Brutus, rottweiler-chow mix

Tennessee man reunites with lost dog in Fremont
By Beverly J. Lydick/Tribune Staff

Brutus, the roving Rottweiler, is back in Tennessee, thanks to the efforts of a truck driver, a veterinarian and the Dodge County Humane Society.

DCHS director Clem Rohde wrote in a recent newsletter of the reunion of the 9-year-old dog and his owner, Chris Jennings of Hartford, Tenn.

Rohde said Brutus arrived this spring at the humane society in the cab of an 18-wheeler. The truck driver said he’d seen the dog along a road side and picked him up, but didn’t mention what road or how long he’d kept the animal.

The dog wore a collar with a Tennessee rabies tag.

“We called the vet in Knoxville with the tag number,” Rohde said. “After a short search of the records, a nice lady on the other end of the line said, ‘Why, that’s Brutus.’”

Brutus, who also has a bit of Chow heritage, had been missing for three weeks, the woman said.

“We left our phone number,” Rohde said, “and about two hours later, Chris Jennings, the owner, called us in disbelief.”

Within days, the Tennessee man arrived in Fremont to pick up his pet. Jennings told Rohde he lived near an interstate truck stop that Brutus liked to visit “because everyone fed him.”

“However, on his last food run,” Rohde reported, “Brutus never came back.”

Having been together more than seven years and through “some hard times,” Jennings had no qualms about driving more than 2,000 miles to retrieve his canine companion, Rohde said.

“Their reunion showed us they were best of buddies,” the director said. “While Chris had almost given up hope of ever finding Brutus again, Brutus obviously had never forgotten his owner.”

The dog’s rabies tags were key to the happy reunion, Rohde said.

He advised all pet owners to tag their pets, “just in case.”

Now, you don't suppose his owner will stop allowing him to visit the truck stop where "everyone feeds him?"

Source: http://www.rottweiler.net/forums/rottweiler-news-forum/59759-tennessee-man-reunites-lost-dog-fremont.html

Cambria, airedale terrier

Couple reunites with lost dog after it was offered for sale
By Sarah Dallof
July 1st, 2010 @ 5:54pm

WEST VALLEY CITY -- The 4th of July is no holiday for pets. In fact, shelters fill up with dogs and cats who get scared and bolt during fireworks shows.

A West Valley couple lost their dog following a fireworks display. But the person who found her didn't try to return the dog -- they tried to sell her.

Airedale Terriers aren't too common in Utah, so 1-and-a-half-year old Cambria is often the center of attention.

"She's a puppy, she loves everything," said Cambria's owner Brendan Cochrane.

Well, almost everything. Saturday, fireworks spooked her.

"Somebody opened the front door to let somebody leave, and that's all the chance she needed. She took off," he said.

Brendan and his wife Katelyn Cochrane went door to door looking for Cambria. They contacted shelters, vets and hung fliers at gas stations.

Then, a family member alerted them to a want ad for an Airedale Terrier on KSL.com Classifieds.

"I just had a feeling I needed to call this person, so I called and said if somebody approaches about selling an Airedale, we lost ours Saturday night," Brendan said.

The woman Brendan spoke with said in fact someone had contacted her, offering to sell an Airedale for $100.

Brendan gave her a description of Cambria and her collar. The woman called the seller back, then called Brendan.

It was his dog that was for sale.

"It's unfortunate people would try to make money than reunite family members," Katelyn said.

Brendan called the seller, who agreed to return Cambria. They met at a neutral spot, Cambria lunging to get back to her owner.

Once back, she was a bit tired and thirsty but otherwise okay.

This small family has some advice for all pet owners this upcoming holiday: "Make sure you keep them secure, even if it takes putting them in a room away from the front door," Katelyn said. "I wish we'd done that."

The Humane Society of Utah also suggests you turn on music to mask the sound of fireworks and close the blinds to shut out flashing lights.

Sabrina, American bulldog

Man reunites with missing dog
Posted: 09/15/10 at 6:30 am EDT

SOUTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, Fla. (WSVN) -- A South Florida man has been reunited with his best friend after 14 months thanks to a microchip.

Miami-Dade Animal Services called Jose Escobedo and told him his beloved American Bulldog had been found. On Tuesday, a reunion happened, thanks to a microchip miracle.

"They told me Sabrina had been found. I was so happy. Imagine, after a year and two months, I couldn't believe it," Escobedo said. "As soon as she saw me, she recognized me. She went crazy."

Sabrina, got all dolled up and groomed, while her proud owner stood nearby. He said he still cannot believe it. "She's a sweetheart, right Sabrina? Good girl you are," said the dog's groomer Esther Fonseca.

It was 14 months ago when Escobedo returned to his Florida City home one afternoon and realized Sabrina was gone. "I knew right away someone had stolen her. She's a great looking dog, really smart," he said.

Jose said he put up posters and told friends and neighbors to be on the lookout, but nothing. All along, he hoped the microchip would help bring her back, but unless the chip was scanned by animal control or a vet, Sabrina would stay lost.

But yet, here she was. The chip provided authorities with the information necessary to reunite the dog and owner. Vets said Sabrina is in pretty good shape, except for a tick infestation. "She has lots of them. If you look here, they're all in between her toes, she's got them in her ears," said Esther.

Sabrina is going to require some clean up and a lot of TLC, but the great news is that Sabrina is finally able to go home.

Pet owners, take note, the reunion was all made possible thanks to that microchip, so if you have a dog, think about it, it could make the difference between getting your pet back.

Source: http://www.wsvn.com/news/articles/local/21002219783039/

Kia & Murphey

Petoskey man reunited with lost dogs
By Rachel Brougham News-Review Staff Writer
2:40 PM EDT, September 21, 2010

When Bob Hull of Petoskey traveled to his family's cabin in a remote section of Ontario for the Labor Day weekend, he expected a quiet three-day weekend with his family and four beloved dogs.

Instead, he spent nearly two weeks living an emotional roller coaster.

The cabin, which is about 20 minutes outside Sault Ste. Marie, can be reached only by foot or by boat.

While Hull worked to get his oldest dog, Bailey, fitted with a life vest for the boat ride, the three other dogs, Hunter, Murphy and Kia, ran off.

"It's really not unusual for them to run off into the woods to investigate, so I didn't think much of it at first," Hull said. "But when we arrived at the cabin and they weren't there, I started to get a bit nervous."

Hull went out in search of tracks. But it was already 3 p.m., and would soon get dark, and there had been reports of bears and wolf packs in the area.

So at 7 a.m. the next morning, he began looking again.

He soon found Hunter, but there was still no sign of Murphy and Kia.

For the next two days, from dusk until dawn, Hull searched for the two dogs with no luck.

He and his wife, Peggy, made flyers with pictures of Murphy and Kia, and distributed them around town.

"It was Monday, and I had to get back for work," Hull said. "It was heartbreaking. It was tough for me to leave since these guys are everything to me."

After taking care of some business back in Petoskey, Hull returned to the cabin the next day.

Since there wasn't cell reception in the woods, he needed to drive the 20 minutes into Sault Ste. Marie each day to check messages and call family.

"I was so torn on what to do since I worried the dogs would come back to the cabin when I wasn't there," Hull said. "But then I would get into town and I would have messages that someone had spotted one or both of the dogs so it became really difficult."

A week after the dogs went missing, Hull was driving into town to check messages when a car drove up behind him and began honking.

"The Browns who live nearby, said they had heard a dog barking on a nearby mountain," Hull said.

Hull headed to the nearby mountain but didn't find any sign of Murphy or Kia.

On his way back to the cabin, Hull again ran into the Browns. Craig Brown told him that Murphy was safe.

Michelle Fitton, a local resident, had found Murphy.

