Story by Matt Pranger
posted 07/10/02
Tavish, an amiable West Highland White Terrier from San Juan Island, was swiped along with a delivery van in Seattle last February. After five months who-knows-where and with who-knows-who in the Emerald City, Tavish popped back into Chris Chouinard's and Ronnie Metcalf's lives.
"It's a miracle. It's great to have him back," Chris said of being reunited with his faithful canine companion.
"He's survived a hell of a lot," Ronnie said. "It's got to be a really scary story."
Tavish went everywhere with Chris -- on car rides, in the hardware store, the Friday Harbor Airport where his buddy flew for Island Air and on personal flights. The popular pooch even accompanied Chris when he was delivering oysters for Westcott Bay. In Seattle in February, 2002 Chris left Tavish sitting on a front seat and went into a restaurant on Second Avenue. Chris returned three minutes later to find the van, the oysters, his wallet, other personal belongings and his dog gone.
Chris searched Seattle for his pal. The van was abandoned. Police ticketed it and towed it the next day. Officers didn't notice a small white dog. Chris and Ronnie pasted poles with posters of Tavish. They checked newspaper's "found" ads, animal shelters and offered rewards. Their search was even featured on KIRO TV.
On Valentine's Day, they were contacted about a found dog fitting Tavish's description. The pooch wasn't Tavish.
"We went through a lot of grieving," Ronnie said.
Even though their hopes were fading, Tavish's buddies continued watching from hundreds of feet above Seattle, scanning for a little, white lost dog during flights to Boeing Field.
Ronnie and Chris didn't locate Tavish during those flights but buzzing planes probably helped them retrieve their dog. A woman living a few blocks north of Boeing Field found Tavish on July 4. She read the dog's tags and called the Islands Veterinary Clinic, who in turn contacted Chris. Ronnie learned the heart-warming news over the public address system at Islands Hospital, where she works as a nurse. A usually reserved co-worker hugged Ronnie and gushed that her prayers had been answered.
"I can't believe how many hearts he's touched," Ronnie said.
Chris immediately flew down to Seattle. Tavish seemed "dazed and confused" but "came alive" when he heard the planes' props and smelled the familiar exhaust and fuel fumes, Chris said.
A vet examined Tavish and Julie Palmer of Velvet Touch trimmed him. Tavish, who has some scars from some scrapes with other dogs, is being treated for an infection but his health is improving daily.
Though Ronnie wonders if the terrier will ever recover his full spunkiness after his big city adventure, she and Chris know one thing for certain.
"If you lose your dog or something, don't give up," Chris said.
"Don't ever give up," Ronnie said.
Source: http://www.sanjuanislander.com/features/people/dog.shtml
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