Monte, golden retriever

Blind dog reunited with his owner
Mike Bush
last updated: 5/4/2009 4:17:05 PM

KSDK -- On West Osage Street in Pacific, Missouri, the speed limit is 40 miles an hour. But good news travels a lot faster than that.

It began here on Vincent Street where 23-year-old JP Lambert is still recovering from a terrible car accident.

"I just don't remember any of it," Lambert said.

Other than the doctors, nurses and his family, JP says the person who helped him most with his recovery is not a person at all. It's his 10-year-old blind Golden Retriever named 'Monte.'

Monte would barely even eat during JP's three month stay in the hospital.

"My mom said he looked like he was wandering around looking for me and then he would still be sleeping in my room on my bed," Lambert said.

So you can imagine how upset the family was when Monte somehow got out of the house without his collar last week and wandered away. JP wasn't sure he'd ever see him again.

"I didn't think I would," he said.

About two miles away at Fuller Automotive, one of the managers was getting ready to leave for the day, when he saw a dog crossing a busy street get hit by a car.

"The dog looked real confused. He was an older dog," said mechanic Dennis Speeler.

Monte did not appear to be badly hurt so Dennis Speeler went over to see if there was something he could do.

"And he came right over and after he ran into my knees he sat right there. It was real evident that he was a good boy," said Speeler.

After Dennis made a few phone calls, Monte ended up just another mile away at a shelter.

"We started rescuing dogs about 17 years ago," said Bob Tillay.

Tillay heads up Dirk's Fund which rescues Golden Retrievers. Every year they save and then place about 200 dogs into adoptive homes.

"We don't have many reunions. What we have is dogs dumped," he said.

After making sure Monte was okay physically, Bob made sure he was fed and cleaned up. A few days later, Dirk's Fund received a desperate phone call asking if anyone, by chance brought in a blind dog.

After his own incredible journey, Monte the lost is now Monte the found. He was reunited with JP thanks to the kindness of strangers.

"I'm just real happy that there are people out there that would actually do something like that for a dog," said Lambert.

Dennis Speeler said he's grateful there was a happy ending.

"It makes me feel like a million bucks," he said.

"We didn't have to find a 10 year old blind dog a new home," Tillay said. "I'd do anything for that."

What's true for man is also true for man's best friend: there's no place like home.

Source: http://www.ksdk.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=173872
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