Fitton heard about the missing dogs, and decided to put together some food and medical supplies and go out in search of them on her own.

She had found Murphy, trapped, on a narrow ledge of a mountain.

Fitton tossed him food and tried to calm him down. She then tied some dog leashes to a tree and lowered herself down. She attached the leashes to Murphy and was able to pull the 80 pound dog to safety.

"I didn't even want to go up there, it's so high," Hull said of the cliff. "I was just in awe that she would do that for a stranger."

But the celebration was short-lived. Kia was still missing.

"Nobody had seen Kia and I was just terrified something had happened to her. As difficult as it was, we had to return home," Hull said.

Two days later, back in Petoskey, Hull received a phone call.

The Browns had spotted Kia near their house.

Before Hull was even able to get in the car, the Browns called back and said they had captured her.

"I just couldn't believe it. It was 11 days that she was out there. I was just full of emotion," Hull said.

Despite some minor scratches and a little weight loss, none of the dogs was injured.

Hull has kept in close contact with those who helped in the search, all of which were strangers before, but Hull now thinks of them as family.

"These people were just so generous and supportive, I owe them so much," Hull said. "This is probably the hardest thing I've ever been through -- having a pet run off is just a devastating feeling. I loved them dearly before, but they are even more precious to me now."

Source: http://www.petoskeynews.com/news/pnr-community-hull-092110,0,2333973.story
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Niko, husky

Dog makes 45-mile journey home after lost in state park
Michael Barrett
2010-07-14 09:28:19

When Candace Price’s 9-year-old Siberian Husky was lost in a state park more than 45 miles away, she figured she’d have to track her dog down near the scene of the disappearance.

Twenty-two excruciating days into the search, Price never dreamed the exhausted pooch would show up just a few miles from her home.

“If I had a million dollars, I would’ve given it to them,” she said of the couple who spotted Niko, recognized her from an online listing, and called her in the middle of the night last month. “That’s how important that dog is to me.”

Price, 47, has two grown sons. But Niko is one of three dogs she also considers to be her children.

A brilliant white female with one brown and one blue eye, the sled dog with the thick coat is accustomed to hanging out inside the house. She does much of her roaming between four walls at Price’s home north of Bessemer City, or at her fiance’s place in Gastonia.

At least twice a month, Price’s fiance takes Niko up to South Mountains State Park near Connellys Springs. After making the drive more than an hour away on Memorial Day weekend, the two hiked four miles up the mountain. But he made the mistake of not keeping Niko on a leash, and after having removed the ID tags from her collar earlier because they rattled so much, he had forgotten to put them back on.

When Niko suddenly bolted, possibly pursuing a deer or a squirrel, she quickly went out of sight. And four hours of immediate searching turned up no sign of her.

“He was afraid to come home and tell me,” said Price, who is disabled and homebound. “I was devastated. I could hardly sleep or eat.”

With her fiance’s help, Price began a painstaking quest to find her dog. She drove to South Mountains State Park every morning and spent four hours a day taping up flyers, tacking cardboard posters and distributing information about Niko with promises of a cash reward. She opened her windows in the stifling heat and shouted Niko’s name at the top of her lungs so much, she would come home each afternoon hoarse.

Park rangers helped her to put flyers up and get the word out. Price would get calls from residents miles apart who said they’d seen her dog, and would adjust her search.

Help from Craig and his list

In the meantime, her son decided to put a photo and description of the dog on the popular website Craigslist.

“He said he was sure it would help,” she said.

Three weeks passed. And Price was asleep at 3:30 a.m. June 21 when the phone call came. A couple visiting a convenience store in Lincolnton, some eight miles from Price’s home, had been chatting briefly with the clerk. He directed their attention to a hungry and tired-looking Husky that had been hanging out in the parking lot.

The woman recalled a ‘missing dog’ listing she’d seen on Craigslist earlier. She and her husband looked up the information on a computer and called Price.

Niko had been wearing a blue Snoopy collar when she ran away. When the couple confirmed the dog in front of them had such an accessory, Price rejoiced.

“My knees just buckled,” she said. “When I met them and saw her, I grabbed her and was hugging her and crying.”

Niko’s legs were swollen. The pads of her delicate feet were raw from walking. She had some hair missing on her back.

But while she was skittish and uncertain of her former owners and surroundings at first, she’s since returned to normal, Price said.

“I’ve been giving her kisses and loving on her,” she said.

The couple that called chose to remain anonymous and refused to take any money from Price. So she donated money to South Mountains State Park and one particular ranger who helped her the most.

Price said she’s eternally grateful to all who helped in her search. And to others who lose a pet, she urges them not to stop looking.

“The more information you get out there, the better chance you have,” she said. “I wasn’t going to give up.”

Source: http://www.gastongazette.com/articles/mile-49022-candace-park.html
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Ozzy, maltese

Biggy or Ozzy, lost-and-found dog is a rock star
By: Kamala Kelkar, San Francisco Examiner Staff Writer
September 23, 2010

An eight-pound dog named Ozzy was reunited with his emotional owner Tuesday night after police traced the alleged canine thief through a YouTube video titled “My New White Maltese. Title Biggy Smalls,” and a Facebook page.

2-year-old Maltese, Ozzy, was reunited with Amit on Tuesday night, after Ozzy was stolen in front of a Safeway a week ago.

Richmond district police said they arrested Tony Du, 19, on a grand theft charge after they linked him to the video of Ozzy with a red bow on its head and subtext that read, “My new dog Biggy Smalls... My boy friend found him and he’s adorable.”

Two-year-old Ozzy was stolen a week before from the front of Safeway at Seventh Avenue and Cabrillo Street while owner Amit, 33, shopped inside.

“I couldn’t believe it,” Amit said. “Right there from in front of the store. I thought, ‘I’ve got to do something about this.’”

He flooded the neighborhood with fliers that read, “Please help me unite with my dog,” and asked people to call or text him with any stolen Maltese tips.

“I was getting calls at all hours of the night,” he said. “Then I got the link to the video and the Facebook profile.”

Richmond police Capt. Richard Correia said officers found the new “owner” who led them to Du, who admitted to police it was in fact Ozzy.

“The dog had a name change and was living with a pit bull,” Correia said. “You could just tell he was living in a different world.”

He said the relationship between the person who posted the video and Du is unclear, but they did know each other and a third person may have been involved in the transaction.

Without telling Amit they reclaimed Ozzy, police asked him to drop by the station for more investigating and surprised him with his pup.

“It was the happiest day of my life,” Amit said. “I thought I was fighting a losing battle.”

Correia said Amit’s story conquered many hearts.

“I even said to the store clerks, ‘Oh, we found Ozzy,’” the police captain said, “and they started crying, too.’”


Source: http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/Biggy-or-Ozzy-lost-and-found-dog-is-a-rock-star-103592699.html

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Pearl, pug

Orange County couple are reunited with their lost dog -- four years later -- thanks to a microchip
Lindsay Barnett, L.A. Unleashed
August 11, 2009

Four years ago, Santa Ana residents Richard and Josie Rodriguez bought a pug puppy, whom they named Pearl. But they'd hardly had Pearl a month before she mysteriously disappeared. The Rodriguezes suspect thieves were targeting purebred dogs in the area, because a neighbor's Shih-tzu also went missing but no mixed-breed dogs seemed to.

They couple searched in vain for Pearl, but eventually gave up hope of ever finding her again. In time, they brought home another pug. Recently, they'd even considered expanding their family by getting a second pug as a companion for the one they already had.

Things took a strange turn Monday, when Richard awoke to a phone call from the Riverside County Department of Animal Services-- Pearl had been found running loose in Riverside on Sunday, and officers had tracked her back to the Rodriguezes using the microchip she'd been implanted with as a puppy.

