The bitch is back!

About 2 weeks ago, she got picked up for not carrying any ID. This is China so it took a lot of networking, going to different government departments, about 20 phone calls, and a big fine before getting her released. No bribes required but a lot of fast talking.

Only back 4 or 5 days, when she did a runner. I wasn¡¯t there and got the story second hand. She was staying at my (wife¡¯s) cousin¡¯s house about 4 miles away. When my cousin¡¯s boyfriend went home, she just rushed out without a word and didn’t look back. That was 10 days ago.

Worried sick, we have searched all over including with the authorities, put up lost posters but couldn¡¯t find hide nor hair of her.

This morning China bambina woke me up early and we were getting some fresh formula made in the kitchen. I heard a familiar noise, a kind of petulant whining outside the front door of our 5th floor apartment. I wasn¡¯t sure but I went to the door, slowly opened it and there she was. Man, looking the worse for wear too, obviously lost a lot of weight, been sleeping on the street, filthy, smelly and some open sores.

She immediately tried to throw herself in my arms ¨C all 10 tail wagging pounds of her. Ecstatic to find a familiar face and a friendly hand, Fei Fei the wonder dog has been MIA for about 10 days. Somehow she managed to find her way 4 miles from my cousin¡¯s place to my apartment, even though she¡¯s only made that trip in a bicycle basket and has been to my apartment only a few times. My cousin had recently moved to her new place, and Fei Fei was unfamiliar with the neighborhood when she did the runner, which was also out of character.

Needless to say, I called my cousin, who rushed over for a happy reunion. Fei Fei is now home with her Mommy my cousin, getting a bath and will be visiting the vet a little later today. One lost dog who made it home.

What a nice story after a week of bad stories! I’m glad the little booger made it home.

PS Your thread title cracked me up, and I fell for it … I opened it ready to read about psychotic ex-girlfriends, or meddling mothers-in-law, or an especially bad boss.

Actually, Fei Fei managed to find her way over 6 miles (10 km), crossed one major bridge, dodged who knows how much traffic in a section of Shanghai with a population of approximately 1 million. My cousin¡¯s office (where Fei Fei hangs out a lot) and mother-in-laws place (where Fei Fei used to live) are located within a few hundred yards of my apartment. Fei Fei was sighted in the vicinity of both places before trying my apartment. I was the only one up at dawn courtesy of China Bambina.

Pets used to be illegal, and were killed off en mass during the cultural revolution. My wife remembers the family dog being taken away when she was a little girl, and gets deeply offended at any attempted joke about wok-ing the dog. Dogs in Shanghai and most major cities in China are now required to have an annual pet license. Here in Shanghai, that costs about USD200. Fei Fei got picked up a couple weeks ago for no license, and taken to the pound.

Anyhoo, Fei Fei got checked out by a vet, and pronounced to be in good health albeit skinny and with a treatable skin rash. Fei Fei is now wearing her collar and official ID including phone number. Otherwise, Fei Fei is in good spirits and seems none the worse for wear after this adventure. And I used to think that this kind of stuff only happened in Disney movies…