# Duffy....the Miracle Dog



## FarmGirl18 (Oct 5, 2007)

I haven't posted about my little Maltese in a while so for those of you that don't know a whole lot about Duffy, let me introduce him to you.  My parents got him for my 18th birthday, after dreaming for years about having a little inside dog of my own. So of course he quickly became very special to me, he sleeps with me every night in my bed, follows me around everywhere, and whenever I sit down anywhere whether at the computer or in a chair he's sure to be in my lap.  And even recently he's started sitting with me AT the table...which Mom doesn't appreciate too much...  So he's pretty much just TOTALLY like my child, we even have jokes that he's going to be the ring bearer in my wedding whenever I get married. 










Saturday morning we were going out of town to visit the Duggar family (some of you may have seen them on TV, they are the ones with 17 children) so we dropped Duffy off at our neighbors house so they could watch him for the weekend. I'd never actually left him anywhere without me, but I thought he would be fine. Well, about an hour and a half later we got a call that he had slipped out of his collar and escaped into the woods. I was shocked hearing that, but really thought they would probably find him pretty quick. We arrived at the Duggar's at about 10:30, and Duffy was still not found. I was pretty worried at this point and decided to go ahead and drive back to search for him, two of the Duggar girls graciously drove back with me, we actually ended up talking the whole way here, it was a lot of fun and kept my mind off things. It was about 2:30 when we arrived at the house and we started searching right away...but to no avail. So after about an hour we headed back, I drove all the way back and actually made it in about 2 hours and 50 minutes instead of the 3 and a half hours that it took us going. 

Sunday after church our family headed home and arrived just a little before dark and we went on another search until it got dark but still couldn't find him. Needless to say I was totally devastated that evening...it was so hard doing all the normal things with out my little guy following close at my heels. My little sister Mercy just couldn't understand that Duffy was gone, and kept asking to go "see" him.  Probably the hardest though, was going to bed without Duffy, the first time I've slept in my bed without him in a LONG time. Took me hours to finally go to sleep and I ended up sleeping until 11:00 Monday morning. And then Mom and I went to town to get stuff to make more signs. We got home at around 3:00 in the afternoon after getting them all put up, and decided to just try to walk kind of through the square mile in the woods instead of staying on the roads. So off we went, through fences, woods, and past "No Trespassing" signs.  We did try to stay away from the houses because I didn't want to have to explain to anybody why we were walking through their property. It took us close to an hour to walk all the way across, because it was so hard to get through, there were lots of thorns and underbrush. After making it across, I decided we would go back up a bit and then make another strip the opposite direction. So we did, and were probably about halfway back and still no signs of Duffy. I had been praying all along that we would find him, but at that point I really just started asking the Lord to direct our steps and lead us right to Duffy. Well just about 10 minutes later after tons of zig zagging and trying to avoid houses I looked off to the left and there under a cedar tree all hunkered down was DUFFY!!! There was a barb wire fence in between but I was over that in an instant and had him in my arms, crying like a baby.  It was just amazing!! We started back as fast as we could, but it took us at least 30 minutes to get back to where we had parked the van.

Soon as we came in the house and Duffy saw everybody he started barking, and of course all the little ones were SO excited that he was home.  He has some pretty bad cuts on both his front legs, so my brother and I ran him by the vet to get them looked at. We got some antibiotics as he was running a bit of a fever, and he's just been taking it easy. He's laying in my lap right now as I'm typing this, if he was spoiled before, he's going to be doubly spoiled now getting carried everywhere, as he is supposed to stay off his feet until he gets healed up. I'm SO incredibly thankful to the Lord for leading us right to Duffy!!

_This is our most recent picture together_....


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Duffy is precious....and so adorable........  
that must of be quite an ordeal for duffy getting hurt..  
I am so happy you found the little miracle....god was watching over Duffy.
yes I have seen the...Duggar family on tv....now that is a full house...LOL  :shades:


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## FarmGirl18 (Oct 5, 2007)

Your right toth, God was definitely watching over him...I can't believe he made it with all the big dogs, and cold nights we have had here.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

me either ?  :angel2: ray:


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## FunnyRiverFarm (Sep 13, 2008)

Awww...poor little guy...I'm so glad you found him. I know how I would feel if one of my dogs got lost. Love the pics...what a cutie!


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

oh thats amazing. It sure is awesome when God directs you to look in the right spot and it makes you realize how He does care.


Welcome home Duffy!


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## Muddy Creek Farm (Oct 5, 2007)

Aww! Little Duffy was definatly watched over. I can't even imagine that happening with my little dogs, I would be heartbroken! i am so glad everything turned out well and Duffy is back at home :hug:


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## sweetgoats (Oct 18, 2007)

AWWWWW, Duffy sounds like my Sparkey. I will be leaving for Thanksgiving and I am so worried. I have to leave him with someone and I have not left him before without someone in out family home with him.

I am so glad you were reunited with him. He is just adorable. ray: OH how the lord works. Thank you Lord.


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## deenak (Oct 10, 2007)

I am so glad that you and Duffy were reunited. He will be staying really close to you after that ordeal!!


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## FarmGirl18 (Oct 5, 2007)

Thanks all, I'm just so thankful that he is back home. And yes, he certainly will be staying close!!


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Bethany...are you pictured in the ABGA magazine this month?  :shades:


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## FarmGirl18 (Oct 5, 2007)

Actually yes, toth!  My dad and I with my buck that we bought.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

> Actually yes, toth!  My dad and I with my buck that we bought.


I thought so...he is the one in your aviator .....  :thumbup:


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## Amy Goatress (Oct 2, 2008)

I read about this on your blog


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## rebelshope (Sep 21, 2008)

Oh I am so happy that you got duffy back. Little dogs can slip out of their collars so easily. That is why all my dogs have martingale collars. Here is a link that you might find helpful. http://www.collargirl.com/how_martingale_work.htm

My dachies' necks are just about the same size as their heads, in order for a collar to be tight enough to not slip over their heads I would almost have to choke them. So after having Remmy just walk out of his collar one day in a parking lot, I got a martingale. Remmy's react to losing his collar was really rather funny. He stopped moving and looked at me as if to say. . . "uh Mom, I lost my collar."


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## MissMM (Oct 22, 2007)

Thank you for a story with a happy ending. :leap: 

Maybe you should rename him "Lucky Duff!"


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## FarmGirl18 (Oct 5, 2007)

Thanks for the info, rebelshope. 

And MissMM, I'm REALLY glad too that his story had a happy ending!  I don't know what I would do with out my Duffy...he's in my lap right now as usual.


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## Amos (Oct 2, 2008)

Bethany, your doggie is so cute, I'm glad you found him and he was ok.


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## FarmGirl18 (Oct 5, 2007)

Thanks Amos! I think he's pretty cute too...but of course I'm his Mom.


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## Amos (Oct 2, 2008)

Haha, thats true, but its not like he has a face that only a mother could love. :wink:


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## FarmGirl18 (Oct 5, 2007)

Amos said:


> Haha, thats true, but its not like he has a face that only a mother could love. :wink:


Very true... :greengrin:


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