Chuma, Rhodesian ridgeback

A man is reunited with his dog five months after he was stolen by thieves
Sydney Cameron
October 30, 2010

Chuma before being stolen, as an 11 week old puppy

WASHINGTON, Dc. (WUSA) -- In late May, thieves broke into Kevin Fitzgerald's home in Northeast. The electronics that were stolen could be replaced; but they also made off with Chuma --Kevin's eleven week old Rhodesian Ridgeback.

A Pet Amber Alert went out for Chuma--pictures were posted on the internet--signs went up in the neighborhood. the Chesapeake Region Ridgeback Community was summoned--by the end of summer the emails had stopped--hope had faded--

Then on October 27 Kevin Fitzgerald got an anonymous call saying Chuma was listed on an adpotion website.

It was Chuma--five months after he was stolen from inside his home--the Rhodesan Ridgeback had been brought to the Prince George's County Animal shelter by someone who had apparently given up on raising the dog--

Its unclear how many owners Chuma has had since he was stolen from his owner in May. Kevin says hen appeared well cared for---no physical or mental abuse.

Source: http://www.wusa9.com/rss/local_article.aspx?storyid=117944



Beloved Dog Stolen During DC Robbery
Andrea McCarren 9NEWS NOW & WUSA9.COM
May 28, 2010

WASHINGTON, DC (WUSA)--A Northeast Washington man came home to discover his house ransacked...and his beloved Rhodesian Ridgeback, stolen.

"I'm hurt. I'm angry. I want my dog back," said heartbroken owner Kevin Fitzgerald.

Fitzegerald always dreamed of owning a Rhodesian Ridgeback, an unusual dog that was originally bred to hunt lions in Africa. Just three weeks ago, Fitzgerald's wish came true. He and Chuma quickly became inseparable companions.

"Without a doubt. Without a doubt," he said. "It was like having a kid."

Joy gave way to grief when Fitzgerald's fiancée called Thursday evening to say she'd come home from work.

"Probably 10 or 15 seconds later, I hear oh my God. We've been robbed," said Fitzgerald.

Thieves smashed a basement window to enter the house in the quiet Northeast neighborhood of Woodridge sometime between 9am and 4 pm. They stole television sets, laptop computers, electronics. Those can be replaced. Chuma cannot.

"He's a Rhodesian Ridgeback. 11 weeks old. He has a distinctive ridge of fur that grows down his back," said Fitzgerald.

Chuma was inside the house in a crate when the robbery occurred, so it's clear he was stolen and didn't simply escape. Another dog carrier of his was abandoned in a back alley.

"Return my dog, that's all. Return my dog," pleaded Fitzgerald.

He fears someone may think he's a pit bull and cause him harm. Police are investigating this robbery and several other recent break-ins in the neighborhood.

"There's a lot of other things I would like to say, but I just want my dog back. That's all. Real simple," he said.

Fitzgerald is offering a one thousand dollar reward for the safe return of his dog. No questions asked.

Source: http://www.wusa9.com/rss/local_article.aspx?storyid=101872

Troy, pugalier (pug/CKC)

Boy reunited with lost puppy
Swindon Advertiser
10:00am Friday 29th October 2010

Little pugalier dog Troy is back in the arms of his best pal Parker after being dognapped from his Sparcells home.

The six month old puppy, a cross between a pug and a King Charles cavalier spaniel, was stolen from his home in Fyne Close on Wednesday morning – breaking the heart of three-year-old Parker and his parents.

The thief crept into the family home and stole the pup along with other items before making a getaway.

Yesterday the Adver ran an appeal for information and luckily a reader spotted the puppy and called the police.

Mum Claire McCrory, 21, said: “We have been crying all morning – we are just so thrilled.

“If it wasn’t thanks to the Adver running the story and the kind stranger calling the police we may never have seen him again.

“My little boy ran downstairs hoping to see his little friend and started crying when he was not home, then we got a knock at the door and it was the police with Troy.

“I am just so grateful and we are not letting him out of our sight ever again.”

The drama unfolded after an Adver reader saw our appeal and later that day saw a man with a puppy matching Troy’s description in a car in Wootton Bassett.

After contacting the police, the man was found hiding in the loft of a house in Wootton Bassett clutching the puppy.

A man was arrested.

Source: http://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/8483149.Boy_reunited_with_lost_puppy/?ref=twt
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Topaz, lhasa apso

Facebook Reunites Dog With Owners After 4 Years
by Josh Loposer
Oct 14th 2010 @ 4:00PM

After being separated from her family for four years and by thousands of miles, a Lhasa apso named Topaz is home again thanks to social networking. And they say Facebook is good for nothing but wasting time at work!

According to Time magazine, good Samaritan Diane Stess-Kirschner met Topaz when she found the dog wandering alone outside her home in Tamarac, Fla. "I felt something sniffing at my leg, and there was this dog," Stess-Kirschner told the Sacramento Bee. "She was a little grungy. She looked up as if to say, 'Can you help me?'" Upon taking the animal to the vet for a check-up, Stess-Kirschner discovered that Topaz was microchipped, and that the dog's owners were named Glen and Casaundra Greenfelder.

Attempts to find the Greenfelders by phone and search engine proved to be dead ends. It was only when she tried Facebook that Stess-Kirschner found some promising leads. She came up with two hits for Casaundra Greenfelder. Not knowing if either was the woman for which she was looking, she posted a comment about "a little blond dog" on both of their Facebook profiles.

The Greenfelders -- Glen, Casaundra, and their children, Jordan and Makenna -- hadn't seen Topaz in four years. Before relocating from Tampa to Sacramento, the family had placed Topaz in what they believed was a good, caring home. Somehow, the pooch had wandered her way 200 miles across Florida from Tampa to Tamarac.

When the Greenfelders received Stess-Kirschner's message, Glen Greenfelder called and asked about Topaz by name, which Stess-Kirschner had not provided. She knew then that she had found Topaz's family.

The Facebook communication from Stess-Kirschner convinced the Greenfelder family that they were meant to be with Topaz again. "I still can't believe it," Casaundra Greenfelder told the Sacramento Bee. "I'm still in shock."

Last Friday, after having her professionally groomed, Stess-Kirschner crated Topaz and put her on a flight destined for California and the waiting arms of the family who had missed her for four years.

Source: http://www.pawnation.com/2010/10/14/facebook-reunites-dog-with-owners-after-4-years/
Also see http://www.news10.net/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=99691&provider=top

Faith, siberian husky mix

After almost four years, owner and dog are reunited
By James Hart, The Kansas City Star
Posted on Wed, Oct. 13, 2010

A Gardner woman has been reunited with her Siberian husky mix almost four years after she lost contact with her beloved dog.


