Around the Town: New Bingo

By Loretta Humble/Around the Town

This is a story about a little blind dog named Bingo who went on a very long walk, the trouble he got into, and about all the kind people who cooperated to save him when his owners had just about given up on him.

I’ll start by telling you the names of everybody I know of who had a hand in saving him.

1. Jerry Seilheimer.
2. Lisa King.
3. Staci Price
4. Martha Sample
5. Larry Sample.
6. Lady Groomer at 4 Paws.
7. Don Hughes
8. Henderson County Now
9. Shelly Fuget
10. Linda Rogers

And countless folks who posted and re-posted the Facebook picture and message that Staci Price posted. And every person driving the Cross Roads road who was alert and caring enough to dodge that little bitty black and white blind dog.

These are the heroes. If there are any bad guys in this story it would have to be Carl and me. It took us way too long to notice he was missing, but when we finally did, we were totally devastated and guilt-ridden. We combed the woods behind the house, and although he has never in his five years of life got in the road, we looked up and down to see if he had been killed, because we were sure if he got out there, he would get smashed immediately.

My house is set back off the road about one-eighth of a mile south of Fontenot Acres, which is on my side of the road, and the gate to Jerry Seilheimer’s house on the other. Staci Price and her fiancé Bradley Newland live at Fontenot Acres. Bradley’s aunt, Lisa King, lives several houses up from there. Some time while we were gone Sunday morning, Bingo made his way not only to the Seilheimer gate, but another 100 yards down to their house and then a ways behind it, where he began to tangle with Jerry’s two big dogs. Jerry thought he belonged to Lisa, so took him there. Staci took his picture and put it on Henderson County Now, and Lisa then took him around to all the neighbors in her area, but when no one claimed him, she took him back home to feed him. When she let him out to use the bathroom he wandered off again.

Now Martha and Larry Samples kept worrying about the little dog Lisa had brought by, and when they heard he was missing again, they went looking for him.

Donald and Charlene Hughes live nearly a mile from me. When Martha and Larry asked Don if he has seen the little dog, Don thought he had seen him. Next day, when Don found him out behind his house, very listless and weak, he took him to the Samples. He had cuts around his neck, and was a very sick puppy. They took him to the vet and spent a bunch of money getting him fixed up. Come to find out he had a really bad ear infection in addition to his wounds. We are guessing that is what caused him to lose his way and just keep walking.

By this time, Carl and I had searched all the places we thought he could be found, and had just about given up. But Shelly Fuget, who lives on my place, was determined he was still alive. She built a big sign and put it outside our gate, asking anybody who saw a small black and white dog to please call us. It wasn’t long after that that Linda Rogers called. She had seen Bingo’s picture on Henderson County Now. I found the post, we were overjoyed. I messaged Staci, and when she got it, she gave us the bad news that he was gone again. Gloom again. It was too dark to search by then. But the next morning before we got going, Larry Samples called to say he had Bingo.

When they had previously called 4 Paws Dog Grooming to see if she knew of a blind dog, she didn’t. But when she saw my posts about him being found and lost again, she called them. So, as much as they had fallen in love with Bingo, they told us we could come and get him. We had never visited with the Samples, but we spent a nice hour or two drinking coffee and chatting with them that morning. They told us don’t go off and leave him alone anymore, but to bring him down and let them puppy-sit.

In tracing his steps, we got to talk to several of our neighbors we never talk to. That part of this adventure was really nice. And having Bingo home is pretty nice too.