Border Collie in McLean VA

Border Collie in McLean Reunited With Family
May 30, 2011

This picture was taken by the person that found this dog,
and posted to Facebook. The people that lost the dog
posted an ad without his picture but with his breed.

Debra's goal is to keep dogs out of shelters, however she can do it. She chooses to focus on helping people find their lost dogs, knowing that this would mean that some of those dogs would never end up in shelters.

To that end, she established a Facebook page devoted to promoting lost and found dogs in the Washington DC metro area. She has devoted much time to getting the page known to local people, posting notices, following up, and dispensing tips and advice. To get it started, and still, this involves finding existing ads and re-posting the info to the Facebook page -- such as from Fido  Finder, Pets911, Craigslist, Oliver Alert and more.Once the page became known, individual people who have lost their dogs post to the page, so many of the postings originate that way.

On Saturday, May 28th, someone found a black & white dog wandering near her McLean VA home.  She turned to Facebook, and found the page that Debra administers. She smartly took and uploaded a photo of the dog she found on the notice she posted to the page.

Meanwhile, the family that lost the dog must have received the by now is age-old: post to Craigslist. They either didn't have a photo handy, didn't know how to upload it, or otherwise posted their ad with no photo. But fortunately, their dog is a border collie, so it helped to name that identifiable breed in the Craigslist ad.

Not long afterwards, Kate, who volunteers for a rescue in the area, was for some reason looking on both the Facebook page and on Craigslist, and realized that the found dog in picture could be a border collie. Since both the family's lost dog and the woman poster's found dog were in McLean, it was easy to figure that it was the same dog. She commented to that effect on the Facebook page.

Debra posted a link back to the Facebook page on Craigslist. The border collie's people found that ad, and found their dog -- the same day he was lost! - through the combination of the Craigslist and Facebook ads.

Long live Craigslist and Facebook!

Source:  https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=226988883978666&set=pu.215700451774176&type=1&theater

Leeroy, boxer

Doncaster family reunited with missing puppy
by Shaun Turton
11 Aug 09 @ 09:40am

UPDATE 9.50AM, AUGUST 11: A BOXER puppy who went missing on from his family home in Doncaster on Saturday has been found.

Police said they had been notified of Leeroy’s whereabouts late yesterday and he had been reunited with the family.

There were no suspicious circumstances regarding Leeroy’s disappearance, police said.

ORIGINAL APPEAL

AUGUST 10, 11.30AM: A DONCASTER family is distraught after their six-month-old Boxer puppy was stolen from their Rose St front yard.

Sophie Skalkos said her daughter Elizabeth, 13, was devastated after family pet Leeroy was taken while she was home on Saturday afternoon.

“She was upstairs having a shower, she heard some squealing and some barking and she heard our gates open,” Ms Skalkos said.

“By the time she made it downstairs to the front of our house she said the gates had been flown open, someone was driving away in a really big hurry and the dog was gone.

“She was distraught, by the time I got back she was on the floor inside just wailing, she was just a mess.”

Ms Skalkos said the entire family, including two other dogs, were heartbroken.

“The other two dogs are distressed, my children are distressed, we’re all distressed,” she said.

“You don’t consider anyone is going to break into your house and take part of your family.”

The tan puppy, with a white chest and paws, is worth at least $1000.

Ms Skalkos said the dog’s docked tail made it very distinctive.

“You can’t get Boxers with docked tails anymore,” she said.

“There’s a substantial reward for anyone who finds the dog, no questions asked.”

Source: http://manningham-leader.whereilive.com.au/news/story/family-dog-taken-from-doncaster-front-yard/

Polly, chow

Dog reunited with owner after water rescue
by NewsChannel 36 Staff, WCNC.com
Posted on January 5, 2010 at 3:30 PM

Dog rescued from icy water in Fort Mill

FORT MILL, SC -- A dog that was rescued from a freezing cold creek on Sunday night has been reunited with her owner.

Officials at York County Animal Control said the chow's owner came forward on Tuesday.

"The dog was just as glad to see her owner as her owner was to see the dog," supervisor Chris Peninger told the Rock Hill Herald.

Peninger said the dog, named Polly, apparently wandered off during fireworks on New Year's. On Sunday night, the dog was found stuck in a freezing creek in Fort Mill.

Fort Mill Rescue and York County Animal Control officials worked for more than an hour Sunday night to get Polly out of the creek. The dog was not seriously injured.

Peninger said Polly is between 13 and 14 years old and has hearing and seeing disabilities.