Dana Klint said she “was in tears when I found it was really her” after reconnecting with Faith, a 15-year-old husky mix


Dana Klint of Gardner was reunited with 15-year-old Faith over the weekend thanks to the Pet Connection, a no-kill animal shelter in Mission. She saw photos of the dog, nicknamed “Medora,” online on Saturday and reclaimed her Sunday, she said.

Klint had given up hope of ever seeing Faith again. She lost contact with the dog after leaving her with an ex-boyfriend about four years ago and hadn’t seen the animal in two years.

“I was in tears when I found it was really her,” Klint said.

Faith had apparently been living on the street for several months before she was taken to the Kansas City, KS animal control shelter. Thanks to the Humane Society’s Ray of Hope program, which takes animals from the Kansas City, KS, shelter and places them with no-kill shelters and volunteers, Faith was placed at the Pet Connection.

Faith didn’t have a working microchip or any other official identification, but Klint produced old photos of her dog that matched Faith’s distinctive markings, Pet Connection founding director Melody Kelso said. The ages line up, and the dog acted like she knew Klint. The shelter is confident that it’s the same dog, Kelso said.

This isn’t the first time that Pet Connection has reunited a missing dog with its original owner, though none of the other cases involved such a long gap of time, Kelso said.

On Monday, Faith was settling in with Klint. “You can still feel her ribs,” Klint said. “I’m still working on putting some weight on her.”

Source: http://www.kansascity.com/2010/10/12/2307038/after-almost-four-years-owner.html
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Zorro, Cavalier King Charles

Local lost dog claimed by false owners
By Taryn Fitsik
Posted: Oct 13, 2010 6:35 PM EDT

Albany, NY--A local dog is reunited with its owners, after it was first lost and then claimed by strangers, in an alleged effort to make money.

But it was a happy reunion Wednesday for Binah Bindell and her dog Zorro, who has been missing since last Friday, and then allegedly claimed by a false owner.

"What they did by claiming a dog that was lost is stealing, and this dog is worth over $2,000," says April Orcutt.

Crcutt volunteers with a local animal rescue group, and when she found out her neighbor's cavalier king charles spaniel was missing, she jumped into action.

Orcutt located the man who had found the dog, and found out he had put an announcement on Craigslist, not knowing who it belonged to.

"Three hours later he got a call from two women, who said this was their dog, and who came and collected the dog," says Orcutt. "The dog acted like he knew them, and they also brought a little girl with them. The girl got on her hands and knees and said come here Charlie, and the dog ran to her."

Orcutt says through more research online, she found out the dog had been placed on Craigslist and e-Bay classified, and re-sold to a woman who lives in Ticonderoga for $400.

Orcutt contacted the woman, which ultimately led to today's reunion.

Both the dog's owner and Orcutt says the whole ordeal points to something bigger, how they believe the alleged "false owners" are called "flippers", falsely claiming a dog as their own, and then selling it.

Luckily for Bindell, her story has a happy ending.

"I thought I would never see him again, but I had this gut feeling, I was going to get him back," she says.

Bindell believes to know who the alleged false owner is, and has contacted the Bethlehem Police Department, wanting to press charges.

Police say the entire case is currently under investigation.

Source: http://www.wten.com/Global/story.asp?S=13319345
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Harley, teacup chihuahua

Chihuahua reunited with owner after being loose for 11 days
By Carrie Ann Knauer, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Cheryl Naugle, left, holds her chihuahua Harley as her daughter Paige, right, with her dog Bandit, looks on at their Taneytown home Monday evening. Harley was found at the Maryland Wine Festival Saturday after going missing in Westminster for more than a week.

When Cheryl Naugle found out that her dog Harley had run away from her mother's house on Sept. 8, she took the next four days off work to look for him.

It was all the vacation time she had, but she was desperate to find the 2-year-old teacup chihuahua that was so important to her, she said.

Saturday afternoon at the Carroll County Farm Museum, amongst the excitement going on for The Maryland Wine Festival, a little boy assisted by a few adults found Harley and turned him over to Naugle's sister, who was working at the festival.

After 11 days of being on the loose and spotted all around the Center Street-Washington Road area, Harley is back home with his family and recovering from his adventure.

When Harley was dropped off with Naugle's mother for an overnight stay, they forgot to bring his collar, Naugle said. Her mother tried to use the leash only when she took him outside, but Harley wiggled his way out and escaped.

After he first went missing, Naugle's daughter Paige made posters and put them all over the Center Street area in Westminster, where Harley had gotten loose. On Sept. 9, Naugle got a call from a security guard at Carroll Hospital Center who said he had seen Harley sleeping near some construction trailers. The guard offered him a blanket and a bowl of water, but Harley growled and the security guard gave him some space. He was gone within an hour, before Naugle could get to him.

Encouraged by the sighting, Naugle and her husband Todd spent Sept. 10 through 12 camping out around the hospital and Carroll Springs School, walking all over the neighborhood, handing out fliers and asking residents if they had seen Harley. They went to the Farm Museum and talked to people at the Mason-Dixon Historical Society's Steam & Gas Round-Up, hoping Harley would show up there looking for food.

"We were walking railroad tracks, we were walking through the Farm Museum woods, we were everywhere," she said. "We were sleeping in our vehicles, searching up and down."

Sept. 13, Naugle decided to make more fliers and added that Harley had been seen at the hospital. While giving fliers out in the Cranberry Square Shopping Center, a stylist at Great Clips told Naugle she had seen a Chihuahua on the evening Sept. 11 at the intersection of Md. 97 and Hook Road. Naugle redirected her search to the neighborhood around Westminster High School and Carroll Community College.

Naugle got a call the afternoon of Sept. 13 that children had seen a Chihuahua at recess at Friendship Valley Elementary School on Gist Road. Unfortunately, no one had called the Humane Society, she said, and he had gotten away again. Three hours behind him on the trail, Naugle couldn't find him, but talked to neighbors along Gist Road, asking them to keep an eye out for him.

The next morning, Naugle was back in the neighborhood, looking all over. Todd Naugle went out to the neighborhood at 4:30 a.m. each morning before going to work, hoping to find him.

On Wednesday, Naugle had to return to work, having exhausted her vacation days. By the end of the week, she said they were getting nervous because there hadn't been any calls or sightings since Sept. 13. She was beginning to give up hope.

