Cowboy lost and then found

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ROB HEDELT •   Rob Hedelt's archive •   E-mail Rob Hedelt

Date published: 12/26/2004

By ROB HEDELT

ON THIS DAY when the foot- ball Cowboys and Redskins battle for a season-saving victory, I turn to a different sort of battle, a frantic, week-long, night-and-day search mounted by a kind-hearted Westmoreland man to find his beloved pet.

The animal in question: a white terrier-mix pooch with one black eye, one black ear and an almost human way of reading people. He answers to the name of Cowboy.

Though the search from King George to Westmoreland took place awhile back, it's worth recounting because of the amazing dedication shown by Cowboy's owner, Larry Hinson of Montross.

On the Monday morning when the trouble started, Hinson didn't have a clue trouble was coming.

Living on several acres near Montross, he and his wife, Peggy, work closely with the Northern Neck Humane Society and other groups to provide homes for dogs.

They now have 17, and Hinson is quick to point out that Cowboy is the leader of the pack.

Because of that, Hinson preferred to take the dog to work with him at the Dahlgren Navy base. That left the other dogs less likely to get into mischief.

And besides, Hinson and Cowboy had been riding buddies for so long that the pup jumped in whenever the truck started.

But on that Monday, things didn't go smoothly after Hinson left Cowboy in his parked truck with a window cracked to provide fresh air.

Test firings nearby must have spooked the pooch, who squeezed through the window and fled.

When Hinson checked on the dog later, the truck was empty. Frantic, he immediately spread the word that the dog was missing.

Several people had seen the dog running nearby. But a search of the base and nearby neighborhoods turned up nothing.

Later in the day, a guard at the main gate told Hinson that a dog matching Cowboy's description had been seen going through the gate and heading down Dahlgren Road at a run.

Hinson spent the whole night canvassing neighborhoods.

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Date published: 12/26/2004