Photos here

Source: http://www.wcnc.com/news/local/Dog-reunited-with-owner-after-water-rescue-80728877.html#

Lola, golden/lab

Amazing News! Lola Has Been Found!!
Heaven Can Wait Animal Rescue blog
Posted on June 9, 2010

After she went missing for nearly two weeks, Lola has been found. The dog that was thrown from a car after a rollover accident with her owner and two other relatives is a little thinner, but in good health and good spirits. She has been reunited with her guardian, Tracy.

Tracy and Lola

On May 19, Tracy was taking Lola to her new home outside of Ely, NV. The car they were riding in was in an accident that sent Tracy to the hospital with a broken back and neck. Her relatives were also hurt in the wreck and Lola was tossed from the car. Although Tracy was badly injured, she tried to find Lola along the highway. Finally she collapsed on the side of the road and couldn’t continue the search for the dog she had known for the past two years.

When Heaven Can Wait Animal Society heard about the accident they quickly jumped into action. Lola had been rescued by HCWS and everyone was thrilled that Tracy had adopted her. Volunteers notified the authorities in the area, local animal rescue groups and even alerted the public that Lola was missing.

Nearly two weeks passed by and just when everyone began to lose hope, a call came in from Bert Toavs from Geyser Ranch. He and his wife Savannah had heard about a missing dog in their area and when Savannah saw a very thin dog near their mailbox, she grabbed onto her. Lola was still wearing her purple collar and tags, so Bert called the HCWS office.

Bert said, “Lola was hungry and had a few scratches on her and was starved for attention.”

The dog became an instant friend to the Toavs’ four-year-old daughter and the family’s three other pups. Geyser Ranch, where Bert works, is located four miles from the scene of the car accident.

Bert took his good deed in stride, reporting that this wasn’t the first lost dog from Las Vegas he had rescued. A couple of days later Bert and Savannah graciously drove Lola 57 miles to be reunited with Tracy – who is recuperating in a full body cast at her home.

Tracy is thrilled and grateful to have Lola with her. She said, “Lola is happy to be home. She keeps checking out her new yard and can’t stop playing with the kids.”

There are not enough words to let the Toavs family know how appreciative HCWS is for their selfless act of rescuing Lola and getting her back home. We would also like to thank the many people who were involved in the search. People helped distribute flyers, send e-mails to their contacts in the area, notify the authorities…and so much more.

All of your kind wishes, prayers, and thoughts have helped to make this a happy ending for a very deserving dog and her family.

Source: http://hcwsblog.org/2010/06/09/amazing-news-lola-has-been-found/

Roxie, boxer

Piedmont Family Reunited With Lost Dog After Tornado
LeAnne Taylor, News On 6
May 25, 2011

PIEDMONT, Oklahoma -- There are so many things that make up a home, but number one is family.


Can you imagine having only a few minutes to gather your family together and get into a place of safety as a tornado barrels towards your door? A Piedmont family found out just what that is like during the May 24 tornado.

The family boxer was in pretty good shape - just a cut on her paw - when she was found a mile and a half away.

Frank Wood and his two children rode out the storm in a safe room. Their family dog, Roxie, wouldn't come when they called.

"The last thing I remember is looking at her and having to shut that door. Just had to get in, and bless her heart, she just wouldn't come to me," Frank said.

Wood told his children they might never see Roxie again. But then they got a call from the local vet.

Oil field worker David Franco found Roxie and got the phone number off her tag.

Franco said when he got to work at about 7:30 Wednesday morning, he saw a dog cowering in the grass. She wouldn't come to him for a while.

Roxie was found a mile and a half from her home. She's in pretty good shape – just a cut on her paw.

The family says they hope the next time they call, she'll listen.

The Woods have a lot to do to get their lives back in order, but at least they are all together now.



Source: http://www.newson6.com/story/14716235/piedmont-family-reunited-with-lost-dog-after-tornado
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Hugo, pug

Missing dog lost for several days is reunited with family
By: Tara Twietmeyer
Posted: 05/24/2011

PRESCOTT, AZ - A Phoenix family has been reunited with their dog because a Yavapai County worker was at the right place at the right time.

YCSO Animal Control Officer Alisa Van Brunt reunites Phoenix resident Corrie Goldstein with missing pooch, Hugo.

On May 6th, Phoenix resident Corrie Goldstein and her husband ventured to the Lynx Lake area for a weekend honeymoon. They brought their two dogs along for the ride and at one point decided to let the pooches run free to explore the forest, according to Yavapai County Sheriff's spokesman Dwight D'Evelyn.

After several minutes, Goldstein noticed one of the dogs, Hugo, didn’t come back. After searching the area, the couple contacted the Yavapai Humane Society to file a missing dog report.