Friday, Naugle was supposed to be heading down to Ocean City for Bike Week. She was reluctant to go, but decided to make one more round of fliers about Harley. She sent one to her sister, Heather Plank, who works for the county government and was going to be working at the wine festival over the weekend, which is held at the Farm Museum.

"I said ‘can you print these new ones off and place them up there and ask anybody if they've seen him?' I figured he was probably working his way back from the elementary school," Naugle said.

And sure enough, Saturday afternoon, a little boy was playing around the Farm Museum pond and noticed Harley in a drainage pipe, which Naugle said she believes he was using as a hiding place. The boy and some adults worked to lure him out with food, using a rope from one of the festival's tents to fashion a temporary leash for him to keep him from getting away again.

Word about the dog was passed along to the Farm Museum staff, and when it was mentioned that the dog was a Chihuahua, someone went to find Plank to see if she would recognize the dog.

"Thank God my sister was working," Naugle said.

Naugle said she pulled over her bike and was standing on the side of U.S. 50 when she got her sister's call, and she was filled with joy and relief.

"I've never shed so many tears, my husband and I," Naugle said.

Naugle's mother-in-law came to the Farm Museum to pick Harley up, and Harley recognized her and was happy to go home with her. Naugle arrived back in Westminster Sunday and was reunited with the exhausted, hungry dog.

Starting at only 5 pounds, Harley had visibly lost weight, she said, and was very excited to be back home and eating his normal food again. He is technically under quarantine now because he bit one of the people who had helped rescue him, Naugle said, but he is going to the veterinarian Wednesday for a check-up.

"He's eating, he's just really thin," Naugle said. "He's better this morning. He just follows me around, and he's getting back to normal."

Harley's disappearance has had a bigger effect on the family as well.

"[Todd and I] have been separated for 11 months, and this dog kind of brought us back together," Naugle said. "That dog is our baby."

Source: http://www.carrollcountytimes.com/news/local/article_aa0a3e04-c530-11df-98cc-001cc4c03286.html

Lula, bichon/papillion mix

Stolen Castro Valley dog reunited with owner
By Eric Kurhi, Oakland Tribune
09/09/2010

CASTRO VALLEY -- Looking considerably heavier and a bit nappy, Lula the dognapped bichon frise-
papillon mix was reunited with her owner Wednesday after being purchased at the San Jose Flea Market about a week after her Aug. 6 disappearance.

Owner Robert Cassidy couldn't be happier. He's lined up an appointment at a dog salon this morning to give Lula the spa treatment, and posted a YouTube video of the crazy-tailed reunion of Lula and his other little dog, Sailor.

"I don't care about the material stuff that got stolen," Cassidy said. "I didn't even ask about it; I'm not going to go look for it."

Lula was taken from his home along with electronics and other items. Cassidy later found out that 10 nearby residents also had been recently burglarized, but he was the only one who lost a companion.

Cassidy said he was contacted earlier this week by an Oakland woman who said she had purchased the year-old dog for her daughter at the flea market. Three men selling the dog told her a niece no longer could take care of Lula -- they removed her identifying tags but kept the name -- and she could be had for $300.

"She and her daughter fell in love with her," Cassidy said.

But on Tuesday, a missing dog flier came to their attention. Cassidy had printed thousands of them, and posted 300 in English and Spanish on International Boulevard alone, near where the family lives.

"The mother saw the flier and mentioned it to her daughter, who had gotten quite attached to Lula," Cassidy said. "But (the mother) said they have to give her back to the rightful owners, and it would be their last night with Lula."

Lula was returned, 3 pounds heavier than when she was taken. That's a big gain for a 5-pound dog.

"That's like another half a dog," Cassidy said.

He praised the family for returning the dog -- reaping a $1,100 reward in the process -- as well as the outpouring he received from the community, including hundreds of tips from people who saw the
fliers or website or Craigslist postings.

But he had his share of crank calls, too.

"One guy called and asked if I was (1970s pop star) Shawn Cassidy," he said. "Another guy called and said he's the one who stole my dog and he would only give her back if he could take a shower with me."

Source: http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_16035951
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Katie, chihuahua feist mix

Dog missing 7 months reunites with family
By Valerie Broadway, The Herald Sun
July 2010

A happy reunion after seven months’ disappearance of Katie, a Chihuahua/Feist mix, is shared by (from left) Terran Tysor, daughter of the owners; Melissa Taylor, the Chatham Animal Rescue and Education volunteer who cared for Katie after the dog was found; Pam Ard and husband Andrew Ard — and of course Katie (held by Taylor) and her littermate, Missy, who helped to identify her.

PITTSBORO — Some say it’s a miracle. Others label it a great stroke of good fortune. Whatever else the curious case of Katie may be, Chatham Animal Rescue and Education (CARE) in Chatham County said the little dog’s return to its owners after a long absence is unprecedented in the agency’s 20-year history.

Katie, a Chihuahua/Feist mix, was reunited with her family after disappearing almost seven months ago. The fiancé of the family’s son was looking to adopt a dog and was conducting a search on Petfinder.com when she ran across a picture of Katie posted by CARE under the name of Sasha. She had her fiance take a look at the picture and called his mom to share his suspicions that this could be long-lost Katie. Mom, Pam Ard, immediately contacted CARE.

Katie disappeared from the Ard family home on Christmas night 2009. The family searched for Katie around the many acres of farm and forest around their home to no avail. Due to Katie’s age they thought maybe she had wandered off to die. But the family was haunted by thoughts of what could have happened to Katie.

Meanwhile, in early January, CARE volunteer Melissa Taylor, a foster caregiver, was called by Chatham County Animal Shelter’s personnel. It was the last day the shelter could hold an older Chihuahua mix that had been turned into them as a stray. They knew Taylor had a soft spot for fostering older dogs. Taylor picked up Katie from the shelter and has fostered her in her home ever since.

Katie was examined by a veterinarian and estimated to be about 9 years old. Additionally, she had an irregular heartbeat. Potential adopters were interested in Katie, but ultimately the people didn’t want to take on the commitment of adopting a dog with health issues. Taylor and her family were prepared to keep Katie in the event she was never adopted.

After getting home from work and receiving Pam Ard’s message, Taylor arranged to meet with the Ard family first thing the next morning. It was the moment of truth. Was Sasha indeed Katie?

