I was sitting here quietly catching up on my mail and a HUGE electric service truck pulled up out front.  Then the driver walked up to the front door.  His sgreeting was  "Do you own two little white/black terriers?"  When I said yes, he said they're, down the street past the dip and running in and out of traffic.  Guess he asked a neighboring house if they had any idea who owned them.  My eternal thanks to THAT neighbor, whoever it was!  I ran for my car keys and Lance grabbed the leashes, Fluffy and Wubba.  I drove and he went on foot.  By the time I got down to the general area with the car, Lance had caught them alreaday!  He saw Button alone at first, and when he called her, Zipper ran out from some shrubs and they eagerly responded to COME!  He was soooooo pleased and relieved.  As he hooked on their leashes I was pulling up and we both praised them profusely with GOOD COME!  Button was panting to beat the band; Zipper was calm and looked like she was having a grand ole time! 

Then we came back to see how they got out!  The tilers had come by to grout my new patio tile this morning, but the skies threaten rain (40% chance all day).  They didn't want to get started and have to stop/tarp it up and have it get wet, so they'd be back tomorrow to finish.  So our first thought was they had left a gate open.  But  the gate they had been using was latched as I had checked & put the retaining bolt in it myself when they left.  SO HOW DID THE GIRLS GET OUT??????

Lance walked over to our "out of view" easily-forgotten gate (which they didn't use to our knowledge or even need to use) and it was 4" ajar.  Our meter reader has been guilty of leaving this gate ajar on two previous occasions (& he usually reads meters on Wed).  So we think he may have come & read the meter this morning and yet again left it ajar.  Guess we're gonna have to put signs on both sides of both gates to "PLEASE LATCH SO DOGS WON'T GET OUT!!

This is actually the second time in the past week the back gate was left open and the dogs got out!  So this scare today was particularly upsetting.  We've just GOT to remember to check BOTH gates (even though one is pretty hidden) every time ANYBODY comes into our back yard.  Problem with the meter reader, is we never know he has been through there.  Rarely actually see him come.   Grrrrrrr!  

Scary!  

We have an electronic meter that can be read from the main office so I no longer have that problem. When we lived in Miami, I always put a padlock on our gate and I actually caught the meter reader from the power company forcing the gate open, instead of knocking or ringing the bell. Thank God I had the dogs inside at the time. Here in Palm Bay before they came and put the remote meter in they would call the day before the reader came to let me know so I could put the dogs inside before they came. Maybe your readers could the same and just give you a call. I ended up having Phil call the power and gas company in Miami and tell them not to force my gate again and he chewed them out good, Rattagan won't leave his yard but Cameo hasn't learned that one yet so we have to be careful. On the gate here in Palm Bay there is a sign that was here when we moved in, it says Beware of Dog with a picture of a German Shepard on it. NO ONE likes to open that gate I guess they think there's a big dog out there, I think that is a good thing!

Glad you got them back safe and sound. Thanks to your neighbors and the meter reader for finding where they belonged.

It's the scariest feeling in the world. I came home for lunch once and Alice was in the FRONT yard. I almost crapped!! Thank god she didn't go anyhwere. I am soo  happy you got your girls back safe and sound. I bet your heart will be pounding for awhile!!

It was our gas company that opened the gate and when I found out I called their customer service. First I apologized to the agent, then let loose.  She also has a dog and completely understood.  They told the meter reader to no open the gate anymore without first checking.  Perhaps a call to you local power company and ask the same.

Also, I've heard a rumor that the edit button will appear in this forum so I'm really just making a post to check it.

What a relief that they came when you needed that "Come command" to work!!!

If nothing else, post a sign on your gate for the meter reader reminding him/her to shut the gate and latch it, or you will hold him personally responsible for anything that goes wrong!

Oh Peggy I'm so glad that they are okay. Sure sounds like they had a blast!

I am so glad the pups were ok and it had a happy ending.

So glad to hear your pups are home and safe! It must have been a horrible experience for  you. I NEVER leave any gates unlocked, if they want in, they have to let me know. I don't care WHO they are. My meter reader reads from the street. BTW, I have 6 foot privacy fence around 90% of my yard. Yep! I'm a freak!