Monday, March 02, 2009
A mission of love
Courtesy of the Stevens family
While Toby was missing, the Stevens family learned that Andrew Stevens (above) — Randy and Monica's son and Laura's brother — was very sick. On Jan. 30, with his wife, Sarah (above) and family near him, Andrew died.
Sam Dean | The Roanoke Times
Toby and Randy have been best buddies, often going on long walks. Everyone who knows him loves Toby. The family suspects he's a beagle and retriever mix. "He's just a good American mutt," Randy said. Toby was a stray puppy Randy's daughter, Laura Stevens, found on the highway about four years ago.
Randy Stevens walks Toby through their Martinsville neighborhood.
The Stevens family lost its dog, Toby, when he ran away following a traffic accident.
Nona Nelson, The Happy Wag
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Anyone who shares life with a dog will likely know that sickening, helpless moment when nature rips control right out of your hand and the dog is gone.
Your blood runs cold, your stomach drops.
Sometimes, no matter how hard we try to hold on, we lose the ones we love.
Sometimes there is a homecoming. Sometimes there isn't.
And sometimes, because of what we have lost, we find out whom we can count on.
Lost in the dark
On the night of Jan. 25, a Sunday, Laura Stevens decided to take Toby, her family's dog, out for a drive because he seemed a little restless. He loves to ride in the car.
The 29-year-old left her Martinsville home, where she lives with her parents Randy and Monica Stevens, and drove along U.S. 58 toward Danville.
About 10 miles east of Martinsville, near Axton Elementary School, Laura said she decided it was time to turn back. She pulled into the U-turn in the median. She did not see the approaching Jeep until it was too late.
Neither of the drivers nor the dog were injured, but Laura's car was demolished, smoke pouring from the engine.
She and Toby waited in the median for help to arrive.
Now Toby is a happy little dog, Laura's father, Randy, said, but two things have always spooked him: High winds and big trucks.
The big trucks with loud sirens and flashing lights dispatched to the accident site were more than Toby could handle. The pooch slipped out of his collar, leaving Laura holding his leash as he scampered across U.S. 58 and into the night.
After Laura was checked out by the EMTs, she said she refused to go to the hospital.
"All I could think about was finding my dog."
The search begins
Toby began his life with the Stevens family as a found dog.
One day about four years ago, while driving on U.S. 220, Laura saw a small object in the road. As she got closer, she realized it was a tiny brown puppy.
"I scooped him up and took him home," she said.
Initially Randy was not in favor of keeping the stray pup.
"So I dropped Toby in his lap," Laura said. "He told me, 'Aw, that's dirty.' [Toby] was our dog then."
Since then, Toby and Randy have been best buddies, often going on long walks. Everyone who knows him loves Toby. The family suspects he's a beagle and retriever mix.
"He's just a good American mutt," Randy said.
He's also become an indoor pooch, not accustomed to nights outside, especially in bitter cold temperatures, rain and among woodland predators.
On Jan. 26, Greg Sykes, a friend of the Stevens family, got the text message Laura sent him the night before about the accident and the missing pooch.
He knew Toby, and he is a dog lover. Greg felt compelled to help.
He searched the area near the elementary school where Toby went missing. So did Laura and Randy.
No sign of Toby.
Greg began a media campaign for the wayward pooch. Radio stations were contacted; flyers were made and distributed; a notice was placed in the Martinsville Bulletin.
The search continued through Tuesday and Wednesday, when sub-freezing temperatures made combing the woods especially miserable.
By Wednesday, church members at Martinsville's First Presbyterian, where Randy has been the pastor since 2002, were aware of Toby's plight.
E-mails were sent to everyone in the congregation, church member Joan Ragland said. More fliers were posted, at the lumber yard, convenience stores and on every church door in Martinsville.
This doggy version of an Amber alert paid off.
On Thursday morning, Randy said a woman in Axton called to say she had seen the flier, and she thought Toby had been sleeping on her deck the last few nights.