Several days went by and there was no new information about Hugo. That’s until Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office Animal Control Officer Alisa Van Brunt was called out to the Goldwater Lake area where a family said they’d found a brown and black pug wandering around.

Coincidentally, when Officer Van Brunt was leaving the Goldwater Lake area, with the pug in hand, Corrie Goldstein called in to provide more information about her lost dog.

In a matter of minutes, Officer Van Brunt says she realized the dog she’d just picked up matched the description of the Goldsteins' missing dog.

Black and brown Pug, Hugo reunited with his Phoenix family after getting lost in the Lynx Lake area.
Photographer: Yavapai County Sheriff's Office

After receiving a picture message of Hugo, Officer Van Brunt said she had all the confirmation she needed and met up with the family in Prescott to return their missing dog.

Source: http://www.abc15.com/dpp/lifestyle/pets/missing-dog-lost-for-several-days-is-reunited-with-family-
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Mercedes, shih tzu

Stolen dog returned to family
Renee Dials
Updated: Monday, 28 Feb 2011
Published: Saturday, 26 Feb 2011

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) - Update: A two-year old Shih tzu stolen from a home in Mobile has been returned. Family members say an anonymous person dropped it off at the police department. The family had been offering a $500 reward.

Latonga Sanders noticed the back gate was open when she and her daughters got home Wednesday evening. It was the first sign something was wrong.

"It's normally shut. We immediately thought something was wrong. Somebody had been in the yard," Sanders said.

The family realized someone had broken through the back door and stole televisions, laptops, computer games and jewelry. But that's not all.

"I just can't believe it happened. A dog? That's like stealing a person's child," she said.

Mercedes, their two-year-old Shih-tzu, was also missing.

"She's a neat dog. So whoever got her just grabbed her."

Taravia was the first to discover her dog was gone.

"When I went into the house and saw Mercedes was gone, I just fell on the ground and started crying," Taravia said.

A neighbor saw the burglar pull into the backyard, but it didn't appear to be suspicious.

"He stayed about 30 minutes. But we've got a pool, so they thought they was cleaning the pool," Sanders said.

Sanders said insurance will cover the stolen equipment and jewelry, but the family pet is irreplaceable. That's why Sanders is offering a reward for her return.

"$500, whatever, I just want my dog back. Anybody that have seen Mercedes I will give anything to get her back," Sanders pleaded.

Source: http://www.fox10tv.com/dpp/news/local_news/mobile_county/family-offers-reward-for-stolen-dog

Mason, tornado survivor

Tornado dog crawls home on broken legs
Mason finds his way back home after Ala. twister
Updated: Wednesday, 18 May 2011

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (CNN/WBRC) - A tornado picked him up and blew him away, but his will to live was so strong he crawled home on two broken legs and survived for two weeks before his family found him.

Meet Mason. It only takes one look to know he's been through a lot in the last couple of weeks. And while his happy but haunted eyes and halting crawl tell us something about his story, his owners helped the Birmingham Jefferson County Animal Control shelter fill in the rest.

On April 27, Mason was hiding in a garage in North Smithfield when a storm picked him up and blew him away. His owners couldn't find him and had about given up when they came back to their home and garage on Monday to sift through debris. They found Mason waiting for them on the porch.

"He's got two broken legs and they're distal radial unal fractures. They've not been able to be in alignment so neither one of them have healed so he had to crawl on two broken legs to get home," said Dr. Barbara Benhart with the shelter.

"This is probably the most dramatic we've seen as far as an injury in an animal that's survived this long. It's kind of tapering off, the amount of animals we're seeing because of the storm. For an animal just to show up on someone's porch after this time was pretty remarkable, especially with the condition he's in," added Phil Doster, also with the shelter.

Mason's owners asked the shelter to take him because they're not able to care for him while they try and piece their lives back together.

"For an animal to go through what he's gone through and not to be ugly, to be happy for any companionship is remarkable. We're honored to be part of his recovery," said Doster.

Now with a little luck and a lot of love, Mason may become a mascot for storm survivors, both on four legs and two legs.

According to WBRC, the hope is that after he recovers, Mason can return to his original family. If not, the shelter says they will find a home for him.

Source: http://www.fox10tv.com/dpps/news/strange_news/tornado-dog-crawls-home-on-broken-legs-ob11-jgr_3814947

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Cookie, chihuahua

Dog reunited with owner 5 years after going missing
May 19, 2011

SAN DIEGO (CNS) - A dog-gone story with a happy ending -- five years in the making -- was announced Thursday by the county Department of Animal Services.