At first, Richard didn't know what to make of the information an animal control officer gave him. "We have a pug at home and so I couldn't understand why someone from Riverside was calling me about my dog," he said of his initial confusion at being told his pug was being held at a shelter in another county.

Where Pearl was for the four years she was missing is a mystery that will probably never be solved. But, thankfully, she's now home at last -- the Rodriguezes went to pick her up the same day they received that fateful phone call from animal control.

Source: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/unleashed/2009/08/orange-county-couple-reunited-with-their-lost-dog-four-years-later-thanks-to-a-microchip.html

Little Girl

Woman reunited with found dog after 7 years
Mark Matthews, Peninsula News
Tuesday, September 14, 2010

SAN MATEO, CA (KGO) -- The strange story of a San Francisco woman's battle to get back her long lost dog ended happily for her on Monday. Mary Bollero was reunited with her beloved pet, named "Little Girl," after seven years. The reunion took place at a San Mateo law office.

Ballero's dog disappeared from her home in 2003. Until three weeks ago, she had no idea the dog was still alive.

On the night of August 24, Ballero's dog was brought into an all-night animal clinic in San Mateo. Kenneth Griffen told the vet he had found the dog and noticed it had an ear infection and the vet scanned the dog for a micro chip.

"And there was a chip so we called the chip company and they called the former owner," said Bollero.

Bollero got the call. She recalled, "'Your Little Girl has been found and you need to go pick her up at the emergency vet hospital.'"

She rushed down from San Francisco to the San Mateo clinic, bringing her receipts, the dog license, her theft report from 2003, but it was too late.

"My dog had been given to the people who brought it in. I was absolutely horrified," said Bollero.

The clinic manager says the young man who brought the dog in decided he wanted to keep the dog. Fearing a confrontation, the vet called the local Humane Society and was told anyone who reports finding a lost dog can keep it if unclaimed after 30 days.

"Because the people had the dog more than 30 days, under the law, it was now their dog. It doesn't make sense to me but I'm bound to oblige it," said clinic manager Noel Koeman.

Monday a judge ruled the dog belonged to Ballero and ordered 22-year-old Kenneth Griffin to return it.

"You know I just love this dog. We love this dog. I still feel like it's my dog and we just want the dog to be happy. You know, she's been a stray for seven years and she never really had a home and it's just a sad that needs to be bounced around like this and it's just horrible," said Griffin.

For Bollero the ending of this odyssey couldn't be happier.

"Her hair is shorter, but her hair will grow out. She's a wonderful animal and I know we're going to have a great time celebrating tonight," said Bollero.

Griffin says he never would have kept the dog, except that was the advice the police and Humane Society gave him. The Humane Society is saying that 30-day rule is just a rule of thumb that they use with dogs that are abandoned, not dogs that have a microchip and an owner waiting to claim them.





Source: http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/local/peninsula&id=7668075
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Video at http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/video?id=7668076

Sam, samoyed

Long-lost dog reunited with family
KERRI FIVECOAT-CAMPBELL , Special to The Star
Posted on August, 20, 2003

If dogs could talk, Sam, a white Samoyed, would probably have a story to tell that would rival that of Toto from The Wizard of Oz.

Last October, 6-year-old Sam was living with Marcia Roberts and her family in rural Linwood in Leavenworth County, when he wandered from his home.

"We put out posters showing my daughter, Alyssa, holding Sam, hoping the sympathy factor would make someone want to return him," said Marcia Roberts.

By May, when the devastating tornadoes hit Leavenworth and Wyandotte counties, the Robertses had given up hope that Sam would come home, and they bought a new puppy.

In rural Tonganoxie, meanwhile, on a trash-pickup day in May, Mark Seman pulled into his driveway and noticed a white dog lying by the trash. "I didn't think anything of it at first; I thought it was a neighbor's dog," he said. "Later, my son, Spencer, came home and said the dog was hurt."

The Semans thought the dog might have been a victim of the recent tornado. Another storm was brewing, so Mark drove his truck to the end of the long driveway, and that's when he noticed a large snapping turtle wandering on their property near the dog.

Mark and his wife, Pat, placed the injured dog in the barn and took him to a vet the next day. "We didn't want to have him put to sleep because he was just such a nice dog," Mark Seman said.

After X-rays and about $90 worth of care, the Semans learned that the dog had a broken pelvis. Meanwhile, the turtle that seemed to have turned up along with the dog continued to wander around the Semans' property for several days. "It was as if he was looking for something," Mark Seman said. "He finally gave up and went back toward our pond."

The family decided to keep the dog, which Spencer began calling "Milo," until they could further search for his owner or find another good home for him. They decided to look for a new home for him because he wasn't getting along well with the family's other dogs.

When the Semans finally placed an ad in a local weekly paper in June, Pat Seman was aggravated to learn that their telephone number was listed incorrectly. Ten miles away in Linwood, Darcy Demetre, Marcia Roberts' 21-year-old daughter, was studying for finals at KU when she decided to take a break and get the mail. "I never look at the paper, but on top of the mail that day the ads just jumped out at me," she said. "When I saw that someone had found a white Samoyed, I just knew it was Sam."

Demetre called the number in the paper several times and got a return call from a man who chastised her for using up his cellular phone minutes. Marcia Roberts called the paper and got the right number, but it was very late that night before the families made a connection.

Marcia Roberts was disappointed to learn that a vet had told the Semans that the dog they had was only one or two years old. Still, Pat Seman encouraged them to come and look at him. Marcia Roberts' two sons went with her ex-husband. "I knew right away that this dog belonged to them," Mark Seman said. "The boys said, 'Come here, Sammy,' and there was instant recognition."

Marcia Roberts said: "It was funny they were calling him Milo because that's our cat's name."

The first thing Sam did when he got back to his home in Linwood was lie in the flower bed. Although he still has a slight limp and favors one leg when he runs, his wounds seem to have healed, but his coat - which had to be shaved - is coming back in a light brown instead of snowy white.

"He also gets along with Milo the cat, which he didn't before," Demetre said.

The snapping turtle, meanwhile, apparently remains at the Seman pond, and Sam sleeps by 4-year-old Alyssa's bed at night. What remains a mystery is where he was during the seven months he was missing.

Sam, a seven-year-old Samoyed belonging to Marcia Roberts (front right) of Linwood, had been away from his home for seven months before Mark and Pat Seman found the dog at their home in Tonganoxie in May. In the foreground are Roberts' daughters, Darcy Demetre and Alyssa Roberts. In back are Pat Seman, her son, Spencer, and husband, Mark.

Source: http://www.writeforyou.biz/Long-Lost-Dog.htm

Rusty, border collie

Dog reunited with owner after 17 days on the road
By Diana Winson, Benton Evening News
Posted Jun 18, 2010 @ 02:18 PM

Ewing, Ill — Turns out Rusty enjoys Italian food every once in a while.

The nearly 17-year-old border collie mix was returned safely to his owner, Jerry McCann, Thursday afternoon — 17 days after wandering off from his home at Lake Moses on Memorial Day.

Jerry McCann of Benton was reunited with his dog, Rusty — thanks to the efforts of Cindy Blackford and her son, Kyle Beggs, of Ewing, and Blackford's mother, Kay Lowry, and brother, Jeff Lowry. Rusty wandered off from the McCanns' Lake Moses home on Memorial Day and ended up near his owners' former home northeast of Ewing but was returned safely Thursday afternoon.

"My mom, Kay Lowry, saw Rusty in the road and thought he was dead," said Cindy Blackford, whose home is located northeast of Ewing — 14 miles from the McCanns' home, but just three miles up the road from their former residence.

"We put food and water out, and today I got a collar on him and got him on the porch," Blackford said. "Rusty has eaten a lot the last couple of days. He's had chicken alfredo and hamburger!"