Katie didn’t offer a lot of emotion at the reunion, so there were a few minutes of comparing pictures the Ards brought, and scars and bumps on Katie. The family also had Katie’s littermate, Missy, with them. It didn’t take long to determine that Sasha was indeed Katie. And the biggest shocker, Katie is 20 years old. The reunion was emotional to say the least — everyone was in tears. Pam Ard called her son to let him know Katie was found.

The family is thrilled to have Katie back and is extremely appreciative for all CARE — and especially Taylor — did for her. “Melissa was truly Katie’s guardian angel,” Pam Ard said. “I have no doubt that divine intervention brought Katie back home to us. Katie isn’t our pet; she and Missy are our family. A lot of love and joy has been received from those two little four-legged blessings during their twenty years!”

Once they were back home, Katie immediately visited each of her favorite places to lie down and then she and Missy snuggled up in the dog bed together and sniffed and licked each other. They were a little slow to recognize each other when first reunited, but it was all coming back now.

CARE had Katie micro-chipped, as is routine with fosters. The Ard family plans to have all of their pets micro-chipped and will no longer allow the dogs to go outside unattended.

Source:  http://www.heraldsun.com/view/full_story/8579964/article-Dog-missing-7-months-reunites-with-family?instance=most_recommended

Violet, corgi mix

Toms River woman has real-life 'Lassie Come Home' story
By Donna Weaver, Staff Writer
Posted: Friday, January 29, 2010

Terri Zack’s efforts to find Violet, who ran away in November, cost about $5,000. Her efforts paid off when they were reunited Friday.



Terri Zack’s efforts to find Violet, who ran away in November, cost about $5,000. Her efforts paid off when they were reunited Friday.

 Ten weeks and $5,000 later, a lost and very elusive corgi mix named Violet was reunited with her owner Friday.

Terri Zack, of Leawood Avenue in Toms River, had been searching for her 3-year-old dog Violet since November after the small dog was spooked by a skunk and ran away. Zack had adopted Violet only one month before the dog disappeared, but she spared no expense when it came to finding her pooch.

On Friday evening, Violet was curled up under a blanket on a pet bed surrounded by dog treats and food in Zack’s home.

“I just never gave up hope. I knew we would find her and bring her home,” Zack said.

Early on in the search, Zack, 50, hired a psychic and a search-and-rescue team from Texas to try to locate the dog. Connecticut-based psychic Nedda Wittels, who is described as an animal communicator, costs about $200 per session, Zack said. And for the past 10 weeks, a Brick Township company called Lost Pets Found, owned by Sylvia O’Connell and Al Adamcyzak, had also been searching for Violet.

All of Zack’s efforts to bring her dog home have totaled about $5,000, according to her boyfriend, Don Hicks, of Toms River.

“It’s worth every penny. I just can’t believe this is actually happening,” Hicks said.

Bringing Violet home was expensive and anything but easy, O’Connell and Adamcyzak said. The husband and wife team marveled at the dog’s resiliency.

“She went through that awful snowstorm and survived the bitter cold afterwards,” O’Connell said.

“Finding (Violet) was about as tough as it gets. This dog was seen scaling 4-foot fences and she has 6-inch legs,” Adamcyzak said.

The couple used their tracking dog Sadie, a rescued female Doberman and German shepherd mix, to track Violet’s scent. But the little corgi mix seemed to get the better of Sadie, O’Connell and Adamcyzak. Violet avoided sensor cameras the couple set up, and although sightings of the dog poured in almost every day, each lead turned up nothing.

O’Connell said that in the beginning of the search, Violet avoided the traps that were set. The dog was even able to get food out of the trap without being captured.

“We started viewing her as a wild dog and not a lost dog. She wasn’t giving up and she knew how to survive out there or she wouldn’t be in this good of condition,” O’Connell said.

Violet is in good health, Zack said after a trip to the veterinarian Friday afternoon.

“She lost about 10 pounds, but she doesn’t have a scratch on her,” Zack said.

O’Connell said Violet adapted to the outdoors and became a good hunter.

“When we found her, her feces (was) full of rabbit and rat fur,” O’Connell said.

But what finally lured Violet into a trap at the Ocean County Landfill in Manchester Township was fast food.

“We tracked her there and found her paw prints. She was using the landfill as a thoroughfare. So the other day we stopped and got some Kentucky Fried Chicken,” Adamcyzak said.

O’Connell said they tied two original recipe drumsticks to the roof of the trap.

“We thought that (Violet) would be concentrating on getting the chicken down so she wouldn’t be thinking about the trip plate that would trap her,” Adamcyzak said.

It worked. O’Connell said Violet ate the chicken, bones and all.

“Violet is my little phantom dog. She’s the real-life 'Lassie Come Home' story,” O’Connell said.

“The moral of the story is never give up,” Adamcyzak said.

Source: http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/press/ocean/article_055b92bc-0d58-11df-83b7-001cc4c002e0.html
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Edgar, dachsund

Gossip Rocks Forum & Daily Life > Pets and Animals
Missing dog is reunited with owner
January 24th, 2009

Edgar the dog had been missing for months. He was stolen from his owner's home in Brooklyn Center during a burglary on October 28.

Tonight, he's back home safe and sound.

Edgar's return is thanks to an anonymous caller says owner Meghan Dop.

"This past Wednesday night I got a call from a good Samaritan who happened to see a flyer that was still up at a pet store and said I think I've seen your dog," Dop tells KARE 11.

Police used the information to locate Edgar Friday night at a home in North Minneapolis. The caller refused to accept the $1,000 reward. Brooklyn Center Police are continuing to investigate the crime."

Source: http://www.gossiprocks.com/forum/pets-animals/94332-missing-dog-reunited-owner.html

Phoenix, treeing walker coonhound

Lost coonhounds come home, thanks to an anonymous tip
By Laura Butler
Posted on Thu, Oct. 07, 2010


Thanks to an anonymous tip, Michael Snedegar was reunited with his best friend Thursday afternoon after she'd been missing for almost a week.



John Snedegar posed with the three coonhounds he found tied to a tree in Knott County on Thursday afternoon. The dogs were stolen from the Kentucky Coon Hunt in Grant County Friday, Oct. 1. Michael Snedegar, John's son and owner of one of the hounds, received an anonymous tip telling him where to find the dogs around 9 a.m. Thursday.

 Phoenix, a 21-month-old Walker coonhound, and two other coonhounds were stolen from the Curtis Gates Lloyd Wildlife Preserve in Crittenden while their owners were inside the sportsmen's club preparing for the Kentucky Coon Hunt.

Snedegar, of Sharpsburg, offered a $500 reward for Phoenix's return or a tip that would lead to her return, but he said the man who called him wouldn't give his name — he said he just wanted to help out.