But another call also came on that day, a call that would take precedence over a little dog lost.
A losing battle
Andrew Stevens, 31, Randy and Monica's son and Laura's brother, was very sick. His family needed to get to Richmond, where he lived with his wife, Sarah.
Andrew was diagnosed with stage IV colorectal cancer in 2005. His prognosis then was grim, but with surgeries, chemotherapy, love and prayer Andrew beat the odds.
Monica said her son, an avid outdoorsman, organized "Cancer Takes a Hike" to raise awareness of colorectal cancer.
"He used those extra years to do amazing things," his mother said.
But Andrew had relapsed. Monica said he was hoping to be admitted to a clinical drug trial, but time was running out. By that Thursday he was in liver failure.
On his way to Richmond, Randy stopped at the house where Toby was last seen. He showed a picture of his dog to the caller's husband and he confirmed that the dog on their deck was Toby.
Randy was relieved to know Toby was alive. He looked for a while, but he could not delay his trip to see his son.
Monica and Laura, both eighth-grade teachers at Martinsville Middle School, left together for Richmond.
"It was difficult to drive past where [Toby] had been seen and not look for him," Monica said. "But we had to leave."
Finding Toby would have to wait.
On a mission
On Friday, Jan. 30, with his wife and family near him, Andrew died.
Joan, Greg and those close to the Stevens family were devastated.
"People in the church knew Andrew, and he was the sweetest, nicest person you could ever want to meet," Joan said.
The community was now on a mission.
"God was telling me I needed to do this for this family. I knew I couldn't bring her brother back," Greg said. "But I figured at least if we could get Toby back, it would help with the healing process."
"You always want to do something," Joan said. "This was something people could really do. Find Toby."
On Saturday morning Joan, Greg and about 15 other volunteers met at the Axton school.
The searchers, a "posse" as Randy calls it, combed the area calling the dog's name. Joan figured, knowing Toby, the odds were against them.
"Toby only comes for Randy," she said.
The search party was almost successful. The dog had been spotted near a convenience store, and the volunteers who saw him were so thrilled they began clapping and cheering.
Their enthusiasm sent the frightened hound running in the other direction.
By mid-afternoon, most of the posse had to disperse, but Greg was not quite ready to give up.
At about 3:30 p.m., he secured one of Randy's jackets and a little food to the fence at the school.
At about 6 p.m., Greg went back to see if the lure had worked.
He heard a faint bark near the familiar scent of Randy's jacket. He got down on the ground and softly called Toby's name.
The dog poked his head from around the corner of the fence and trotted to the soothing, familiar voice. Greg slipped on a collar and leash and led the dog to his car.
Laura's cellphone rang while she and her family were at dinner. Before she answered the call, her father said, "They found Toby."
It was Greg. He told Laura, "Mission accomplished."
Homecoming
While nothing could ease the pain of losing Andrew, knowing Toby was safely home eased some stress.
"It really was a ray of sunlight in a very dark week," Randy said. "In preacher's terms, I guess you would call it grace."
Andrew was laid to rest on Tuesday, Feb. 3. The family, Randy said, relies on their faith for comfort.
"As Christians we believe we will see him again."
"We have had so many graces," Monica said. "And we are glad we got those three extra years."
Two nights later, a week since they left to be with Andrew, the weary family returned home to Martinsville.
And Toby's fuzzy face was peeking out of the living room window when they pulled into the driveway.
"That made it a much happier homecoming," Monica said. "I don't know what we would have done if the house had been quiet."
Toby welcomed his family home with unbridled doggy enthusiasm.
"He was dancing on his toenails," Monica said.
"He leapt about a foot off the ground. It was a joyful reunion," Randy said.
The Stevens family is very grateful for friends and members of their church family who helped bring Toby home.
"We have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of love," Randy said.
"They have been an anchor in turbulent times," Monica said. "This community has supported us in so many ways. It tempers the sadness."