The McCanns have resided at Lake Moses since last August, said McCann, who installed an electric fence on the property.

"I hate to tie him up," McCann said. "He would bust through the fence when it would storm, but he would always come back — except this time."

"There's no telling how many storms he's been through since he left," Blackford said.

She said she knew about the missing dog because her brother, Jeff Lowry, is a neighbor of the McCanns. She first saw Rusty three days ago, and her son, Kyle Beggs, also saw him.

"Me and my dad thought he was dead, too," Beggs said. "We thought he was a dead deer or something — but then we said, ‘Oh, that was his dog.’

"He's lucky to survive. People fly down this road," Beggs added.

Rusty appeared to be none the worse for wear as he was reunited with McCann, although his paws were a little bloody — undoubtedly the result of the many miles he has logged — and his nose was scratched up.

"He's beat up, but he survived," Blackford said.

"He made it," McCann added.

Source: http://www.bentoneveningnews.com/features/x1600621716/Dog-reunited-with-owner-after-17-days-on-the-road

Daisy, shepherd mix

Desperate search for Daisy, dog lost on Continental flight layover, is over
Penny Eims, Dog News Examiner
September 14th, 2010 12:13 am ET.

Newark, NJ - Daisy, a 4 yr-old Shepherd mix, has been missing from the Newark Liberty International Airport since August 14. The dog escaped during a Continental flight layover between Syracuse and San Diego, and since that time, members of Rescue Ink, and other concerned citizens, have been desperately searching for the lost dog.

Daisy With Her Aunt & Uncle

The formation of a Facebook fan page, local news coverage, and extensive efforts by volunteers to search and hand out Lost Dog fliers has finally paid off - Daisy has been found.

According to Joe Panz of Rescue Ink, Daisy was being fed by someone that works at an area hotel. A friend recognized Daisy as the dog featured in the Lost Dog fliers and the contact phone number was called. A quick scan of Daisy's microchip confirmed that she was indeed, the lost dog.

According to the Bring Daisy Home Facebook fan page, Daisy's California owners had flown out to Newark on the weekend of September 4th to assist in the extensive city search. Continental Airlines flew the family out to the Newark area several times so that they could join in on the searches.

Accolades to the Rescue Ink crew, as well as the many other volunteers, that spent countless hours handing out, and posting, thousands of fliers for the wayward dog. Daisy is a lucky dog indeed.

Source: http://www.examiner.com/dogs-in-national/desperate-search-for-daisy-dog-lost-on-continental-flight-layover-is-over


Previous story at: http://www.examiner.com/dogs-in-national/rescue-ink-and-continental-airlines-search-for-lost-dog-newark-nj

Rescue Ink and Continental Airlines search for lost dog in Newark, NJ
Penny Eims
September 1st, 2010 11:07 am ET
 
Newark, NJ - The Rescue Ink crew, known as the Army for the animals, is scouring the streets of Newark, searching for a dog that was lost on a flight layover between Syracuse and San Diego.

Daisy, a 4 yr-old Shepherd/Lab mix was lost 14 days ago when she broke free while being transferred from one crate to another on a layover at Newark Liberty International Airport. The wayward dog has been spotted many times, but has not yet been captured.

Daisy was flying on Continental Airlines. The airline is offering a $1000 reward for her return, and they have flown Daisy's family to Newark twice to help search for the lost dog.

On the local front, the Rescue Ink team has been busy handing out posters with Daisy's photo, and walking the streets, searching for the dog.

Searchers are concerned about Daisy - she is a house dog, now living on the streets without a source of food or water. To make matters worse, it has been exceptionally hot during the time that Daisy has been missing.
Hopefully the California house dog has what it takes to survive the long days and nights alone on the streets of Newark.

B&W medium female

To Fido Finder:

Wanted to tell you that I LOVE THIS SITE!

I am always finding stray dogs and trying to find their owners. Tonight I found a dog wandering the downtown streets of Denver, limping, panting, with bloody feet.

She came willingly and I took her home after a quick visit to the vet to make sure nothing life-threatening was going on.

She had water, dinner and a rest and was feeling much better.

She didn’t have on tags and no chip, but her pinkish-orange collar had written in hand what I thought said “Silly Dog.”

I hopelessly googled “lost dog denver” and found your site. I’d never heard of it before. I was skeptical, but filled in the form, uploaded a photo, and waited.

I got two possible matches within the hour. The second one listed a dog named Silky. No photo. Medium. Female. Black and white. Lost today.

I sent my info in – and...Silky’s dad Spencer called – near tears!!!

Neither of us could believe how well Fido Finder worked!!!

She’s home with dad and our dogs, Boots and Biscuit are much happier too!

I’m telling everyone I know!

Ann W.
 
Source: http://www.fidofinder.com/lost-dog-success-story.php?id=1050

Jasmine, dalmatian

Owner, Lost Dog Share Tearful Reunion
Dalmatian With Medical Issues Missing For A Year
September 15, 2010

GARLAND, Texas -- A woman and her lost dog shared a tearful reunion Tuesday after being apart for a year.

Elizabeth Mahoney drove 13 hours from Georgia to see Jasmine after getting word that the dalmatian had been found by a Texas Tech student in Garland.

"I'm so sorry and I thank God for letting me have a second chance with her," Mahoney said Tuesday.

She borrowed money from her brother in Afghanistan and slept in a rental car for the chance to see Jasmine again.

A year ago, Mahoney gave Jasmine to a friend, thinking someone else could better care for the dog's medical needs.

"Financially, I thought I found her a really good home, a forever home," she said.

But Jasmine's new family moved to Lubbock, where she was set loose and then disappeared.

Ten days ago, she was found and turned in to the Garland animal shelter, where workers found a microchip embedded in the animal and traced her to Mahoney.

"Of course, microchips are really the only permanent way to identify that a dog is yours," said Jason Chessher with the Garland Health Department.

Moments before the reunion, Mahoney made note of all the lost dog posters and stories on the shelter's wall, hoping each one has an ending like hers.

"You're going to stay with me, forever and ever," she told Jasmine after the two were reunited.

Source: http://www.4029tv.com/r/25021105/detail.html
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Luke, hound mix

The Daily Item, Sunbury, PA
Owner finds missing pooch on shelter website
By Karen Blackledge, The Daily Item
September 16, 2010

SUNBURY — Jennifer Cooper never gave up searching for Luke, her family’s 12-year-old Siberian husky mix who had escaped from her backyard and disappeared more than four months ago.

Dylan Cooper, 4, of Sunbury, pets Luke, who disappeared on Dylan's birthday

After Luke ran away by digging a hole at the end of the fence at their Wolverton Street home on May 6, she put out what she called an “all-points bulletin” for him.

“I put up fliers everywhere in town — in Shamokin and in Selinsgrove and lots of places,” Cooper said.

She listed Luke on amberalertpets.com, and a friend created a Facebook page, “Help Find Luke,” which attracted 135 members.

Nightly, she would look at the SPCA and petfinder websites to check for Luke’s photo. The family also has a beagle mix adopted from the Danville SPCA and a pit bull-hound from a Harrisburg shelter.

“Days and months went by without any sightings or anything,” Cooper said. “I was getting very discouraged, but my heart told me he was out there somewhere so I kept looking.”

Luke disappeared the day she was holding a fourth birthday party for her son, Dylan.

“I was busy doing other stuff,” she said. “He was in the yard with our two other dogs. I was surprised he left his buddies.”

Luke wasn’t wearing a collar or license because Cooper had just given him a bath.

Months later, Cooper was looking at petfinder.com and saw a dog she thought was Luke at the Danville Adoption Center of the Pennsylvania SPCA.

She called to get a better description of the pooch and was told he had been adopted after being at the shelter for three days. The dog had been taken to the shelter by Milton police.

