By Janine Mellini
December 9, 2010
A newly adopted dog, who slipped her collar and ran off, was found more than two months later after another dog adopted from the same shelter apparently picked up on her scent and led people to where the wayward dog was nesting.
Daisy, a 2-year-old mixed breed, was out for a walk around her Jefferson Township neighborhood on Sept. 28 when she disappeared.
Her owners, Theresa Jacob and Ryan Simko, who live in the Oak Ridge section of the township, began a campaign to find Daisy by contacting Eleventh Hour Rescue, which launched a search.
"Eleventh Hour gets involved when one of the dogs we've adopted out is lost. When the search didn't recover Daisy, authorities were notified, websites were updated and flyers posted," explained Roger Keyser, an Eleventh Hour Rescue volunteer. "Daisy's owners did everything possible to find her."
Daisy was spotted several times over the 70-day period she was missing, but continued to elude capture despite several attempts by good Samaritans.
Originally called Lulu at the shelter, Daisy did not yet respond to either name, so that — combined with being alone and scared — complicated rescue attempts, said Jacob.
The break came when Carrie Cartier was taking her usual evening walk with her dog, Harley, and a neighbor near the Sky View Golf Course in Sparta. Harley was adopted from Eleventh Hour Rescue in Randolph just as Daisy was.
Harley began pulling Cartier in a direction they did not normally walk and was so insistent, they followed and found Daisy in an area where she apparently had been nesting.
Cartier later returned with her husband to the same spot, but the dog bolted. Scott Cartier checked online and confirmed it was Daisy.
Knowing time was of the essence because of the cold and the length of time she had been on her own, the Cartiers returned with a blanket and food for Daisy. They then notified Jacob and Simko, while also enlisting the help of other Eleventh Hour Rescue volunteers.
On Monday, a humane, dog-friendly trap was set with hot dogs, chicken and other treats. By Tuesday, two more traps were set with not only food — which included a bacon, egg and cheese sandwich from Dunkin' Donuts, according to Jacob — but blankets with hand warmers underneath for added warmth and one of Daisy's favorite dog toys from home.
Daisy finally took the bait, and it was Daisy's owners who went back to check the traps and discovered their beloved pet.
Daisy was taken to a veterinarian for a checkup. Although she lost some weight and tested positive for Lyme disease and another anaplasmosis (parasite), Daisy is back at home being treated with antibiotics and the prognosis is good.
"All of us were shocked that after 70 days wandering around on her own, Daisy looked so good. We really appreciate everyone's help," said Jacob. "Ryan and I feel so blessed that she is home with us and out of the cold. It really is a Christmas miracle that our little family will be together for the holidays to celebrate what this time of year is all about — family."
Source: http://www.mycentraljersey.com/article/20101209/STATE/101209057/NJ-dog-who-wandered-70-days-reunited-owners
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