nearly lost millie

Distracted and flustered on the Merri Creek, I let the dogs off the lead without really thinking about the fact that it was a strange place and they wouldn't be that aware of where they were. And Charlie was ahead of me but Millie was behind and I assume she was completely thrown by either the arrival of two huge white dogs (can't remember the breed - Afghans?) and two fools on a trail bike. Millie disappeared. I spent about 3/4 of an hour looking for her, asking everyone I came across whether they had seen her (luckily I had Charlie as an example) or not. I had lost her on a footbridge with a path either side, so there were 4 ways she could have gone, and then of course hundreds, because there are streets all around.
I had almost given up, and was on the verge of getting into a car and driving around looking for her, and ultimately I'm glad I didn't - I sort of realised that was the next step and not a good one. So I went back to the search. And then I went down the one path I hadn't been to any extent and came across a guy about my age who, when he saw Charlie, said 'are you looking for a dog like that?' Imagine how I felt. And of course I said yes. And he said she had come to his house (probably the first actual house she had come to, right on the edge of the park space) and tried to get in. And his son (who I had already seen out walking two other dogs) had looked after her and he had gone looking for the owner.
Pretty amazing.
I don't know how to thank those people! Except the way I did at the time, copiously.
Note to self: try to be less stupid in 2009.