An SPCA employee called the woman who had adopted the dog, and she agreed to have him tested for epilepsy because Luke has epilepsy.

“He has seizures on occasion. I can’t imagine how many he had without his medicine,” Cooper said.

When Luke’s identity became clear, the woman who had adopted Luke returned him to the SPCA. On Monday, Cooper’s boyfriend, Matthew Osman, brought Luke home.

“I don’t know quite know what happened to him,” Cooper said. “He has a couple of scabs and minor wounds. I gave him a flea bath Tuesday. He’s just skin and bones, but he’s starting to come around.”

They have fixed the hole in the fence.

“From now on, I will watch him when he goes out,” Cooper said. “He is happy to be back with his family, and we are going to give him all the TLC he needs to get back to his former health.”

Source: http://dailyitem.com/0100_news/x721418003/Owner-finds-missing-pooch-on-shelter-website
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August, lab-mastiff mix

Brooklyn woman's reward for finding missing dog: free coffee for a year!
BY Jose Martinez, DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Tuesday, June 22nd 2010, 4:00 AM

Find a dog, get a caffeine buzz for a year!

A Brooklyn woman made a dog lover's day when she found a missing pooch - and now a Fort Greene cafe owner plans to award the heroine a year's supply of coffee.

"I'm so thrilled the dog was found," said Basquali, the one-name-only owner of Smooch, a coffee shop on Carlton Ave.

"It made my day."

And it also made 52-year-old Annette Smith's day. She was the heartbroken - and now overjoyed - owner of August, a 10-month-old Labrador-mastiff mix, who vanished Sunday in Fort Greene Park.

A tracking chip implanted in August helped the dogcatcher, who said she didn't want to be named, trace the animal back to Smith.

"She said she found my dog through Petlink," Smith said of the tracking system. "I'm just so elated that we could have a happy ending."

The pooch-loving Basquali, whose reward offer was detailed in yesterday's Daily News, is now preparing to honor the anonymous hero dogcatcher: "She's going to absolutely love my coffee," he said.

Source: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2010/06/22/2010-06-22_free_joe_for_poochs_finder.html
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Jake, weimeraner

NEW YORK, Sept. 9, 2010
Family Reunited with Dog After Seven Years
Mich. Family Gets Call That Long Lost Microchipped Dog Found in Ky. Animal Shelter

(CBS) Seven years ago the Davis family of Lake Orion, Mich., had a Weimaraner dog named Jake. He was just a puppy and suddenly he was gone, stolen from their backyard. Yesterday Jake finally was reunited with the Davises after he was located hundreds of miles away in a Kentucky animal shelter.

Brad Davis and his daughters Izabella and Lola appeared on "The Early Show" Thursday with Jake -- and their incredible story.

Brad recalled, "The day after Thanksgiving, my wife went out to have Christmas pictures taken for the girls, (and) came back 45 minutes later and he was gone."

Brad said the loss was especially hard on Izabella.

"She was 3 at the time and Lola was only 1. She doesn't remember much about the day but Bella remembers it plain as day," he said. "We put a good reward out for him and didn't see nothing, so."

But when Brad got the call that his dog was found, he said the family was "really surprised."

He told "Early Show" co-anchor Harry Smith, "We had just left Kentucky. We were down there for a bicycle race, a BMX race for my son in Louisville. We had just gotten home. The next day they called us and said they found our dog. We were, 'No, our dog's with us, because we had a new dog about three months ago. So, I gave her a call back and then she said she had a dog that was microchipped. Right then, I knew it was Jake from seven years ago."

Izabella told Smith, "I was so happy."

Brad continued, "As soon as they told me he was there, he was in good health, I was on my way the next morning. It took us about seven hours down there, seven hours back. We got back last night about 9:30. We've been rolling ever since. It's been going great."

She said she thinks the dog still knows her.

"I don't know," she said. "I can just tell."

Brad added for her, "He was all over you, loving on you."

Additionally, Jake, Brad said, has gotten re-acclimated to family life pretty quickly.

He said, "You know, we pulled in last night and I rolled the window down and he went nuts in the back of the truck. He just wanted out so bad. Smelled around the house, smelled around the outside. And then jumped up in our bed, of course, last night."

Brad added the dog was "most definitely" well taken care of during the past seven years.



"Someone was looking over him and they did a good job for him," Brad said. "He's good now. We got him back home and we're happy to have him home, for sure."

Brad said Jake is already making friends with the family's other dog.

Source: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/09/09/earlyshow/living/petplanet/main6849616.shtml
See also: http://www.peoplepets.com/news/dogs/family-reunited-with-missing-dog-after-seven-years/1

http://www.godvine.com/Unbelievable-Outcome-After-a-Puppy-Gets-Stolen-850.html

Annie, Australian shepherd

Annie the dog returned to her original owner
Cynthia Lambert
Posted on Mon, Aug. 30, 2010

Annie the Dog was returned to her original owner, Chuck Hoage, on Monday, several weeks after news broke that the 8-year-old Australian shepherd had been adopted to a new family.

Annie went missing in June and ended up at the county animal shelter a week later, where she was adopted. Hoage wanted her back; supporters numbering in the thousands have urged the two to be brought back together.

“At 5:05 (p.m.), Annie was brought to me, so we are united,” Hoage said Monday. “She’s home with me now.”

Earlier in the day, Hoage said the past few weeks have been “terrible.”

“I notice I’m getting pretty grouchy with co-workers and my friends,” he said. “It really is affecting me.”

During the past month, more than 4,100 people concerned about Hoage have joined a Facebook group called “Friends of Annie.”

Meanwhile, Arroyo Grande police officers had stepped up patrols of the adoptive owners’ neighborhood, who live in that city. Cmdr. John Hough said police have not noticed anything odd during their patrols.

Officers patrolling the area make a note of whenever they drive by, Hough said, but the stepped-up patrols do not affect officers’ schedules or result in an increase in overtime costs.

A letter penned by a woman appearing to be the adoptive owner on Friday rejected calls from the public to reveal the owner’s identity, and says her family has received anonymous hang-up phone calls and seen two unfamiliar vehicles parked outside their house.

“I hope no one ever has to endure an adoptive experience like this one,” wrote “Sasha Sampson.” She added: “The right thing would not to be folding and returning Annie however personal threats tend to work miracles.”

The Tribune was unable to independently verify that Annie’s adoptive owner wrote the letter, which was also submitted to other media outlets and county officials. The Tribune also received a recording of voicemail messages reportedly left on the adoptive owner’s machine.

County Animal Services Manager Eric Anderson said he has reason to believe the letter was written by the owner, and that it indicated “they’re hoping to get that resolution in sort of a quiet and private way.”

“This is a really unusual case,” said county Supervisor Adam Hill, who owns two Australian shepherds. “Hopefully it will be resolved and that will be the end of it, and hopefully people will continue to adopt dogs. We don’t want anything to deter people from adopting dogs or any pets that we have at the shelter.”

Source: http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2010/08/30/1269244/annie-the-dog-returned-to-her.html
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AG man hopes to get Annie back
StoryDiscussionAG man hopes to get Annie back
By April Charlton/Senior Staff Writer acharlton@santamariatimes.com Santa Maria Times | Posted: Tuesday, August 24, 2010 11:26 pm | (3) Comments

Supporters of Chuck Hoage gather Tuesday in front of the San Luis Obispo Government Center demonstrating for the return of his dog, Annie. Hoage had reported Annie missing in June, and went the shelter last month to claim her, only to be told the dog was adopted by another family.

When rural Arroyo Grande resident Chuck Hoage lost his dog, Annie, in late June, he never thought he’d have to fight to get his beloved animal back.

