The Lucky Bark

February 5, 2009, Dennis took our grandson's dog, Lucky, for a walk at a nearby park.  He was visiting at our daughter's home in Pasadena (where we lived for almost 30 years) and took the old familiar walk to the park or around the block.  Lucky and Den were buddies.  It was their routine anytime he was there for a visit.

It was also Denny's birthday.  I was teaching at the time at a nearby high school.  We had plans to go to dinner and celebrate another great year.  So at about 4:00, I arrived for the pickup.  A family friend had been with Dennis all day and he said he was concerned that Den had not returned yet from the walk.  So off I went driving to the park and around the block to see if I could catch up with him.

When I didn't find him in the immediate vacinity, I called nearby friends and our daughter to help in the search.  Within 30 minutes or less, I knew we needed help.  While still searching, I called 911.  The operator asked a few questions that annoyed me because all I wanted was help.  Then I got the message - "You will have to hang up and call your local police department.  This is not an emergency for 911."  At that I got more than a little hostile.  I kept calling back to no avail. 

So it was that I had to abandon my search and go back to the house to get the number for the local police department.  I knew by then we were facing a potentially dangerous situation.  Contacting the police department was by then another frustration.  Being transferred from one person to another (each asking what were my needs) ... made my blood boil to be quite honest.  Finally I was told that an officer would be dispatched to the house to take an official report and get the detailed information.

I waited for about 45 minutes for the officer to arrive.  It was by then dark.  It was 7:30 when he arrived.  My immediate concern was to have everyone on the alert to watch for Dennis and Lucky.  The questioning seemed endless.  The obvious questions didn't concern me but it was -- parent information, social security, where he was born, and so on.  All this was being writting on a little spiral notebook.  My anxiety was visibly noted.  I kept pleading for quick response for officers on patrol to have this information.  I explained that we had about six family/friends looking and where we had looked.  When the officer left, I felt some relief that FINALLY we had our help.

About 10:00 pm came and we got a call.  An officer had located Dennis.  We were all so excited and everyone withdrew the search.  They would be bringing Dennis home within the hour.  Thirty minutes later the phone rang.  It was not the call we wanted.  There had been a mistake.  The individual they had stopped was NOT Dennis afterall.

I had no choice but to stay by the phone.  I went to our home in Pearland to stay that night thinking he might have walked home (about 10 miles or so)-- and might show up there.  There were no phone calls and no Dennis.

With the help of her friend, Sondra made flyers with pictures of her dad and that he was missing.  They did a great job.  She spent the night driving the streets and talking with anyone who was open for business.  She explained the urgency of finding her father and left them with a flyer that provided contact numbers.  When dawn came she passed a patrol car and decided to stop and share the flyers with the officers.  As she told her story of searching and provided the flyers --- she was shocked and horrified that they knew nothing of the search.  By then in was 8:00 am (16 hours missing). 

The officers were apologetic.  Then one asked that she never use his name because he was suggesting she contact Texas Equu Search.  He gave her the contact number and assured her they would provide the help we needed. When Sondra called me with this information and told me what the officers advised, at first I was reluctant.  But we were desperate for help.

 

I promptly called the contact number and found an immediate response to our cry for help.  They took the case # for my report to law enforcement and said they would set up a command station at Strawberry Park (one block from where he disappeared) within a couple hours.  They were never hesitant to help.  They had only one request and that was for me to contact the supervising officer in charge of the investigation to let him know they were joining the search.  It was a protocol that they honored to keep everyone informed and working together.  They would take care of everything on their part.

 

While I was contacting EquuSearch, Sondra had contacted her office at the Water Department.  All city vehicles had been given the information and were keeping their eyes open as they went about their daily duties.  The school district police department was doing the same.  So at that point we had pretty much canvassed the Pasadena area.

 

In relaying this new support status to the local police department, I expressed my frustration and utter disgust that the officers on the street that morning knew nothing.  The officer apologized and said he would look into that and get back with me.

 

In a return call, I was told that there had been a computer glitch and that the report had not been put out on the 'network' but that had been corrected.  I was also advised that a detective would be meeting me within the hour at our daughter's home. 

