Found Copyright 2010, Troy Kechely Page 1

Found

By Troy Kechely

Copyright 2010

Found Copyright 2010, Troy Kechely Page 2

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, That saved a wretch like me....

I once was lost but now am found, Was blind, but now, I see.

T'was Grace that taught...my heart to fear. And Grace, my fears relieved.

How precious did that Grace appear...the hour I first believed.

Through many dangers, toils and snares...we have already come.

T'was Grace that brought us safe thus far...and Grace will lead us home.

The Lord has promised good to me...His word my hope secures.

He will my shield and portion be...as long as life endures.

Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail, and mortal life shall cease,

I shall possess within the veil, a life of joy and peace.

When we've been here ten thousand years...bright shining as the sun.

We've no less days to sing God's praise..than when we've first begun.

"Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, That saved a wretch like me....

I once was lost but now am found, Was blind, but now, I see.

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The hot August air rushed past the dogs face as the white pickup truck traveled down the road. It was rare for

her to get a ride so the enjoyment of the moment was exhilarating. She barked at the cars as they drove past.

Not out of aggression as many would suspect given she was a Rottweiler, but more out of excitement. She

really couldn’t make out the details. Each car was a blur of contrast. Her vision had been declining over the

years and now restricted her from seeing any detail. The bright sunshine was optimal for her now though

allowing her to make out the different shapes.

The truck took a turn and the noise of the asphalt was replaced with the rumble of gravel. She smelled the air

as the dust from the road was kicked up by the truck, soon odors of pine and grass filled her nostrils. She

struggled with her footing as the truck drove down the bumpy road, each turn causing her some pain in her

shoulder and back knees, injuries and ailments never addressed in her six years of life. Still she was a

Rottweiler, her stoic nature overriding her pain, helping her enjoy the moment.

For over 20 minutes the truck traveled up the winding dirt road, the trees that covered the sides of the

mountains were fascinating to the dog, the dark shapes blending into a mass of shadow as they sped past.

The smells are what kept her captivated by the travel. She had never had such an outing before. The heat of

the day was increasing as they went, her black coat absorbing all the sunlight making her warmer than she

preferred. She was panting, trying to cool off but the desire to smell all the new odors motivated her to stop

long enough to breathe through her nose to enjoy it.

Finally the truck stopped and the engine was shut off. The driver got out and walked towards the back of the

truck. The dog was excited; her nubby tail was wiggling frantically. Hoping for some affection she followed

him from inside the bed of the pickup as he walked past. The driver opened the tailgate and stood by it. The

dog went to the edge and hesitated. She knew that the jump out would hurt her shoulder which was already

sore but she so wanted to get out and explore. She inched to the edge of the tailgate straining to see the

ground but she couldn’t judge the distance. The driver looked around, his impatience showing on his face.

Finally the dog made the leap. She landed hard, her left shoulder giving out causing her head to almost hit the

ground. The pain was instant but she didn’t yelp or whine, instead she began moving around the area letting

her nose take in all the wonderful odors.

She didn’t see the driver close the tailgate but she heard it. Still she didn’t think anything of it as she followed

the scent of some animal that had crossed the area the night before. She could hear a bird in the background

as she worked through some tall grass about 50 feet from the truck. The sound of the truck door closing

caused her to raise her head up. She tried to see what was happening but only could see the light colored

shape of the truck in the distance. Her heart began to beat fast when she heard the engine start. She started

running towards it only to see the trucks shape move quickly down the road. She started barking frantically as

she desperately ran after it, the dust clogging her eyes and nose. Faster and faster she ran, barking as she

went but soon the truck was gone, her shoulder was screaming in pain forcing her to stop running. With a

pronounced limp she kept going down the road but couldn’t see or hear anything. She desperately looked

around but didn’t recognize anything. For 10 minutes she kept limping down the road but finally the heat and

the pain forced her to rest. She stepped off to the side of the road and lay down in the shade of a tree. She

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panted quickly trying to cool off. It took an hour for her to cool off enough to try and move again. She

desperately needed water. Getting up she moved back to the road but she was confused on which way to go.

Picking a direction she limped slowly down it. The sun had moved further in the sky causing the shadows of

the pine trees to grow long. It was both a blessing and a curse for her. The shadows provided shade but it

was darkness she feared the most, her vision being limited as it was, even an overcast day made it hard to see

for her. Still she kept walking, each step shooting pain through her left shoulder. Her back legs were sore as

well but she needed to keep moving.

The sun went behind the top of the ridge casting the entire area in shadow. The dog struggled to see and moved more

slowly, relying more on her nose and the feel of the road than her sight. Darkness closed in fast and she soon

was unable to see at all. She strained with her eyes but only saw black. With the darkness each sound she

heard was amplified. Sounds she hadn’t heard before, that in daylight would have been intriguing, were now

in the blackness terrifying. Wandering for hours she finally had to lay down. She found some grass on the side

of the road and curled up. It was then that she noticed the cold, the heat of the day quickly replaced by the

frigid night air. She pulled her legs close to her body and laid her head down, her eyes still training to see.

With each noise she would raise her head trying to identify it but to no avail. She whined a little bit and licked

her lips but her tongue was dry from dehydration. Exhausted, she needed sleep but the combination of the

fear and cold prevented that.