Hoage also never expected the outpouring of community support he has found in his quest to reunite with the 8-year-old Australian shepherd.

“It’s overwhelming,” Hoage said about the support that includes almost 2,500 fans on a Facebook page titled “Give Chuck Hoage his Dog Back!”

“I am amazed at all the people.”

The Facebook page was created by local radio talk show host Dave Congalton, who also helped organize a rally Tuesday outside the County Government Center.

Congalton created the Facebook page because he, too, has been separated from his canine companions over the years.

“I know what Chuck is going through — wondering whether his dog is OK, where it is and whether he’ll get to see his dog again,” Congalton said, adding he’s also amazed at the community support Hoage has received.

About 75 people and their dogs gathered outside the Government Center Tuesday to show their support for the return of Annie to Hoage.

Many carried signs that read “Send Annie Home” and “Give Annie Back to Chuck!,” while many more wore pendants bearing Annie’s picture around their necks.

“If they truly loved animals, they’d give Annie back to Chuck,” said Jolyne Knotts, about the unidentified family who adopted Annie in early July and won’t give the dog up. “Annie should be with her true owner.”

Annie and Hoage became separated June 23, when the dog was startled by a loud noise and ran away from his ranch on El Campo Road while Hoage was feeding his horses, he said.

The rancher searched for Annie, with no luck, and reported her missing to County Animal Services the following day, he said.

Animal Services claims that it never received the missing dog report, yet someone from the agency called Hoage on July 15 to inform him Annie was at the shelter.

When Hoage arrived at the shelter the following day, he was told that Annie was adopted July 9. She was apparently taken to the shelter July 2 by the family who found the canine on the side of Highway 101.

Calls and e-mails to Animal Services manager Dr. Eric Anderson weren’t returned.

“It’s very hard (to be without) her,” Hoage said, as he choked back tears. “It’s hard to when I go to feed her and she’s not there.”

Hoage, a widower with no children, has had Annie since she was a puppy.

Verena Maier, owner of Verena’s Go Gourmet in the Village of Arroyo Grande, said she’s supporting Hoage because it’s the right thing to do.

“I just feel that Chuck has been completely wronged and it needs to be done right,” Maier said. “Chuck did nothing wrong. He needs his dog back, and the county needs to step up and make sure he gets his dog back.”

Third District Supervisor Adam Hill has contacted the family who adopted Annie and plans to meet with them next week to see if they will return the canine to Hoage.

Hoage’s supporters have vowed not to give up their vigil until the quiet rancher and his dog are reunited.

“We’ve shown great solidarity,” Sally Knight of Atascadero told the crowd at the rally. “Let’s keep it up.”

Congalton is encouraging supporters to send cards and letters to the family, via Hill, asking them to give Annie back.

Letters and cards should be addressed to “The People that have Annie” care of Adam Hill, Room D-430, County Government Center, San Luis Obispo, CA 93408.

Cloud Star, a San Luis Obispo-based dog treat company, has offered $1,000 to the family that has Annie, and another $1,000 to Animal Services shelter, if they give up the dog.

Hoage believes he’ll be reunited with Annie in the future, even if he has to take legal action to get his dog back, he said.

Source: http://www.santamariatimes.com/news/local/article_33b32320-b012-11df-9185-001cc4c002e0.html

Also see http://www.insidesocal.com/pets/2010/08/widowers-lost-dog-annie-now-in.html

Stella, collie

Update Your Phones If You Move!!!
Posted By: Faith, Brooklyn Park, MN
Pet Name: Stella Species: Dog Breed: Collie Sex: Female
8/27/2010

In the summer of 2009, we moved to a different home to make room for my mother to live with us. It had a lovely fenced in yard, and our collie, Stella, LOVED it!

One night, my husband received a phone call from HomeAgain, telling us that they found our dog. We thought she was just outside on the patio, but apparently she took about a 5 block stroll towards a very busy intersection, and made a new friend there!!!

Stella

The operator on the phone, told my husband that they tried the phone number we had listed, but (of course) it was disconnected....I hadn't even thought of changing it! They called the emergency number listed, my good friend, Laura, and she gave them my cell number.

What a wonderful phone call to receive!!!

The "Rescuing Angel" saw Stella on her way home from delivering some rescued dogs to a no-kill shelter!! She jumped out of her car, and Stella came right up to her....wanting a head scratch, thank goodness.

I don't even know her name, but this angel started walking Stella on a leash, while her husband drove along side them. She called the cell number given to her, and I told her where we lived, she was only about a block away.

I took off running down the street, and saw my beautiful Stella, happily walking along with her, wagging her fluffy white tail. I was still in shock about the whole thing, but I think I managed to express my gratitude.

I still can't believe how fortunate we were to have the HomeAgain tag on her collar, connected to the wonderful people working there that helped an angel bring Stella back to us.

Source: http://foundpets.homeagain.com/update-your-phones-if-you-move!!!.aspx?&utm_source=HomeAgain_Newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=L_Reunion_Story&utm_campaign=September8_HA_Newsletter

Lucas, white terrier

Stolen dog reunited with owner – four years later
Author: thinkSPAIN
04/09/2010

A COUPLE have been reunited with their dog – four years after he was stolen.

Lucas, a white terrier, was found by a man in Agullana (Girona), covered in fleas and very dirty.

The man handed him to the Local Police as he was unable to care for him.

One of the officers decided to keep him, and took him home to give him a bath before taking him to the vet the next day for a general health check.

In addition to finding an ear infection, the vet discovered a microchip showing that he belonged to Eva Leal, from Sant Boi de Llobregat (Barcelona) and her husband Hernán Cociña.

He had been stolen from them in Agullana in 2006 when he was just a year old, and the broken-hearted couple eventually gave him up for lost.

But it transpired that Eva is a relative of one of the Local Police officers in Agullana, and she was immediately contacted to come and collect her dog.

The thrilled young woman says Lucas recognised her husband straight away, but took a little time to recognise her.

Their daughter, who had not been born when Lucas was stolen, has already fallen in love with him.

“She pulls his fur and he doesn't complain at all,” says a radiant Eva.

The couple are now keen to make up for lost time, and say Lucas enjoys going for walks in the park near their home 'as though nothing had ever happened'.

Aside from the ear infection, Lucas is in good health and appears to have been well-fed.

Source: http://www.thinkspain.com/news-spain/18516/stolen-dog-reunited-with-owner-four-years-later#
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Bailey, terrier

Bailey Is Back! Dog Lost After Boarding At Elizabeth Kennel Back Home
Local Trapper Locates Dog That Ran Away From Brizes Kennel
Joseph Heckel
POSTED: 12:38 pm EDT July 1, 2010

ELIZABETH, Pa. -- The frantic owner of a dog that was lost by the kennel where the animal was boarding got some fantastic news on Wednesday -- her pet was safe and sound, thanks to a clever neighbor.

Bailey, a terrier mix, has been returned to her owner after an employee of Brizes Kennel, fell and dropped the dog's leash, allowing the dog to run away.

Kerri Cotton was reunited with her pet after a hunter and trapper who lives in the area had an idea about how to get Bailey back.

"There was a really wonderful neighbor out there who set up a homemade trap to where she could get in but couldn't get out. Probably lured her in with food, and Bailey fell for it, thank God, and went in," Cotton said.

Cotton and her husband had dropped off their two dogs so the couple could attend a wedding. She said that when she returned to pick up her dogs, 18-month-old Bailey was not there.

Kennel owner Barbara Brizes said staff members spent hours looking for the dog after the animal was lost.

Cotton credited a Channel 4 Action News report that aired on Tuesday for getting the word out about Bailey's disappearance.

"Once the story did air, they really stepped up and were really instrumental in finding her. They really were out searching long and hard for her," said Cotton.

