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.
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