Update: Vada Has Been Found!

Update from Vada's owner on Tuesday evening: "Vada is home safely! Animal control found her in an elderly man's backyard across the way from us near Frederiksen. He tried to spray her with a hose but she wouldn't budge and stayed in hiding. That is when he called Animal Control and we picked her up an hour ago. We are so happy she is home with us. Thanks to all for your positive vibes and for spreading the word on our Vada!" 

Those who know me know I was not always a dog person. I always thought being a dog person or cat person for that matter, was something that could change over time.

Growing up I was a cat person. I had a cat named Cocoa at age 10 and she has stayed a family pet for years at my mother's house. Now I am 30 and with a family embarking on family life and adventures together and somehow it seemed right to have a dog. It was more by chance if anything, one routine Saturday morning.

My husband James and I were coming from his weekly Saturday morning Ultimate pick up game in Pleasanton, and were on our way to Panera for lunch. We noticed Petsmart was having their adoption event through Stonecliffe Animal Rescue and we would stop by and pet the dogs and cats brought out occasionally. We saw some huge dogs, some small dogs, and some noisy, active dogs. One lonely and calm puppy came up and nudged my hand while I was petting another dog. The dog I was petting barked at the puppy who nudged me and was obviously irritated. The puppy did nothing but stare at me, circled around once, and came back to greet me by lifting up on the fencing. Her gaze was soft and her demeanor was gentle. There was something kind behind her eyes. I looked at my husband, squinted with a frown of fondness from what is now called the look that told us we had to get her.

My husband was mesmerized by her, as well. I could tell that would be his future baby. She was a small puppy, black with beautiful white markings on her chest and white paws - something that caught my eye right away. When we inquired about her to one of the employees, we were told she was a rescue, found amongst her other siblings on the side of the freeway. It broke my heart to know someone would so such a horrible thing. She is a black lab and boxer mix and she was the very last puppy out of a litter of 7 to be adopted. ( I know, right? Why hadn't someone adopted her yet?) I believe it was true fate for us to find her. That was the day we adopted our then named puppy, Jersey.

The ride home was hard for me. I held her tight likening her to a newborn child. She was so sweet and sat right on my lap with no problem. Our kids were gone that weekend and we were so excited to be surprising them when they returned home the next day. They had been begging us every chance they could get and trying to convince us to get a dog for months. As we settled her in our home, we tried thinking of names to call her. She was a gentle soul and yet she had some feist in her, I just knew it! It made me think of that little girl in the movie, "My Girl" Vada, and the cute actress that played that part. She had lost her mother and her father ran a funeral home. She seemed so strong and very unique, and immediately I wanted to name our dog Vada. Her full name would be Vada Rose Harper as all dogs must have proper names. She took to the name well.

When the kids came home they were completely enthralled with her. Vada got used to their constant smothering of affection. She knew she loved them and wanted to hang out with them in their rooms. She goes into my two daughter's rooms and stay with them until they go to sleep. We found out soon enough that she loved the outdoors. Perfect for us because we are an outdoorsy family and love to take hikes. Our first trip to Morgan Territory was a blast as she ran through the woods and jumped off hillsides happy with glee. She even jumped in a small creek pool without hesitation. It made us so proud! Although she is shy amongst people, she loves other animals and dogs. 

Now you know the story of our dog Vada. She is a part of our family and always will be. My heart goes out to her every night she has been missing from us and we hope for her safe return.

Vada got out of her backyard while her owners were away around 8:30p.m. on Saturday, July 9. She is a 7-month -old black lab/boxer mix with white markings on her belly and paws. She is about 20 lbs. She is wearing an orange collar with tags and is microchipped.

If found please call James at (925) 452-7220.