 

When the two detectives arrived, I did not see any sense of urgency on their part.  They asked what I thought were mundane and 'stupid' questions.  What I wanted was ACTION.  I wanted reassurance that people were looking for my husband.  [This was February and he had been missing 18 hours.]  The detectives asked if they could search the house and our vehicles.  My response was one of fury.  I had no kind words at that point.

 

Lucky for me, friends and fellow PISD police officers were with me for support and they advised me to let the detectives do their job.  Didn't make sense to me but the search took place.  [Later I realized the detectives didn't appreciate the presence of the District officers but they were my friends and were there only for support.]

 

While all this was happening, our son, Scott arrived to join the search.  His immediate concern was to calm me down as I vented about the searching of the home and vehicles.  He knew calm was what was needed to get the job done.

 

When the search was finished I provided Denny's doctor information to confirm the Alzheimer's.  I asked for an immediate Silver Alert posting.  What I found out was another shock.  Dennis did not qualify for the Silver Alert because he was not yet 65.  I argued to no avail and expressed my fury at such a stupid criteria.  [What I found out was that in Texas Dennis met every criteria but the final part was 'must be 65 or older'.  Nothing about this made sense.]

 

Then one of the detectives asked me to speak with him in his vehicle.  His questioning did nothing but infuriate me at that point.  He and I had some curse words and I left the vehicle.  Then he asked to speak with the person who last saw Dennis.  It was Craig (a family friend) who had been with him all day.  By this point, Craig was an absolute wreck.  He loved Dennis like a brother.  He was distraught with what he might of done different.  The detective took him to that same vehicle.  Craig returned from that interrogation visibly distressed.  He said they wanted him to go with them for a lie detector test -- and he was having no part of it.  Already frustrated with the detectives, I expressed my opinion and supported Craig categorizing the request as absolute nonsense and a waste of time.  I did however offer to provide them with the Accutracking report for the van they had used that day.  It would give detailed locations and times for all the time in question.  They didn't request it but I gave it to them anyway.

 

The detectives were at the house a couple of hours. Shortly after they left, we got the call that EquuSearch was starting to set up their command post at the park. It was early afternoon now and 'no Dennis'.  I remember sitting on a park bench that day with a good friend.  I had calmed in the tranquility of the park.  It was calming just to see people driving in with their four-wheelers.  Total strangers continued arriving;  as families, as volunteers, as friends.  All I could think was how awesome it was to finally have this abundance of help (now almost 20 hours later).  Everyone drove by as they reported to the command station and got their assignment.  Even though Scott and Sondra were in and out of that area, I purposely stayed away from that hub because the over abundance of energy would have only taken me to a more fearful place in my heart and mind. 

 

People were coming and going all afternoon and early evening.  Friends and strangers came by to give me a hug and provide support.  At about 8:00, we (Scott, Sondra and I)  went to the command station to thank everyone. When I walked in, the two detectives were there and my friends from the PISD police dept were there.  It was quieting as the coordinator had started sending home volunteers for the night.  I thanked everyone and it was explained to me that at 9:00 pm the search would be suspended til early morning.  Scott went with me as I returned home to get some sleep.

 

At the crack of dawn, we were all back at the park.  People were coming and going on that chilly morning.  I remember thinking that Dennis had been missing two consecutive nights in the cold of February.  I could only pray he found a warm place to sleep.  I found myself in constant prayer!  Only the Lord could carry me through these hours of desperation. 

 

At 10:00 am that Saturday morning, the kids came running to me on the bench.  They had found Dennis.  He was in an Angleton, Texas hospital.  He had been found in a field 45 miles from where the walk began.  Hunters had found him. 

The search was officially over. 

 

Scott, Sondra, Ian (grandson) and I all jumped in a vehicle to make the trip.  We had no detailed information but he was alive and in the hospital emergency room.

[While driving, a trooper called to let me know he had Lucky.  The dog was okay and he would bring him to meet us at the hospital.]  When we arrived in the emergency room, Dennis looked absolutely weathered and disoriented.  He smiled and was clearly pleased to see family.  His heart rate was extremely high.  He was dehydrated.  Doctors said he was 'near death' when he came in.  He was stable at that point so they were moving him to Intensive Care.

