will stay just behind your house and I will stay with you.  I ask that you stay as calm as possible.

"What was Allison doing when last you saw her?" Officer Jones asked.

"Allison said she was going into the wooded area to work on a tree house she and her father began building a couple of weeks ago."

"How deep does the wooded area go?"

"Gosh, I would say about a mile.  Her schoolmate, Davis Smith, lives just on the other side."

"Is it possible that Allison could have walked that far?  Are Allison and Davis friends?"

"Yes, they are friends, but Davis and his family are out of town this weekend.  So no, Allison had no reason to walk that far."

A deep howling bark pierced the air at that moment.  So too did Officer Bent's voice on the radio attached to Officer Jones's gun belt.
'
"We found Allison."

"Allison!  Where is she?!  Is she okay?!" Allison's mother screamed into the radio.

The phone rang at that moment.

"Allison?!"

"Mrs. Taylor, this is Davis's mom.  We got back from our trip several hours early and Allison is with us.  She's playing with Davis in our family room.  Judging by the large, barking dog and police officers at our door, I assume you didn't know?"

"No.  No I did not.  But Allison is okay, right?"

"She's fine.  I thought you knew, so I've been watching her.  That dog is incredible to find her so far away.  Do you want me to bring her home?"

"Yes, please."


Allison's mom hugged her daughter so tightly that Allison had trouble breathing.  She was more relieved than angry right now.

"I'm sorry, Mom.  I saw Davis's house lights on, so I thought it was okay to go.  I didn't know I was doing anything wrong."

"Lost and found, Mrs. Taylor," Officer Jones said with a smile of relief.

"Thank you, officers, so, so much.  And Bernard...Can I pet him?"

"Sure!  He loves affection when he's not on the hunt."

Allison's mom petted Bernard for a long time.  He had found her only child.  His Bloodhound eyes looked to hers with the same relief.

As the officers left, Mrs. Taylor closed the door, turned to her daughter, and said,

"I knew those woods were dangerous when you're not with your father.  We are adopting a Bloodhound tomorrow!"