A Chihuahua found wandering in the street in Golden Hill on Saturday was scanned for a microchip, which resulted in a reunion with her owner.

"Cookie" vanished from Alejandro Pantoja's Chula Vista residence five years ago, and it is unknown how she made it from the South Bay up close to downtown San Diego.

Dawn Danielson, director of Animal Services, said the happy ending shows the importance of micro-chipping and registering pets.

"Having your animal micro-chipped is a painless procedure that truly does ensure your pet has a ticket home," Danielson said.



Source: http://www.cbs8.com/story/14679421/dog-reunited-with-owner-5-years-after-going-missing

Matilda, rottweiler / shepherd mix

Woman reunited with dog who was stolen along with car
Fells Point woman's car was taken Monday with, Matilda the dog was inside
By Don Markus, The Baltimore Sun
May 19, 2011

A Fells Point woman whose 9-year-old dog was in her car when it was stolen Monday night was reunited with her pet after it was found in the yard of a Baltimore home.

Kelly Belk rarely travels beyond Fells Point, where she lives, and Hampden, where she works. But on Monday night, Belk decided to meet friends at a Pikesville crab house for an all-you-can-eat special. Belk took Matilda, a 9-year-old Rottweiler and German shepherd mix.

"When I was leaving for dinner, she gave me the stink eye. It was like, 'You better take me with you,'" Belk said Thursday. "She's happier being in the car than being home alone."

It's a decision that Belk regretted after her sport utility vehicle, with Matilda inside, was stolen from the parking lot of an adjacent bank on Reisterstown Road. Belk said she later realized that she had left the keys to the SUV inside the vehicle after earlier checking on Matilda, who had been injured that day while out for a walk with Belk.

But that regret turned into relief late Thursday afternoon when Matilda wandered into the yard of a Park Heights home about 10 minutes' drive from where Belk's car was stolen, allowed Gia Davis to check out her tags and was able to reconnect with Belk a few hours later.

Belk was overjoyed. Belk, a waitress, has owned Matilda since she was a 8-week old stray. Belk's late sister was on her way back from a Willie Nelson concert when she found the dog wandering on a Delaware highway. Belk named the dog after one of Nelson's songs.

"My car is still missing, but I'd rather have my dog back," Belk said Thursday night, after having a friend drive her to Davis' home.

Belk said that she will give Davis a $50 reward. She said the owner of the crabhouse also promised to send Davis another $200.

Baltimore County police are still searching for Belk's white 1991 Ford Explorer, but according to spokesman Lt. Robert McCullough, the fact that Matilda was found in the neighborhood between Pimlico Race Course and Druid Hill Park "will give us an area to focus on."

Police spokesman Sean Vinson said before Matilda was found that whoever stole the vehicle could also potentially be charged with the theft of Matilda.

After searching with her boyfriend and others for a few hours Monday night and nine hours on Tuesday, Belk hired Sherry B. True of Damascus, who bills herself as an "animal communicator," to assist in the hunt for Matilda.

Belk said she was skeptical about using a psychic, but she was desperate.

"It sounds crazy," Belk said. "But I don't know what to do. I'm just beside myself. I can't eat, I can't sleep."
True wrote Belk an email Thursday saying that Matilda was safe but feeling a little confused as to why she wasn't with Belk.



She also wrote that the dog was in "an area where there are pine trees and water," near a housing development and a drainage ditch.

Davis first contacted Animal Control, but after reading Matilda's tags, called the Milford Animal Hospital in Delaware, which put her in touch with Belk. Davis, who was able to feed Matilda and give her some water, said Matilda stretched out on her porch in front of the door and looked "kind of sad" until Belk arrived.

"When Kelly called her name, she jumped right up," Davis said. "It was definitely a great sight to see."

Source: http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2011-05-19/news/bs-md-co-missing-dog-20110519-30_1_matilda-dog-car

Dozer, goldendoodle

A local pup's accidental half-marathon run
May 19, 2011

Everyone knows that dogs love to run around. But most dogs don't like to run like Dozer.

The three-year-old Goldendoodle was a last-minute entry into last weekend's Maryland Half Marathon. His parents didn't even know he was running!

According to Karen E. Warmkessel, a spokeswoman for the University of Maryland Medical Center, Dozer escaped an invisible fence, lured by the thousands of racers running past his home, which sits near the Mile Five mark. The race benefitted the hospital's Greenebaum Cancer center.
Dozer joined the pack. Runners reported seeing him at several points along the route. The pup crossed the finish mark with other runners -- clocking in at 2 hours and 14 minutes!