Cotton said Bailey also returned from her adventure in the country in great condition.

"They cleaned her up real nice, which was really wonderful for them to do. She had lots of briers in her coat, and they combed her up real nice, too.

Source: http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/r/24110221/detail.html

Previous article, at: http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/news/24075289/detail.html

Dog Runs Away While In Kennel's Care
Owner Left Dog At Brizes Kennel In Elizabeth
POSTED: 8:13 pm EDT June 28, 2010

ELIZABETH, Pa. -- The slogan of Brizes Kennel in Elizabeth is "Your Pet's Country Getaway" and that's exactly what one dog did when it managed to escape an employee's handle.

Kerri Cotton told Channel 4 Action News' Sheldon Ingram that she and her husband dropped off their two dogs Friday at Brizes Kennel, but when they returned to pick them up on Sunday, 18-month-old Bailey was not there.

"They lost Bailey, and they wanted me to help look for her, and I was just floored," said owner Kerri Cotton.

Kennel owner Barbara Brizes told the Cottons that a 13-year-old fell while walking Bailey and lost his handle on the leash.

"It was an accident. He fell, the dog took advantage of it and took off, and, unfortunately, the dog doesn't respond," said Brizes.

Bailey disappeared into 225 acres of land. Brizes said six of her employees searched the land for hours.

"Our office manager got in her car and went on the roads in case it would come out the other side. They walked through all the trees, they went everywhere," said Brizes.

Mistake or not, Brizes said she acknowledges that her business is accountable for Bailey's disappearance.

"The dog's in our care. It was an accident. We've been in business 40 years, we've never lost anybody's dog," said Brizes.

As for Cotton, she's left weighing her options without Bailey.

"I don't have my dog. This dog is my baby. I don't have any children. She's my baby," said Kerri Cotton.

Scottie, mix

Lost dog wanders into hospital
Reporter: Amanda Goodman
Tuesday, 16 Mar 2010


FARMINGTON, N.M. (KREZ) - One New Mexico dog found his way home recently by wandering into a hospital.

For more than a week the Juckes family was sick with worry because beloved rescue dog Scottie went missing on March 7, 2010.

They did everything they could think of to find him, from taking out an ad in the newspaper, to posting flyers around town and even checking the animal shelter daily.

Still, they were not able to track him down.

“He is a pretty good tempered dog so I was hoping he was always safe and that somehow we would find him,” Randy Juckes said.

Instead, Scottie found them.

“I was reading the paper this morning and there he was on the front page,” Juckes said.

Scottie was featured in an article Tuesday after he walked into the San Juan Regional Medical Center’s Emergency Room Saturday night.

The hospital has surveillance cameras and Scottie’s visit was caught on tape.

"I thought that was odd, I don't know what he was doing, but maybe he thought to himself he needed help,” Juckes said.

Someone at the hospital called animal control and Scottie was taken to the Farmington Animal Shelter where he remained until the Juckes’ read the story in the paper and they were able to reunite with their 11-year-old mix Tuesday morning.

Amazingly Scottie was OK after his weeklong escapade.

He wasn’t immediately returned to his owners because he had no identification tags, something Randy plans to change.

He said he is getting Scottie ID tags on Tuesday.

Source: http://www.krqe.com/dpp/news/local/northwest/lost-dog-wanders-into-hospital

Nicky, sheltie

Lost dog finds way back home
By Donathan Prater
Published: August 31, 2010

He came home a few pounds lighter and a shade darker.

Fortunately, those are two things a bowl of dog food and a good bath could fix for Nicky, a four-year-old Shetland Sheepdog, that had been missing for nearly six weeks since being lost from an Auburn animal hospital in July.

Shortly after going missing, Nicky’s owner, Christy Hines, 33, offered a $500 reward for his safe return home.

It turns out that all that while, Nicky didn’t actually find his way home; he did the next best thing by showing up at Hines’ mother Charlene Hines’ home at approximately 7 a.m. Thursday.

“As my mother pulled into her driveway, he came up the car, she opened the door and Nicky jumped in the car,” Christy said.

The time between the call from her mother that Nicky was OK and when she drove over to her mother’s home to get him was an emotionally tense one for Christy.

“When I saw him for the first time, I just started crying tears of joy and relief at seeing him,” Christy Hines said. “I pulled him into my lap, held him for a while and gave him a hug and kiss on his nose.”

With the recent string of hot days and being alone, Hines at times feared the worse for Nicky.

“I was afraid that he had not been able to survive, but he’s obviously much tougher than I gave him credit for,” Hines said.

Later that same morning, Hines took Nicky to the veterinarian where other than being treated for a few bug bites and given an IV for dehydration, he was given a clean bill of health and a much needed bath.

Over the last few days Nicky has been getting reacquainted with his favorite toy, a stuffed owl and catching up on his sleep, which he enjoys doing at Hines’ feet.

“The (Nicky) stuffed owl is his favorite toy, but he pretty much likes anything that squeaks,” said Hines, who continues to be grateful for all those who spent time looking for him and kept him in their prayers.

Comment Posted by chines on Sept. 1, 2010 - 8:36 a.m.
I would like to thank everyone who spent their time looking for Nicky, posting flyers, and keeping him in your prayers and thoughts. I was overwhelmed at the generosity of people who were strangers, but were offering help and support. That meant more to me and my family than you could ever imagine. I have lived here for 3 years, but I truly understood the meaning of Auburn family over these past weeks. Thank you all from the bottom of our hearts!

Source: http://www2.oanow.com/news/2010/aug/31/lost-dog-finds-way-back-home-ar-774234/

Bella, samoyed husky

Dognapped Bella is back -- thanks to Herald reader
By Caitlin McBride
Wednesday July 29 2009

The owner of a missing dog has been reunited with her beloved pet after a tip-off from a Herald reader.

Joelle Fagan has been reunited with her dog Bella who went missing two weeks ago.

Joelle Fagan's white samoyed husky, Bella, had been missing for two weeks after she was snatched from the family's driveway in Raheny.

And to add to Joelle's worries, she also received a number of hoax phone calls about Bella's whereabouts, as well as a ransom demand.

However, that has all been put aside following Bella's safe return home.

The Fagan family were left heartbroken after their dog disappeared and their distress was deepened after they received a ransom call last week.

"Somebody called saying they had our dog and had been offered €300 for it -- they wanted to know what we were willing to pay," said Ms Fagan.

However, when the family alerted gardai, they were able to trace the call and track down the culprits who admitted to knowing nothing about the missing dog.

Prior to Bella's recovery, the dog's owners had followed every tip and potential sighting which ranged from the Dublin suburbs to Kildare.

But yesterday morning, the Fagan family went from distressed to delighted when they received a call from a Kildare resident who had taken in a dog and realised it was Bella after reading about her 'dog-napping' in the Herald.

ABANDONED

"I am delighted that it is our dog and she was taken in by a very kind lady beside the Curragh in Kildare," said Joelle.

And although Bella is not up to her normal strength, she is in good health.

Joelle explained: "A woman found her on her doorstep in the rain after she had been abandoned by the kidnappers. Her hair is matted and she's a little thin, but other than that she is fine.

"It is fantastic to have her back. I can't thank everyone enough for their help -- so many people supported us when she was missing.

"I really couldn't have done it without the support of the Herald and all the volunteers in the DSPCA and Animal Rescue Dublin."

There has been a worrying increase in the number of dog-related crimes in recent months. Pet detective Robert Kenny believes they have "increased by 15pc over six to seven months because of the recession".

Source: http://www.herald.ie/national-news/city-news/dognapped-bella-is-back--thanks-to-herald-reader-1845163.html
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Whitney, muttley mix

Whitney's Story: Part 2
by Meghan Reed
Thursday, September 2, 2010

On June 12th, a lovely Saturday morning, we were heading out the door to go to the farmer's market. My mom was in town visiting and she loves to go our farmer's market. We decided that we would take Whitney along because it would be good for her social skills development.

