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Here is part of the E-mail that the Friends of Tulip got at about 1:30am
Friday December 28th, 2007.
Donna was camping out again Thursday night, with
Serenade (her other Irish Wolfhound) in the back of the Yukon. Donna had dozed off, and was
awakened by the shaking of the vehicle. It was Tulip, who had jumped
into the Yukon, and was licking Serenade! This was perhaps 1 am, I'm
guessing from when Donna called a short while ago.
Donna said she looks fine- not a scratch on her and only two ticks to
show for her woodland living. This was about 12 hours short of being a
two week ordeal. Could there be better news?
Donna, Tulips owner, and ALL of Tulips friends cannot say thank you enough to ALL THE WONDERFUL PEOPLE who helped get Tulip home.
It is amazing how many people have helped.
A note to everyone from Donna, Tulip's Mom
Dear Friends of Tulip,
It is my great pleasure and luxury to write this with Tulip by my side-- safe, warm, and sound asleep. I am so humbled and awed
by the efforts her friends and mine have made during this nightmare. Joyful messages have poured in from all over the globe,
many from people who had been silently following our progress, unbeknownst to us. The Irish Wolfhound community and everyone else has
been incredibly supportive. It restores my faith in the human race. It has been truly overwhelming to learn that so many people have
been touched by Tulip's plight and have gone so far out of their way to help us.
I will write a more detailed account of this ordeal when I have had time to reflect more upon the practical and emotional
lessons we have learned. I hope some of the things we have learned might help other people and dogs who may find themselves in a
similar plight.
Thursday night, Tulip's nine-year old aunt Serenade and I were spending the night in the Yukon in the driveway of the Heritage
Road home where she had been recently seen. I cannot describe the feeling I had at about 1 AM when I was awakened by the lurching of
my vehicle as Tulip launched herself through the open door and began licking Serenade.
From our calculations, Tulip was about 10 miles from home at the furthest ranges of her two territories, and the two territories
were about 10 miles apart. She was seen about 14 times over the two week period, usually near one of two rivers, but sometimes in
more residential areas, and more than once, frighteningly, running down the middle of the road at night. My heroic husband Carl put
over 1300 miles on his truck during this search, and I did not count the miles on my vehicle, nor the miles we walked, and other members
of Team Tulip, human and canine, walked and drove endless miles as well. Friends performed countless small and large acts of kindness
along the way.
From the bottom of my heart, my profound gratitude to those who were by our side during this journey, physically and in spirit.
Donna
A note to everyone from Carl, Tulip's daddy
The past few weeks have been extraordinary. Although at times we experienced anxiety, depression and extreme fatigue,
these weeks also revealed new perspectives on our family, friends and neighbors, our surrounding countryside, ourselves, and
of course Tulip. The time, effort and money spent by others, including many who were strangers to us, has been astonishing.
These were not simply token efforts. Many folks returned day after day to search, to print flyers, to bring food and to offer
encouragement. We are grateful to the many folks, some who live many miles from our home, who called to report sightings of Tulip.
These reports were critical in tracing her odyssey across Durham and Orange Counties. Donna and I walked the woods, together and alone,
for many miles. We were struck by the beauty of the Little River valley and later, when Tulip moved south, that of the Eno River and
its adjacent woodlands. As time passed, we developed a new respect for Tulip. Clearly, she was surviving an unfamiliar feral existence.
December is deer hunting season, and somehow she managed to avoid errant bullets. We suspect that deer carcasses were an important source
of sustenance until she moved to the Eno River area where hunting is not allowed. She returned to us looking remarkably fit.
Finally, and speaking for myself, I must add that the whole experience led me to love and admire my wife, Donna, more than ever.
In spite of the stress, she stayed focused on the task of Tulip’s safe return. Throughout the ordeal I felt that we were a team, and
I feel closer to Donna than ever. It has been an adventure for all of us. Thanks again to all who participated.
help@FindTulip.com
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