The news these days is often depressing at worst and frustrating at best. It’s easy to get caught up in the spin cycle and let it get us down. Never fear… The News Blender has you covered. Once a week we feature Something Good and, in return, all you have to do is tell us something good that has happened to you this week, something you are thankful for, a joke, a cute animal story, an inspiring tale of heroics, a Random Act of Kindness… SOMETHING good.
Today’s something good is lost and found in a sheep pen.
Tilly, a 2 1/2 year-old border collie and red heeler mix, was ejected through the rear window of his family’s vehicle during a collision on Highway 41 in Idaho last Sunday. Uninjured but frightened, Tilly took off across the prairie after the accident, according to the The Spokesman-Review.
Linda Oswald, one of Tilly’s humans, ignored the nurse who stopped to help. Instead of staying put as advised, she immediately climbed out of the vehicle and started looking for Tilly. Sore and exhausted, Linda and her husband, Mike, joined by a handful of Good Samaritans who had stopped to lend aid after the crash, spent 10 hours looking in vain for Tilly before giving up and going home.
Mike and Linda despaired of ever seeing Tilly again.
But a viral Facebook post about the missing pooch spread and the Potters were keeping an eye out for Tilly on their farm about a mile and a half from the accident. They didn’t have to look far: when the sheep in their pen started acting oddly Tuesday morning, Zane mentioned it to his older brother Travis. When they investigated, they discovered Tilly doing what Tilly loves to do: herding. Linda says Tilly will herd anything, including people at the dog park.
The Potters didn’t even have to call law enforcement because a Sheriff’s car was passing by moments later looking for Tilly. They flagged him down, he opened the door and Tilly jumped in.
Around 48 hours after the pup ran off, he was reunited with an overjoyed Linda. She says he seemed a little put out that he’d been “left out on the prairie” for a couple days, and came in the house and drank water out of the toilet. Linda said that was something he’d never done before but he was so thirsty. Tilly then spent the rest of the day after his adventure curled up on his favorite couch, asleep.
“It was ridiculous, but you get so emotional over your pets,” she said.
“I just cried every day.” She credits the social isolation of the pandemic for prompting so many people to stop and search so long for Tilly.
Linda is extremely thankful for the help they received to help return Tilly to them.
“All of a sudden, I think people saw a time to really jump out and help, even if it was just a small thing like finding a dog. There’s a lot of kind people out there,” Linda said.
Tilly returned home thanks to the kindness of strangers and a viral Facebook post. That is something good to begin a new week with.
Now it’s your turn… Tell me something good.