That Good Samaritan wasn't the only one willing to assist. Snedegar estimated he'd received 200 calls from people wanting pictures of Phoenix in order to make fliers and asking what they could do to lend a hand.

"It seems like everyone in the state knew about these dogs," Snedegar said. "I'd walk into stores or work, and people would ask me about them."

Because Snedegar was at work when he received the call, he sent his father, John, a former coon hunter, to Knox County to retrieve them.

"It was very dangerous where he went to go get these dogs," Michael Snedegar said. "I wasn't with him ... but he said he had to go up a real long holler, and there wasn't a house within miles. But he found them — they were just tied up in the woods."

Snedegar said Phoenix and the other two dogs, an English coonhound named Rambo and a Redbone coonhound named Rooster, had been tied to a tree and appeared to have gone for days without food or water.

"They had lost some weight, and they were very hungry and very thirsty, but you could tell they were happy to see us," he said.

"My dad is a real hero. He took a big chance going down there to get those dogs. He told me he was going down there to get those dogs, and he wasn't coming back without them."

When his father returned, Snedegar called the owners of the other two coonhounds, whom he now calls his friends, and they both came to the Winchester Wal-mart to pick up the dogs.

Phoenix is a pedigreed coonhound and an AKC show champion, Snedegar has said, and he estimated she was worth at least $5,000.

Snedegar said he thought the dogs would all be fine, and he's going to give Phoenix a few days off from training for her next coon-hunting trip:

"She'll be ready to do it again soon, though. She loves to hunt. It's just her nature."

Source: http://www.kentucky.com/2010/10/07/1469905/lost-coonhounds-come-home-thanks.html
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Macho, bull mastiff/bulldog

Stolen dog reunited with owner thanks to microchip
January 7, 2010 6:23 PM

Cook County deputies conducting an eviction in Garfield Park discovered a malnourished dog that had been stolen before Thanksgiving from a home nearby, officials said this afternoon.

Macho -- a 6-year-old bull mastiff and American bulldog mix -- was identified from a microchip its owner had implanted in the dog, the sheriff's office said.

Macho was reported missing on Nov. 23. He had been left in the family's yard for the day and, when they got home, he was gone, the office said. Neighbors reported seeing someone in the yard area that afternoon.

Around 11 a.m. Tuesday, deputies arrived at 400 N. Trumbull Ave. to evict a man who hadn't paid his rent in months, the office said. They found a teenage boy home alone, along with three dogs -- "two severely malnourished and one starved to death," the sheriff's office said.

The dead dog, an adult female, was found in an unheated basement, along with an emaciated puppy, it said. Macho was found in an unheated garage. Temperatures in the garage and basement were below freezing, and deputies said they found no food or water nearby.

"Antonio Harris, 38, came home during the eviction and was immediately arrested on three counts of animal cruelty - a class A misdemeanor," the office said.

Deputies said the charges could be upgraded because the dog had died from starvation. A microchip in that dog showed it was stolen from a home in Bellwood, the sheriff's office said.

Harris claimed the other two dogs were his, but deputies found the microchip in Macho.

Macho's owner told deputies he had had another dog stolen and decided to implant the microchip -- the size of a grain of rice -- in Macho.

Source: http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2010/01/stolen-dog-reunited-with-owner-thanks-to-microchip.html

Marley, pit bull

Family reunited with missing dog after a year
David MacAnally/Eyewitness News
Updated: Sep 28, 2010 11:15 PM EDT


The O'Learys thought their pit bull, Marley, was lost forever...

The family was reunited with Marley in Elwood Tuesday.
Michelle Daniels found the lost dog and tracked down the O'Learys.

Elwood - A Madison County family was reunited with their dog more than a year after the pet disappeared.

"Marley" went missing in 2009, leaving a trail from Elwood to Westfield, back 39 miles to a backyard fence.

"He probably saw a bunny or a cat or something, ended up pushing the gate open. Not the kind of dog to just take off and not come back," said Marley's owner, Tim O'Leary.

"I was sad after, like, two weeks. Really sad that he didn't come back," said O'Leary's son, Trevor.

Slowly, two weeks became a year and a half.

"Two weeks ago, we just took his picture down, because the boys would kind of look at it and say, 'Oh, I miss Marley'," said Stephanie O'Leary.

They even replaced their beloved pit bull with another, named "Colt."

Michelle Daniels, who owns Key West Tanning in Elwood first spotted the missing pooch.

"I saw a dog run by the store real quick," she said.

She says her store is a bright spot for lost dogs.

"I'm an animal lover and anytime I can help it means a lot to me," Daniels said.

So somehow, in Elwood, strays end up at her door.

"The dog was in bad shape, crying, shaking, I said, 'We've got to find his owner'," Daniels said.

She went door-to-door with a friend, with Marley in tow, but had no luck. She took him to a veterinarian and found he had an ID microchip. They scanned the chip, but the phone numbers were disconnected.

Daniels called all the vets in two counties, then found the O'Learys. Their vet had a file on a pit bull named Marley.

The O'Leary boys were reunited with Marley Tuesday afternoon, looking forward to taking their dog, lost too long, home at last.

Daniels says it's important for pet owners to get the microchip for their pets, which is injected with a needle. She says it's also important to keep the information associated with the chip up to date, especially phone numbers.

Source: http://www.wthr.com/story/13234661/family-reunited-with-missing-dog-after-a-year?clienttype=printable
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Leila, terrier mix

Couple reunited with dog lost after crash
By Jennifer Shrader Staff writer La Grange News
October 9, 2010

Nearly two weeks after they lost their terrier-mix dog in a crash in Troup County, a Villa Rica couple has their baby back.

Paige and Blakeley Johnson say they won’t ever be able to sufficiently thank people in LaGrange and Troup County enough, particularly in the Mountville-Louise community where Leila was found Thursday night.

“For being out in the woods for more than a week, she looks really good,” Paige Johnson said Friday morning.

Leila and Blakely Johnson were at the veterinarian’s office Friday morning. The 4-year-old dog checked out fine, except for a few scratches on her belly.

The dog went missing Sept. 26 when the couple, headed home from an anniversary trip to the beach, hydroplaned at the intersection of Interstates 85 and 185. Leila broke free from the car and went into the woods.

Though injured, the Johnsons never stopped looking for her, plastering the LaGrange area with flyers. They have no children.

One of the flyers was placed at Miss Linda’s Grocery and Cafe on Willowood Road, where Blakely Johnson frequently stopped during his searches. As the crow flies, or in this case, the dog trots, it’s not far from the scene of the Johnson’s crash.

