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