Flowerbed Panting

Late on Scout's birthday, Saturday the 7th, I took both dogs for a walk, and Scout, who has already been a wreck due to fireworks, got scared and bolted. She jerked her head out of her gentle leader and ran. Peeve and I ran after her like mad, but it was dark, and frankly, she is faster and stronger than I am (or Peeve). We walked the neighborhood in the dark calling and crying and trying to find her, to no avail. After about 45 minutes we went home because I didn't know what else to do, it being 12:30 am, the Biscuit out of town, etc. We went out looking in the morning but no luck. I had had my phone in my hand all night and barely slept, kept looking out the window, opening the screen door and calling, and just plain worrying. FINALLY, at about 11:00am I got a phone call that someone had found her, hooray. She was in this family's flowerbed in the shade panting like panting was going out of style. The house was just on the other side of the playground from me and the people were really nice and had given her water and hooked her up to a lead and sat with her for the few minutes it took me to get there. When I did get there, she looked REALLY stressed out but also REALLY happy to see me. Peeve did a little dance when she got home and Mimi batted her tail. Scout spent the next 2 days sleeping inside or under a bush; no playing, no barking. She was knackered after her night out. I'm so glad she is back and unhurt, other than emotionally, and on the last couple walks I haven't used the gentle leader (crappy easy to get out of leader) and just used her giant neck and all my strength...