Owner Linda Shaw said a woman came in the store Thursday and stopped when she saw the flyer.

“She said, ‘I think my sister’s been feeding that dog,’ ” Shaw said. “I said, ‘Are you sure?’ “

Shaw and others in the community had been out looking for the dog. It’s a close group that looks out for each other, the same area hit by a tornado 2 1/2 years ago.

Shaw in particular was empathetic to the Johnsons’ plight, because she lost her own dog two years ago.

Blakely Johnson and a family friend arrived in LaGrange to help with the search. They parked Thursday near the home of the woman who said she’d been feeding the dog and waited for the sun to go down. The woman had said the dog would come out of the woods every night, eat, then go back to the woods. The house is about 100 yards from Shaw’s store.

Sure enough, as the sun set, Leila appeared.

“It was like a movie,” Blakely Johnson said. “The sun was setting behind her and she was shaking and wagging her tail.”

Though timid at first, Leila eventually did come when “daddy” called her. A photo of the reunion shows Blakely Johnson with a death grip on the dog - and the biggest smile.

“The good Lord brought her back to us,” Blakely Johnson said.

LaGrange Daily News carrier Robert Longshore had been in the area looking for the dog, too, and snapped the photo.

“It was really a moment,” Longshore said. “He was hugging that dog and crying and saying, ‘My baby, my baby.’ “

Shaw said Blakely Johnson returned to the store to tell her the good news, still crying. She’s just happy to have a part in the reunion.

“I’ve been everywhere looking for that dog,” she said. “She was 100 yards from me the whole time.”

Source: http://www.lagrangenews.com/view/full_story/9849018/article-Couple-reunited-with-dog-lost-after-crash?instance=secondary_news_left_column&sms_ss=twitter&at_xt=4cb070bd5b357d08,0

Bandit, beagle

Family reunited with long lost beagle

FOX 5 San Diego Staff

8:45 AM PDT, September 30, 2010

CARLSBAD, Calif. - A wayward beagle was reunited with his San Diego County family six months after he escaped from the back yard.

Gil Garcia and his family picked up their beloved beagle, Bandit, Wednesday at an animal shelter in Carlsbad. The family had given their pet up for a goner.

"You hate to say you wrote something off, but we considered after six -- almost seven -- months that he was gone," Garcia said.

Bandit made his great escape back in March with the help of Garcia's 5-year-old daughter, Jillian.

"The little one was the one who actually let him out of the back yard," Garcia said.

Somehow, over the next six month, Bandit made his way from the Garcia home in Bonita to the North County mountain community of Julian, nearly 60 miles away. A resident reported him running loose, and county Animal Control picked him up and took him to the Carlsbad shelter.

"And then, all of a sudden, they get a phone call from me at 7 o'clock in the morning saying, 'I have your dogg. Would you like to come and get it?'" said Animal Control Lt. Lisa Worrick. "They were ecstatic!"

"It woke up the whole house, I'll tell you that," Garcia said.

Garcia said the successful reunion was possible because of the identification microchip implanted in Bandit.

"When we bought him, they said, 'Hey, he's got a microchip in him. If he ever comes up lost, (you'll) be able to get him back.' And sure enough, it worked," Garcia said. "We're shocked.We're really, really shocked. I didn't think we'd ever see him again."

Garcia says Bandit is "a little skinnier because he walked off his baby fat" but appeared none the worse for the wear.


Source: http://www.fox5sandiego.com/news/kswb-beagle-reunited-with-bonita-family,0,4754734.story
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Milady, cocker spaniel

Owner, Lost Dog Reunited After 4 Years
After Battling Illnesses, Pet Headed Home
By Nichole MaggioContributing Writer
July 28, 2010


BOSTON -- After four long years, Milady, a small cocker spaniel, was reunited with her owner who has been desperately searching for the dog.

WATCH VIDEO

The owner, Sandra Castillo, was reunited with her dog after Milady spent weeks being groomed and nursed back to health by the veterinary team at the MSPCA.

MSPCA said when Milady arrived at their center in June, she was underweight and plagued with infections.

They described Milady as an upbeat dog, though her fur was matted and yellowed from laying in her own waste, her nails had grown back into her paws and her ears were infected and sealed shut.

The dog and her owner were separated in 2006 when Castillo was hospitalized for six months due to medical complications during her pregnancy. She was forced to find a new home for her pet, according to the MSPCA.

Though she tried to keep in touch with the new owners, Castillo lost touch with them in 2007, a year after relocating her pet, according to the MSPCA.

On July 20, people involved with MSPCA replied to Castillo's Craigslist post about her missing dog and said the MSPCA had sent out an e-mail informing its supporters about Milady.

Hours later, Castillo applied to readopt Milady.

Source: http://www.thebostonchannel.com/r/24424517/detail.html
Also see: http://wbztv.com/local/long.lost.dog.2.1830009.html

Kiwi, shih tzu

Man, 77, reunited with stolen dogBy ERIC CARPENTER
THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Oct. 6, 2010 2:00 p.m.


ANAHEIM – After 12 agonizing days, a 77-year-old Anaheim man has been reunited with his beloved dog, stolen along with his truck.

His 2004 Toyota pickup is back in the driveway, too. But more importantly, 8-year-old Kiwi is again parked in the black shih tzu's favorite spot at the front doorstep.

My nightmare is finally over," said Don Peck, watching Kiwi scamper around his home.

"I'm so thankful to everybody who helped me," Peck said. "I never thought I would get him back."

Peck, a retired electronics worker, wants to thank a lot of people: His neighbor, Peggy, who printed dozens of flyers; his 12-year-old neighbor, Chelsea, who made him a bottle full of paper stars with the phrase: "Lucky Stars to Bring Kiwi Home."

He wants to thank the countless strangers who offered prayers and hugs and distributed the flyers.
But mostly he wants to thank his daughter-in-law Valada Smith, responsible for bringing Kiwi home – from 1,800 miles away.

Peck's nightmare began Sept. 22 when he came out of a 99 Cents Only store in Anaheim to find his truck gone along with his dog that had been resting in the back seat; the truck window's had been cracked open to keep him cool.

Three days later, Peck got a call from police that his truck had been found – towed after being parked illegally in a lot below a nearby Anaheim apartment complex. The truck was fine. But after paying $250 to get it back, still no sign of Kiwi.

"It was like a death in the family, like losing a child," said Shirley Sanders, Peck's fiancée.

