In November of 2004, I was visiting my Mother, and my best friend since first grade, in San Antonio for two weeks over the Thanksgiving holiday. One day I saw a dog running down the street with her back leg hiked up - it was love at first sight. I went right back to the house and got dog food and returned immediately.

She was running pretty fast though - considering her situation - and had gotten to the baseball diamond. She was in the Olmos Basin, a wooded area between Alamo Heights and Olmos Park, with lots of soccer fields, baseball diamonds, and trash cans full of fast food leftovers. It is also a flood basin.

During my visit, I began feeding her twice a day. I would put the food down, stay a respectful distance, and talk to her soothingly. I promised her that if she would just come with me, she could have a very nice life in Oregon. I promised her fantastic kibble, gourmet dog bones, her own place on a big bed with me and a down comforter, and her own dog bed too, in case she wanted space! I also told her about the fenced yard with landscaping that is about 80 years old... a huge apple tree, lilacs, pears, raised beds with perennials, vegetables, raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, and lots of beautiful birds. There is never thunder and lightning in Oregon, which seemed to make Molly's ears perk up when she heard that; because, they were having a 500 year flood that week in San Antonio and the flood basin was slowly filling up with water.

She never would let me pet her and I never made a lunge for her to catch her. I just tried to build her trust. Finally, on Thanksgiving night, she really seemed like she wanted to get in the car with me... but she wouldn't. I was very sad because I had to fly home on Saturday and I knew that I couldn't bear to leave her. I told her about the situation and she must have understood... she ran home BEHIND my car on three legs. I walked up the driveway, opened the wrought iron gate, and she went in. I shut the gate, got a dog crate, and put food and water in it. She went inside. I shut the door, sat there and talked to her, and never even tried to pet her. The next day, I took her to Dr. Kirby, and he said that he could not save her leg. He also said that she was a sweet dog! Then he said something mortifying... she had not been nursed on in five days. I was totally upset to think that I had taken a mother from her pups, but he asked me if I had found her in the flood basin and told me that she was waiting to make sure that she couldn't save her puppies before coming with me. So in one week, Molly lost her leg and her puppies. The vet also said that she had fallen out of a pick-up most likely, or been thrown from a car because of some other scars on her back. He thought she had been in the park for several months.

A week later, she flew to Oregon in a padded dog crate on Continental Airlines. I picked her up and when she heard my voice she wiggled for joy. I drove her to Eugene talking to her the whole time. And when we arrived home, although it took a while for her to feel secure, she became the very best dog I have ever had (although I have had many wonderful dogs!). She is very loyal, obedient, and playful when when is at peace and secure. She throws her toys up and squeaks them over and over. We went to the beautiful Oregon Coast and she learned to chase seagulls and play in the sand with me.

A few years later, I fell in love with a family friend who I had known for years and years, and Molly got a Papa. He dotes on her and she is a Daddy's Girl. At our first Christmas, he got her a cute pink bone-shaped tag that had her new last name on it - his way of adopting her, I think. He also gave her a Gore-Tex pink dog-cape parka to protect her from the rain while they take their walks. She looks like a super-hero in it! He walks her daily and plays with her a lot. He is disabled and she "puts him down" for his nap each day by going to get him and giving him the look...then she trots off to the bedroom! When they are napping, if I come into the room, I get a dirty look. If I lie down, I get three stiff paws in my side as if to say, "Hey, this is my time with Papa." He feeds her every morning and night...with only the finest kibble and the freshest filtered water. The rest of the time she is still Mom's baby. She sticks to me like glue and goes everywhere with us.

After a few years, she began helping Jeff with his disability, so we had her certified as a service dog. She now has an official Lane County Service Dog Tag. She goes to restaurants, hotels, and pretty much everywhere with us. It is much cooler in Oregon, so you can take dogs with you a lot of places that you can't here in Houston. Every year she goes to Canada with us. We go to a lodge that does not accept pets but is like a camp for adults. We stay in a cabin by the water and get spoiled with three meals a day and the company of good friends every year. Molly goes to camp too. She stays with pet sitters, who have become so fond of her, they would like to have her if something happens to us. They are not the only ones! The list of those waiting for us to expire so that they can have Molly is pretty long! She is a sweetheart!

I imagine though, that being out in the elements by herself in a strange city with thunder and lightening has given her a good case of PTSD. I doubt that she is feeling very secure; so I think she'll be pretty skittish. She still suffers from abandonment issues and I am so upset that she ran away when we went away for the weekend. I hate for her to think we left her! When she is secure, she is very confident...but this has taken years. We went on a vacation to see the Canyon Lands in Utah and Nevada. We stayed a Treasure Island in Vegas for a night in a lovely marble bathed suite! She walked right through the mayhem in the casino like she owned the place, sashayed into the suite, and hopped onto the dog bed, crossing her front paws demurely in front of her, as though she had arrived!

Thanks for helping us to get our child back. Since I am undergoing chemo, she is the only child we will have...apparently chemo takes that option away...I had no idea! We are happy to have Molly and only Molly; but to lose her on top of my likely terminal cancer, is just too much. I can't bear the thought of leavening Jeff all alone without Molly or me! I am having a hard time focusing on healing with this terrible loss. Our hearts are broken and we drive around all day calling her name. We are not sleeping well and cannot seem to eat very well either. Please help us bring Molly back! It would mean a lot to all three of us!

Many thanks for reading this whole story!

-- Deborah, Jeff and Molly Nance