A door is accidentally left open, or a collar is not secured properly to its leash, and the next thing you know, the family dog is off to the races.
What generally follows is a brief search, a stern, though largely feigned admonishment, and then a lot of petting, hugging and doggy kisses to remind us of the bond we share with our pets.
But occasionally, the unthinkable happens.
On Nov. 21, Lindsay Cook decided to go for her daily walk, and while she pulled her door all the way shut before setting out, a gust of wind pushed it back open.
That is when Hank’s journey began—a two-week odyssey filled with adventure, dog-napping, a community coming together for a common purpose, and an emotional reunion just in time for the Christmas season.
“Our neighbor caught footage of Hank coming outside and looking around,” Lindsay said. “It was incredibly hard to watch because it made it look like he was looking for me. He has come outside with me plenty of times and has never run off. He stays right by my side. When I returned and saw the door open, I ran inside, panicked.”
After searching her house to no avail, Lindsay jumped in her car and drove around the neighborhood.
She also called her husband, Branden, who came home immediately.
“He called our neighbors to help, who then jumped in their cars and started hunting with us,” Lindsay said. “We ran into our neighbor, Chuck, down the road and asked if he had seen Hank. He told us he just drove past the marina and witnessed an older couple putting a dog, who looked just like Hank, into their Suburban.”
The Cooks continued their search, but could not find the young Australian Shepherd.
Then they decided to pull out all the stops, posting fliers, hiring a thermal drone company to help, recruiting a search dog team and driving every place they could think of to find their beloved dog.
“Branden and I visited every shelter we could find, as far as the other side of Fort Worth, Decatur and Mineral Wells areas,” Lindsay said. “We also created a Facebook page for everyone to have one single place to post pictures of dogs they saw that they thought maybe were Hank, and for us to update everyone on our progress. We spoke to as many experts as we could and gathered knowledge from anyone who was willing to share ideas of things we hadn’t done.”
Lindsay said the grief her family endured throughout Hank’s absence was nearly unbearable.
“It was the worst two weeks I have felt in a very long time,” Lindsay said. “Hank is a very special dog; he is immensely kind and loves his people hard. He loves giving hugs and face snuggles. He is also my shadow everywhere I go. So not having him by my side was gut-wrenching. He is so much more than just our pet, he is our family member.
“We felt a giant hole in our lives and in our home. I can’t put into words the heartache we all felt every day.—how quiet our home was for those two weeks while we were all grieving in our own ways.”
But the Cooks never gave up hope.
On the morning of Dec.7, the family was getting ready for daughter Emery’s cheer competition when Lindsay’s friend, Jackie, sent her a picture that someone had posted on the Cook’s Facebook page of Hank at the corner of Bear Creek and Rancho Vista in the Annetta area.
Lindsay screamed to her husband that Hank had been spotted, and the Cooks were on their way to get him.
Unfortunately, another couple had taken Hank and placed him in their backyard.
When Lindsay and Brandon arrived, it took a little coaxing to get him to recognize them.
“We got in the backyard, and Hank was in full flight mode,” Lindsay said. “He didn’t recognize my voice or Branden’s. He was so afraid. Our friends showed up right when we all entered the backyard, which was very large. They also had three cows in this yard. He was running from corner to corner, trying to get away and find a way out.
“So, we all walked very slowly towards him. Branden asked everyone to stop and told me to go towards Hank. When I got about 15 feet away, he looked at me and stopped. He didn’t come closer, but he crouched down. So, I did the same. I got down to his level and crawled as slowly towards him as I could.”
Lindsay then extended her hand toward Hank, and presto!
“It was as if a light bulb went off, and it clicked who I was,” Lindsay said. “He jumped into my arms and began to cry and lick all over my face. My son, Parker, and Branden came over to sit next to me, where they got the same greeting from Hank. Branden scooped him up to walk him back to the cars.”
When Hank got home, he got a good bath, a good meal, and promptly fell fast asleep, sleeping the rest of the day.
“When my daughter got home, it was just another reunion moment with tears and even more snuggles,” Lindsay said.
Emery said it was “quiet and boring,” without Hank during the two weeks he was missing and said she was especially happy for her mother when Hank was found.
“He feels like another sibling,” Emery said. “He’s a very important part of our life.”
For brother Parker, an appeal to a higher authority became a daily routine during Hank’s absence.
“It was hard for me because I prayed so hard for Hank to come home, and I didn’t know if God was going to answer it or not,” Parker said. “I would get excited when people thought they saw him, and it wasn’t him. I missed him— I play with him all the time, and it was boring without him.”
Branden said he was especially touched by how the Cooks’ community came together to help them in their time of distress.
“It meant the world to us,” Branden said. “It’s incredible to have your community rally behind you when you need it. It reminded us that our county still puts core values first. We will never forget it.”
It is odd to receive a gift that already belongs to you, but with Christmas right around the corner, Lindsay said Hank was the best present she could ever receive.
“All I asked for was for him to be home,” Lindsay said. “I couldn’t think of anything else.”
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