Peck couldn't sleep. He spent his days distributing flyers and following leads. He spent nights tossing and turning. He lost 12 pounds.

Back in Indiana, his daughter-in-law couldn't sleep either.

"I know how much he loves his dog. And I love that man," Smith said. "So I did what I could."

Every night when Smith got off from her job waitressing at 9 p.m., she came home, took a shower, then immediately jumped on the Internet to look for Kiwi.

She checked every shelter in Orange County. She tried OCpetfinder.com.

No luck.

On Sunday, she decided to check lost-and-found ads on Craigslist.com. She looked at the Orange County and Los Angeles areas. After hours of searching, she followed a link to an animal shelter in Downey.

"About the 20th one down, I saw this small black dog listed as a Pekingese. And I thought, 'That's got to be Kiwi.'"

That was 3 a.m. Indiana time, midnight in California.

The phone rang at Peck's house. He feared it was too good to be true.

But when the sun came up, he knocked on his neighbor's door to look it up for himself on her computer.

"Kiwi has a cloud on his right eye," Peck said. "It was him. And his tail was down, so I knew he was sad."

A Los Angeles County animal-control officer had picked up Kiwi wandering near Beach Boulevard the day after the theft, miles from the store. And he was up for adoption.

Trouble was, the Downey shelter was closed Monday. Peck and his fiancée called anyway and said they were coming.

Once they arrived at the locked door, they showed a staff member a Register story about the dog being stolen. The door opened.

"When they first brought Kiwi out, he wouldn't even look at us," Peck said. "Then they got him on a leash, cleaned him up a little bit and brought him back out."

Once Kiwi saw Peck, his tail began to wag. And Kiwi wouldn't stop licking him.

Back home, Kiwi ran inside the house and straight up the stairs to his water bowl. Peck had been changing the water every day, anticipating Kiwi's return.

Back in Indiana, Smith was elated.

"When I told the people at work, everybody was in tears," she said. "We are so happy."

Happy doesn't begin to describe the emotion Peck is feeling, he said.

No suspect has been arrested in the theft. But Peck has everything he cares about.

And he’s getting a microchip with pet identification implanted in Kiwi, just in case.

"I'm not really religious," Peck said. "But I asked God, 'Why did you do this?' And I prayed. Everybody said prayers.

"Now I feel like they've been answered," he said.

Source: http://www.ocregister.com/news/peck-269674-kiwi-dog.html?nstrack=sid:584578%7Cmet:102300%7Ccat:0%7Corder:4
Related story: http://www.ocregister.com/news/dog-268066-peck-truck.html

Kasper, siberian husky

Kasper Reunited With Family After 5 Lost Years
Illinois Shelter Finds Family's Beloved Pet
July 30, 2010

LINDEN, Ind. -- A family who had given up hope of ever finding a dog that had been missing for five years recently got a special phone call that reunited them with the long-lost pet.

Kasper is cute, cuddly and came from a pedigree of sled runners, which may explain why she left the Albers' home in Montgomery County in 2005.

Teresa Albers had just opened the door when the dog took off and simply disappeared.

"We were concerned that night that she didn't return," Albers said. "It hit kind of hard. She was our first family dog, so with the kids at their age and being so young, I tried to have a positive attitude."

After years without any sign of Kasper, the family moved on and got two new dogs, but in their hearts, Kasper couldn't be replaced.

About two weeks ago, the family got a surprise call from an animal shelter in Illinois that had picked up a microchipped dog that was found wandering on the road. The family didn't believe it could be Kasper.

Kasper is a full-blooded Siberian husky, and the caller said the animal appeared to be a mixed German shepherd.

Albers asked the shelter to check for some tell-tale signs -- a scar and a second micro-chip. Kasper had been chipped twice, because the first chip slipped, Albers said.

The family knew the shelter had their dog when the shelter discovered that second chip.

"I was like, 'Wow, I can't believe it,'" said Zach Albers, Teresa's son.

Kasper was brought back home the day before her 13th birthday. The family isn't sure where she'd been, just that she'd been picked up along Interstate 74 in Vermillion County, Ill. They can only imaging the life she had led.

"She doesn't have the vigor anymore, and she's kind of just on a leash and enjoys the walk, which tells us she's kind of been urbanized and may not be used to the country anymore," said Mark Albers, Teresa's husband.

The Albers said they're enjoying getting to know Kasper again.

Source: http://www.theindychannel.com/family/24459901/detail.html

Zoe

Volunteers Track Lost Pet, Reunite Zoe The Dog With Her Family
By CNN NewsSource
Published: June 29, 2010

People often say losing your dog is like losing your best friend. One Ohio family's spirits have been lifted thanks to a volunteer search team.

NORTH RIDGEVILLE, Ohio -- People often say losing your dog is like losing your best friend. One Ohio family's spirits have been lifted thanks to a volunteer search team.

A North Ridgeville family and their dog have been reunited after almost a year, but it wasn't your typical family reunion.

Zoe the dog escaped out of her home's front door and was hit by a vehicle in August 2009.

A neighbor said Zoe was dragged under the vehicle. The dog ran into the nearby woods before the Makselan family could reach her.

Love-A-Stray volunteer Connie Field said as time passed, the family lost hope.

Field said the family searched the woods with help from neighbors, but the family began to believe the dog died in the woods.

Zoe wasn't ready to let go, and, luckily, she was wearing a collar with her name and address.

After 10 lonely months, the Makselans returned home to find a business card in their front door last Saturday.

It was from one of the many volunteers who had been tracking Zoe for three weeks.

"It was just amazing that these people took all of this time to find her," Christine Makselan said.

Guess what happened when Zoe saw her family for the first time in 10 months.

"We were amazed that she walked in. It was like she had never been gone. She was a little anxious, but all of the things she used to do, she still does. It amazes us," Christine said.

Christine said if it weren't for the volunteers and neighbors, Zoe wouldn't have made it home.

"We didn't even know something like this existed, and knowing that you can call somewhere when you lose your pet and they will search for them just amazes me," Christine said.



Source: http://www2.nbc4i.com/news/2010/jun/29/volunteers-track-lost-pet-reunite-zoe-dog-her-fami-ar-126405/
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Otis, Boston terrier

Missing family dog turns up nearly ten miles from accident
Chris Minor Reporter WQAD
October 4, 2010

ROCK ISLAND   A beloved family dog who wandered from a deadly crash site more than a week ago, was found safe and sound nearly ten miles away, headed toward home.