Whitney

Matt had Whitney on her leash and was heading down to the car when her leash got tangled up and he tripped and dropped the leash. Little miss Whitney was startled and took off running. Matt chased her for a little while but she was just too fast. We wandered around the neighborhood all morning trying find her with no luck. Eventually we gave up and decided we would just have to wait for her to come home on her own. It seemed like the longest day ever.

Finally, around 9:30pm we were watching a movie and I heard a jingle on the front porch. It was Whitney, she came back but when we opened the front door to get her she took off running again. This was the last time we saw her.

I was determined to find poor little Whitney and bring her home. I put hundreds of fliers all over our neighborhood, on everyone's cars and all of the utility poles. I posted her on craigslist in the pets and the lost and found sections. I even paid to have a pet amber alert sent. This service sent a notice to all of the local vets, animal shelters, animal control, law enforcement, and Pet Stores within a 50 mile radius.

I continued to hang fliers an check craigslist for weeks with no luck. Eventually I stopped wandering all over the place looking for her, I just didn't have the time. I did however continue to post her on craigslist in both the pets and lost and found sections once a week. This went on for two months.

On August 8th, while I was making dinner, my phone rang, it was an unknown number and Matt answered. It was the daughter of a woman who had just moved into a new townhouse. She said her mom had been telling her about this little dog that comes out of the woods every evening around 6pm and scrounges around the nearby construction site. So the daughter went on craigslist to see if she could find anything about a lost dog. She found our ad and showed the picture to her mom who said it did look like the dog she sees every night; it just looked a little smaller in real life.

She gave us the address, it was only about 2 miles from our house, so we dropped everything to go check it out. We wandered into the construction site and looked around a bit, and then I saw something in the dirt. It was Whitney's collar, I called her name and sure enough she popped up out of some bushes and took off running. We weren't able to catch her that night, but I kept going back every night, still unable to catch her. At least I was able to see that she was okay and leave her some food. I also found out that some of the construction workers had been feeding her for weeks, so she had been living there for a while.

I tried everything I could think of to catch her. I set her crate up with a Wendy's cheeseburger in it; we tried a Havaheart trap, and even brought Arnie over to see if he could get her to come to us. After a week of spending my evenings at a dirty construction site, I was running out of ideas, so I turned to craigslist for help. I posted on there that we had found her but were unable to catch her and I got several responses recommending a pet trapper.

On August 12th, exactly 2 months after she ran away, I contacted Pure Gold Pet Trackers. They have this really snazzy trap that doesn't look like a trap. You can see how it works below.

We set the trap up that night around 9:30pm with a rotisserie chicken in it then we sat in the car and waited. We had night vision goggles so we could see what Whitney was up to in the dark. She wandered around for a while, kept sniffing around the corner where the chicken was. She wasn't too sure about the fence and the entrance to the trap, but she really wanted that chicken. At about 11:30pm she went for it and the door shut behind her. We caught her! I got her in the car and let her finish the chicken while we packed up the trap.

I took her home and cleaned her up bit, gave her some treats and put her to bed in her crate. The next day she got a real bath and went to the vet. She was given a clean bill of health except for a few ticks.

Today, she is fully recovered and starting to act more and more like a normal dog every day.

We would like to thank Sam, Nancy, and Nadene for all of their help with bringing Whitney home.

Source (& many more pics): http://www.thekraftywife.com/2010/09/whitneys-story-part-2.html
Whitney's background story is at http://www.thekraftywife.com/2010/08/whitneys-story-part-1.html

Chihuahua Found After Being Lost in Florida Swampland for 19 Days
by Helena Sung
Oct 19th 2009 @ 3:00PM

Rue today

To this day, Sheila Helton cannot talk about the time her Chihuahua, Rue, went missing without tearing up. "If we had listened to people who told us to give up, we would never have found Rue," Sheila tells Paw Nation. But find her she did, after 19 days in Florida's swampland.

When Sheila and her partner Sue set off with 12 family members on a nine day trip to Portugal in September 2007, it was supposed to be the trip of a lifetime. With a pet sitter to watch their other two dogs, the women left eight-month-old Rue in the care of Sue's father.

The tiny Chihuahua rode with Sue's father and his wife to the airport in Fort Meyers, Florida to see Sheila and Sue off. Moments later, when Sue's father pulled over at a rest stop, Rue became so frightened by a bolt of lightning that she wriggled out of her harness and ran straight for a nearby massive stretch of swampland.

Sue's father, 75, and his wife looked for Rue, but there was no sight of her. At the advice of Sue's brother, her father kept mum until the women were back in the states. It was only at the end of their voyage that he revealed Rue had disappeared. "We were crying," recalls Sheila.

When they arrived home in Fort Meyers, the women went straight to the rest stop to look for Rue, who had already been missing for 9 days. They searched the mile of wetland and swamps for almost two hours, but their little dog didn't appear.

Every day after work, Sue and Sheila returned to the rest area. On weekends, they spent from morning to dusk looking for Rue, taking their other dogs along to spread their scent. "We yelled her name for hours and hours," says Sheila. They checked local shelters, put up fliers, offered a reward, and left their phone numbers with rest stop workers in case anybody found Rue.

There were tons of false sightings. "It was exhausting," recalls Sheila. "We'd drive an hour north to work, then come home and drive an hour south to the rest stop to look for Rue. It was an emotional roller coaster." It was also affecting their dogs. "They didn't know what was going on," Sheila tells Paw Nation. "Beau, our Jack Russel terrier, would walk all around the house looking for her."

Undaunted, Sheila and Sue went to a local animal shelter and borrowed a cat trap. Each night, they set the kennel-like structure with food and articles of their clothing. Once, they caught a racoon. Another time, a huge rat. But no Rue.

"We were starting to lose hope a little bit," says Sheila. "We couldn't lose our jobs and our other dogs weren't getting any attention."

Weeks after Rue's disappearance and with no recent sightings, the women made the difficult decision that, "as hard as it would be, we needed to start moving on," says Sheila. They set the trap one last time and put grilled chicken and wet dog food inside. Sheila took off her sweatshirt and placed it next to the food. "I was bawling," says Sheila. "It was horrible driving off thinking we were leaving her there."

Rue today

Rue, soon after being found.

But the next morning at 6 a.m., Sheila received a stunning phone call. It was a construction worker from the rest stop. "Do you think you can get off work today?" he asked.

"Do you have her?" Sheila yelled. He did. Rue had been found in the trap. Sue and Sheila sped to the rest area and there, Rue leapt into Sue's arms.

"We were crying, we were so grateful to have her back," says Sheila. Rue looked thin, had a big cut over her right eye, and her left eye was crusty and oozing, so Sue and Sheila sped directly to their veterinarian.

"The mosquitoes had pretty much chewed her up, but she looked pretty doggone good for being gone that long," veterinarian Terry Gardner tells Paw Nation. "I cleaned her up and gave her a steroid injection to reduce some inflammation and sent her home."

Curious about Rue's story, Dr. Gardner decided to stop by the rest area. "There was just a massive undeveloped wooded area," he says. In the pond where Rue had apparently drank from, Dr. Gardner saw alligators. "It turned out to have a happy ending, but it could have been disastrous," he says.

Today, Rue is playful as ever and rules the roost. "She still shakes whenever it rains and stiffens up when we put the harness on her, but other than that, she's the same as before," says Sheila. "I'm happy we didn't give up, and that's the message that I want people to know -- not to give up hope."


Source: http://www.pawnation.com/2009/10/19/chihuahua-found-after-being-lost-in-florida-swampland-for-19-day/