The first light of morning shown in the night sky as it turned to a dark shade of gray, then transitioning to blue

as the sun broke over the horizon. It took another hour before the road and trees were exposed to the suns

warmth. The dog started moving again, desperate to find the truck and her owner. The cold of the night had

caused her back legs and shoulder to stiffen. Each step caused her to whine a little but she needed to push on.

With the cool morning air she tried to find scent of the truck but with no luck. As she walked onward the road

she was traveling met with another, yet there was no smell to guide her. She turned toward the left and

limped on.

It was the smell of the water she detected first, and then as she moved on she started to hear the sound of the

creek. She tried to run but her shoulder wouldn’t let her, instead she limped as fast as she could. She had to

leave the road but finally found it; the clear cool water was just what she needed. She drank for several

minutes pausing only to breathe. She lay down in the shade next to the creek and rested a bit. The sound of

her stomach growling reminded her that it had been a day since she had eaten. Even with her hunger the

exhaustion over took her. In the cool shade she finally fell asleep for the first time in 36 hours, the sound of

the stream next to her giving her comfort.

When she awoke it was already late afternoon. Her stomach was still grumbling motivating her to get up and

try and find something to eat. She nibbled on some of the green grass that lined the creek and started to

explore to find something more sustaining. Her nose didn’t pick up anything but still she searched. The

shadows were growing long again as she wandered into an open field away from the road. The smell of a

rabbit caught her attention motivating her farther from the roadway. She paused as she heard the sound of an

engine; she looked around but couldn’t see anything. It was confusing as the sound seemed to be

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everywhere. Finally it went away, and she went back to looking for some food never seeing the plane that

flew overhead. As she sniffed around a log the motion of the rabbit caught her attention. It was the dark

color of the rabbit against the straw colored grass that she saw. In a flash the rabbit ran zigzagging its way to

some rocks. The dog darted after the shape as best she could but lost it in the rocks. She sniffed around for

several minutes before giving up. The grumbling of her stomach intensified.

Darkness fell again for the second night. The dog had lost where the road was and now found herself in the

woods, the tall trees causing the black to creep in all the faster. She tried to walk but found herself tripping

with each step or running into things. Finally she laid down curling up as best she could to stave off the cold.

Shivering she found the woods even more frightening this second night. The noises seemed more intense as

the night wore on. She didn’t dare whine as she was fearful that it would attract something. Her ears perked

up with each snap of a twig or slight swaying of branches in the night breeze. Then she felt something, her

heart raced with the feeling of something on her side. She trembled as the pressure of whatever was on her

grew. She wanted to run but couldn’t, her body paralyzed in fear, she couldn’t bite or even cry out at the

feeling of something moving along her side. Her heart pounded as whatever it was moved closer to her neck.

She could feel it start to grab at her neck…

“Grace, you okay girl?” The man set down his book as his hand petted the Rottweiler that lay next to him on

the couch. The dog opened her eyes; the nightmare of her past was over. Even with her bad eyesight she

could make out the Christmas tree, its lights shining brightly. The old Rottweiler/Malamute mix that was

asleep on a pad on the floor opened his eyes at the sounds of Grace’s whines.

“Did you have a nightmare sweetie? Or perhaps you were chasing rabbits again huh?” The man petted her

softly, his hand rubbing her neck as her heart rate returned to normal. Grace raised her head a little and

looked around to make sure she was home. She had only been there a year since being abandoned but it was

a year that made up for a lifetime of pain. The name Grace, given to her by the man’s mom, as she said that

the dog once was lost, but now was found, just like the song.

Moving her body slightly, she snuggled more closely to the man, and lay her head back down on his leg. He

kept petting her as he read, only pausing to turn the pages of the book. Soon Grace was asleep again, this

time no nightmares to disturb her rest, only contentment.

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Prolog:

Yep, another Christmas story involving a dog. You can say I am predictable at the least. Still as with most of

my other stories this one is based on real events. Grace was found wandering way up in the woods outside of

Butte, Montana in the early fall of 2009. No one knows how she got where she was or where she came from.

We just know that the area she was in was rarely frequented by people and given her physical abilities it was

unlikely that she wandered there from houses that were more than eight miles away.

Thankfully some people were up there for a Sunday drive to check on some property and the saw her way out

in a field. The brought her to the Butte shelter who contacted Big Sky Rottweiler Rescue (BSRR). At the time I

was still morning the loss of Belle who I had to put to sleep in July 2009 and was fostering a puppy from Idaho.

With those issues I couldn’t take Grace but thankfully Kelly, a wonderful member of BSRR offered to take the

dog in. I met her in Butte to transfer some dog food that was donated and was the first to see the lost Rottie

who at the time the shelter had named her Dela. She had a face that was gentle and a quick evaluation told

me she had a soft temperament. I told Kelly then and there that if the foster I had was placed I would take

her. There was just something about her.

For several months she was in Kelly’s care but finally in late November I arranged to adopt her. My mom

traveled over to Helena with me to pick her up. It was while driving home that mom gave her the name

Grace. I couldn’t argue with her as it was perfect. Here was a dog that was lost and now found. She has filled

a void left by Belle’s passing and is helping comfort us all with the fact that Griz is in the twilight of his life. The

week before writing this I learned that Griz is in the beginning stages of kidney failure. He could have months

or a year. It doesn’t matter as each day is a blessing. All I know is that Grace is a good fit in me and Griz’s life

at this point and I am thankful to God for caring for her long enough to bring her to me.

I pray that all of you who read this will see the grace that God has shown you this past year and that you have

a very blessed Christmas and a happy New Year.