Otis went missing September 26th, after he climbed or was thrown out of his owner's car, which had been hit nearly head-on in an accident.



Friends and family of Bud and Linda Wakefield have been searching for the three-year old Boston terrier ever since, while the couple recovers in separate hospitals.

''We never treated him like a dog, we raised him like a kid'', Mr. Wakefield, 75, said.

Seven days after the accident, a family friend found Otis about ten miles from the crash site and about two miles from home. On Sunday and Monday, Otis reunited in a hospital bed with his ''dad'' at Trinity West Hospital in Rock Island.

''It's just amazing he travelled so far. There's alot of coyotes in that area. I figured if they hadn't found him by Sunday, he was gone. He survived. He's a survivor. I cried for ten minutes, he's quite a dog'', said Mr. Wakefield. ''I wish I could see my wife's face when she sees him''.

His wife, 72-year old Linda Wakefield remains in fair condition 90 miles away in a Peoria hospital, suffering several serious fractures and two broken legs.

''I miss Linda so much'', Mr. Wakefield said.

Grandson Aaron DeVolder says besides losing a toe nail, and some weight, Otis is healthy.

''He's fine, he's not de-hydrated, but he lost ten pounds. He looks good. It's just a miracle. We can't believe we actually found him'', DeVolder said.

Mr. Wakefield isn't sure when he will be released.

He says on Monday, he was visited by the father of 18-year old Dylan Hoffman, who died in the two-car crash. A gesture that brings him to tears.

''I want prayers to go out for him and his family, because they suffered a terrible tragedy'', he said. ''All I remember is just this awful crash, and then I saw the hood come up and break the windshield, and then I was unconscious''.

Having Otis the incredible dog back will help with the healing process.

''It's going to help their recovery, just knowing that they have Otis now and they don't have to worry about him anymore'', DeVolder said.

Source:  http://www.wqad.com/news/wqad-accident-dog-found-boston-terrier0100410,0,709583.story
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Cleo

Dog Gone Good Story
By Don Jorgensen
Published: August 10, 2010, 9:55 PM


ELK POINT, SD - We usually don't report on lost dogs, but we decided to make an exception.

This is a story about Cleo the dog and 5-year-old Isabelle Curry. The two were like best friends, pretty much inseparable.

"Cleo is a beautiful girl and I love her very much," Isabelle said.

Cleo had been the family pet for 10 years. Isabelle would celebrate her birthday every year by taking a picture with Cleo.

But this past 4th of July, Cleo ran away.

"One morning, the gate was left open. Could have been one of the kids, could have been me and we came out she was gone," Ted Curry said.

Ted Curry and his family searched high and low for their family dog, but Cleo was nowhere to be found. Leaving Isabelle with a broken heart.

"She was crying. She said she wants Cleo back. It was pretty tough there for a little while; she really loved that dog," Ted said.

After searching for over a month, the Curry's pretty much gave up hope they'd ever see Cleo again so they decided to take Isabelle to the musical production "Little Orphan Annie" in Sioux City, Iowa, some 25 miles away.

While at the show, Isabelle couldn't believe her eyes.

"I said, 'It's Cleo,' and I found her," Isabelle said.

Cleo was at the show. She had been picked up by the Humane Society and was brought to the show as part of its adopt-a-pet mission.

"I'm like just adopt that dog, readopt her on the spot," Ted said.

So they did for $75.

Cleo is home now and Isabelle couldn't be happier. All along they feared she had found another home or had been hit by a car. She wasn't. She was just an orphan, just like Annie.

"I'm so glad I found you Cleo and I really love you, Cleo," Isabelle said. "Don't run away again, Cleo, okay."

Cleo was one of 42 dogs at the Humane Society and just happened to be one of three dogs selected to be taken to the theater that day.



Source: http://www.keloland.com/NewsDetail6162.cfm?Id=0,103554

Buddha Girl, shih tzu

Stolen Dog Linked to Man Shot by Police
Bizarre story links a car chase, hurt cop and stolen pup
By VINCE LATTANZIO
Updated 4:21 PM EDT, Fri, Apr 30, 2010

A Philadelphia man who led police on a wild car chase that left a path of destruction in Mt. Airy is now linked to the case of a missing Shih Tzu.

Larry Boyd was shot and Tased by police Thursday afternoon after he drove his SUV into at least six cars, a UPS truck and a police officer during a chase.

The 59-year-old first met authorities at his home along the 400 block of West Horner Street during an argument with his wife. Police tried to break up the fight, but Boyd fled, police said.

The man eventually ended up almost right back where the fight started when he crashed his brown Ford Explorer along the 6600 block of Lincoln Drive.

Towards the end of the chase, Boyd allegedly ran over a police officer's foot, prompting authorities to Taser and open fire on the man.

He was hit once in the back and taken to Albert Einstein Medical Center for treatment, according to police.

While Boyd's chase played out, Rosemary Treigla and her friends were in the midst of a search for her white Shih Tzu named Buddha Girl.

Buddha Girl went missing from outside the Mt. Airy CVS/pharmacy along Lincoln Drive Wednesday. Treigla says she tied the pup to a pole to run inside the store for a few minutes. But when she returned, the dog was nowhere to be found.

Surveillance video from the store's parking lot captured a man walking up to the dog, untying the leash and walking off with her.

Treigla canvassed the neighborhood hanging flyers pleading for the safe return of the dog.

"No questions asked, I just want her back," Treigla told NBC Philadelphia Thursday evening.

Not long after making that plea, Treigla's friend received a call from a neighborhood resident claiming to have found the dog.

It was indeed Buddha Girl, but the man couldn't believe how she wound up there in the first place.

Neighbors told him the dog ran from Boyd's home during the furry of activity that afternoon.

When they tried to return the dog to the family, the Boyds said their dog -- a very similar looking white Shih Tzu -- was already at home.

Kevin McKenzie, Boyd's son-in-law, cleared up the confusion late Thursday. He claims Boyd suffers from mental problems and mistook Buddha Girl for his own dog, bringing her home.

"I'm just glad, you know, that I could help out to get their dog back," McKenzie said as he held Boyd's dog. "As you can see, the similarity between the two dogs."

Treigla didn't have any words for Boyd after she was reunited with Buddha Girl, she was just thrilled to get the girl back.

"She's my best friend, she's my heart, I love her to death," she said.

Boyd was released from the hospital into police custody late Thursday. There's no word yet on charges. The injured police officer was treated at the scene of the crash.

Source: http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/weird/Stolen-Dog-Linked-to-Man-Shot-by-Police-92482834.html