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This is a story about
the 1998 Westminster Kennel Club First Award of Merit winner (at the
age of 14 months)
CH. Ri Lee's Stetson Revark, ROM better known as Stetson.
It was a night like most as I did my evening chores, a cold,
blustery Wisconsin December 7th, 2008. I returned home from the
Packer game and let my constant companion and stud dog deluxe,
Stetson, out in the yard, as I always do, while finishing my kennel
chores. I watched as he disappeared, romping off in the light snow,
happy to be free of the house confines. He is my old guy. He’s 12
years of age although he acts as if he were 2. He’s steady, loyal,
and has never left my yard in all the years we’ve been together.
Something must have lured him away. I searched countless hours on my
own. The next day, my friends joined the search but still no
Stetson. Could track his paw prints by the house and alongside the
driveway but no further. There just were no signs of him. The early
morning hours of our search was when my friend saw it; the biggest
wolf she'd ever seen and it was behind my kennel. My stomach
churned. I knew we had wolves but I had never seen one nearby. I
always figured the dogs kept them away. Our search intensified with
a renewed urgency as we were to get another 14, yes, 14 inches, of
snow. I continued to do all I could: flyers, posters, phone calls to
all the veterinary clinics, humane societies, and even the requisite
reward. As the temperature plummeted and the winds began to blow
there was still no sign of Stetson.
By now a week had passed and I was heartbroken. Still looking,
hoping, but beginning to lose faith. I know he is a Tibetan Terrier,
I know they were bred to withstand winters in the high mountains of
Tibet, but this was Wisconsin and my dogs are my children. Yes, he
has always loved to spend time outside, but not overnight, and
certainly not in the middle of winter with below zero wind chills.
Where did he go? How did the wolf grab him? Why wasn’t there blood
on the snow. The pond is frozen over, he couldn’t have fallen
through the ice, or could he?
On the eighth day, I walked into the sunroom to get my noisy puppies
bones before settling them into bed. I glanced outside as I always
did when walking past a window. OH NO! I looked outside and Stetson
was standing in the driveway staring at me. I flew open the door and
he raced up the stairs, into the house, and directly into the kennel
of Trio, my Tibetan Terrier girl. He would not leave her side. He
had a dish of food, some water, and followed Trio around the house
all night. He was very thin with small bite marks which were already
healing. His gums were pink (a good sign in dogs) and he seem
exhausted, but other than that, it's as if he hadn’t even been
missing.
The next day, I immediately ran him to the vet for a thorough
checkup. The vet said he expected to hear the rasping sounds of
pneumonia in Stetson’s lungs due to the length of time he was
exposed to the winter elements. However, that was not the case. Even
his heart was as solid and strong as ever. The vet said if he didn't
know this old dog was 12, there would be no way to could convince
him otherwise. Yes, Stetson was thin to the point of his ribs and
backbone sticking out, he had bite marks on his ears and paw, plus
we found he had a broken tail. The tail was broken at the base,
where it adjoins his hind quarters. Given that, the worst case
scenario was he would never carry his tail over his back again as
Tibetan’s do. If that was the worst thing to come out of this --
I’ll gladly take it!
It is now a month since his disappearance, and Stetson is doing
beautifully. He's gaining his weight back and even carrying his tail
over his back, happily wagging it. Who says miracles don't happen? I
am not sure what lured him out of the yard. All I know is he was
gone for 8 days during which he had to endure 2 snowstorms, a
driving winter sleet, and frigid temperatures of -21 degrees below
zero with brutal winds. What a testament it is for a dog to survive
that kind of brutal weather. He most certainly is a dog who still
can withstand the elements that he was originally bred for! I would
like to think my years as a breeder working hard to maintain the
breed standard and ensure my Tibetan Terriers are true to their
lineage from Tibet, but I really believe it was more just him -- how
strong he is in mind and body. This year, in our house, Merry was
truly a part of Christmas.
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