 

When the trooper came with Lucky, we got more information.  He said two young men were out hunting rabbits that morning in a nearby thicket.  They heard a dog barking.  It was a strange bark and not one that they expected to hear in the middle of nowhere.  When they found the dog, they saw that he was tied to a small tree.  They also noticed a pile of clothes on the ground but no one was nearby.  As they stood wondering what to do, they heard a sound.  They looked out to see Dennis standing in the middle of the thicket mumbling incomprehensible sounds.  They immediately called 911.  The trooper went on to describe how difficult it was to get back into that area with paramedics.  I could only cry out "Thank you Jesus".  When I asked for the names of the hunters so I could give them a cash reward, the trooper said everyone was so focused on caring for Dennis that they never got the names. 

 

After turning over Lucky to us, I asked the trooper if we could speak privately. I asked if he felt Dennis had been abducted and driven there?  Had he been physically or sexually abused?  The trooper said that was one of the first things they looked for.  The medical staff truly believed (after careful examination) that Dennis had walked that distance on his own.  There was no indication of foul play.

 

When I share this story with friends, they all say, "You aren't suppose to know their names.  They were angels sent to save Dennis' life."  And so I title this post the lucky bark.  Lucky (the dog) stayed with Dennis and inevitably saved his life.  Without that bark, Dennis may have breathed his last breath in the middle of nowhere.  He may never have been found.

 

Once Dennis was moved to Intensive Care, we contacted our family doctor.  He requested that Dennis be transported back to our local hospital.  Dennis was transported by ambulance to Pasadena the next day.  In Bayshore hospital, it soon became apparent that they did not have the ability to supervise Dennis once he was up and mobile.  Once Dennis had cleared any health concerns, he was released to me for home care and recovery.  I was better equipped to keep him in a safe and familiar environment.

 

Before being discharged there was a legal issue to deal with.  As a result of Dennis being a missing person, Adult Protective Services would have a social worker representative interview Dennis and me regarding safety.  Having already been investigated by APS after the Brownsville incident, I knew the routine.  I understood their purpose.  However after such a blatantly poor response by the law enforcement (regarding 911),  I was defensive and not in the mood for another interrogation.  When the lady started the all too familiar questioning, I politely interrupted to try and explain the safeguards that were in place.  I told her, "We have made the necessary adjustments on this journey with Alzheimer's".  She stopped me in that sentence to correct me by noting this was not a journey.  Then she had me -- how dare she correct me.  I proceeded to tell her, "I have put in place many safeguards. I have a tracking device on all vehicles.  I have a care attendant who stays with Dennis daily while I work.  I have him registered with the national Safe Return program.  And I am working with a psychologist who specializes in caring for Dennis and myself during this time.  It has been and always will be my intention to let Dennis live life to its fullest with necessary safeguards.  He had walked the dog on a regular basis and in a familiar neighborhood many times with no problem."  At that, she closed up her notebook and acknowledged my preventative actions.  She knew at that point there was no neglect and/or abuse in this case. 

 

It was absolutely amazing.  Near death experience with only 3 days hospitalization and he was going home.  He didn't remember much about that period of time when he was missing other than to say the dog got tired and he carried him.  He also said that sleeping at night he piled up leaves and stuff to make himself a bed.

 

[A week after getting Dennis home, I made an appointment with the local chief of police.  I met with him to thank the department for support.  And as an educator, I wanted to share with him some of my concerns about the investigation and how it could very well of cost my husband his life.  Unfortunately, I was a woman alone!  My gesture to provide suggestions and ask serious questions was met with great resistance.  It was clear this department accepted no wrong doing on their part.  Not being fully satisfied with that meeting, I went on to meet with the mayor.  I wanted to discuss my concerns about the handling of 911 and the delayed reporting to patrol vehicles.  He had obviously been forwarned of my issues.  He politely listened and it was more than apparent he would NOT be doing anything further after I left.  Frustrated I left with the satisfaction I had tried.  I had given a voice to other families and individuals facing the challenges of Alzheimer's -- and for now that had to be enough.]