At dawn the next morning we were back in the Phenix City area, armed with flyers, stopping early-morning joggers, and knocking on every door.  We spent the day going from house to house, ringing doorbells, and talking to residents.  "No Trespassing" signs didn't bother us; neither did "Bad Dog" signs - nothing was going to keep me from finding my puppy!

As the day wore on, we met a few people who had seen the dog the day before and our hopes grew stronger and stronger.  We were so close!  But finally, when we handed our flyer to one man we met standing out in his yard, he said, "No, this dog looks like 'Amos.'  He lives

just down the street.  Occasionally he gets loose and roams over the neighborhood, and I saw him loose yesterday."

Sure enough, we went to the house he indicated, and found Amos.  He looked enough like our Speckles, even to the red collar, that we could see how the people had been mistaken.

Tired and disappointed, we drove back to the motel.  It was too late and we were too tired to drive home that night. "Lord," I prayed, "I don't understand. Why did you bring us up here for nothing?" The answer came into my mind as clearly as if the Lord had spoken audibly to me:

"Jim," He said, "Why is it that you eagerly knock on every door here regardless of the "No Trespassing" and "Bad Dog" signs, but when you are searching the sand hills you pass by those houses?  Do you love your lost puppy more than the lost people I have sent you to find?"

I really didn't want to hear that, but of course He was right.  He had called Pat and me to find the people in the sand hills who needed Him, and we were doing it half-heartedly, without a sense of purpose.  I shared my feelings with Pat and we agreed to be more dedicated to His purpose.

We hated to face the fact that after a week the odds of finding Speckles were getting slim, but we decided to check out a few ads in the local paper in hopes of finding another puppy to love.  Oddly enough, that action started a series of events that ultimately led to Speckles' safe return!

Of course we shared our story with everyone we called, and one of the cocker spaniel breeders told us, "You really need to talk to Deborah Owens.  She rescues cocker spaniels, and she can find your dog if anyone can."

We called Deborah, who turned out to be a lovely lady.  "You all go on back home," she said, "and if you get any more calls about Speckles, refer them to me.  I'll check them out for you."

We thanked Deborah, and made plans to go back home the next morning.  Just before we checked out of the motel, though, we got a call from a local newspaper reporter.  "Deborah Owens called me," he said, "and I want to write a feature about your lost dog"

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