Dozer’s owner, meanwhile, had no idea what happened to him and began a frantic search. The dog finally made it home -- but not until Monday morning. His feet were muddy and he was limping a bit. But according to a vet -- where his parents took him just in case -- he's just fine.

Meanwhile, Dozer now has his own runner’s page at the race website, where people can make donations in his name. He's already received quite a few. Here's what the pup writes on the site:

"Wow...I just finished my very first Half Marathon! I was sitting in front of my house on Sunday morning when a bunch of runners came running by. They looked like they were having such fun so i decided to join them. I forgot to tell my Mom that I was leaving and she was really upset!

Everyone was really nice to me so I just kept running passing first a sign that said Mile 3 then Mile 4 and so on until I saw this big sign that said Finish and everyone stopped running. Along the way i heard people talking about raising money for Cancer Research and I heard stories about people's loved ones. I was moved to take action so I set up this page to help out.

I had to walk all the way home after the race and Mom didn't find me at home until the next morning.....boy was I sore!! I overheard my Mom talking to the people who put the race on and they are coming over to give me a medal! Now I am resting and looking back on the great journey. Please help by donating to my page."



Source: http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/features/mutts/blog/2011/05/a_local_pups_accidental_halfma.html

Dozer's Race Page: http://www.ummsfoundation.org/dozer


Also see: http://espn.go.com/espn/page2/index?id=6567417

Dozer the dog runs solo Maryland Half Marathon
Thomas Neumann
Thu, May 19, 2011

It's four o'clock. Do you know where your dog is?

The owners of Dozer, a 3-year-old goldendoodle from Fulton, Md., didn't know the answer to that question on Sunday. Unbeknownst to them, Dozer escaped his invisible fence and joined the 2,000-plus runners competing in the Maryland Half Marathon, which benefits the University of Maryland's Greenebaum Cancer Center. Dozer joined the fray about five miles into the race, which is held in Howard County, Md., and he crossed the finish line at the 2:14:24 mark.

Maryland Half Marathon co-founder Jon Sevel said many runners spotted Dozer in various places on the course, at times lapping up water from cups at rest areas, but nobody realized the dog was running solo. After running the final seven miles or so of the event, Dozer found his own way home Monday morning. He's in good health after a precautionary trip to the vet and he received a medal from race organizers on Thursday.

"This is a very sweet dog," said University of Maryland Medical Center spokeswoman Karen Warmkessel. "When I saw him today, he looked great. He was really active, and now he's raising money for cancer research."

Zoey Haney

Missing Dog-Happy reunion: Pet Detective on the case
By Mike Bush
Jan 24, 2011


Wildwood (KSDK) --With snow on the ground, one might figure that the trail was cold.

"It makes the footing a little dangerous, I've fallen a couple of times, " says Berns, Jim Berns.

He's on the case of the missing dog.

"Zoey's our pet she's been missing since last Sunday, " explains John Haney.

Haney and his family are from Chicago. They were visiting relatives in Wildwood last weekend when Zoey got away.

"She's been with us, we got her about 5 1/2 years ago. She was a rescue dog and she was the first member of our family before we had our kids and everything."

So when the initial search and posters didn't work, the Haney's called in Berns.

"We found him online, " says Haney.

Berns doesn't have a license to kill but he is a detective. Pet detective.

Yes, they've had a little fun with pet detectives in the movies. Jim Carrey started a profitable movie career playing the hilarious "Ace Ventura: Pet Detective" .

But Berns takes his job seriously. Seriously.

"I have been on 173 cases and more than half of the cases we have solved", he says.

Berns who came in from Cincinnati with his trusty bloodhound says he learned his tracking skills as a hunter.

"When I was a kid, I used to hunt rabbit, fox and deer and now can go hunting and I don't have to kill anything, " he explains.

And late Sunday afternoon, a reunion.

"Oh we're just thrilled, " says Haney.

Actually, Jim Berns didn't find Zoey. He was found by a couple that saw one of the posters.

"Still we were very happy to have him and he did find a lost dog for someone else, " says Haney. "We're just thrilled to have her back, either way."

As for the pet detective, it's on to the next case because in line of work tomorrow never dies and you never say never again.




Source: http://www.ksdk.com/news/article/240189/3/Missing-Dog-Happy-reunion-Pet-Detective-on-the-case

Jubby, boxer

Missing dog has tearful reunion with owner in Taunton
By Marc Larocque, GateHouse News Service
Posted Jan 19, 2011

TAUNTON — Armand Rebello was beginning to lose hope that his dog would ever return as he was getting ready for work on Tuesday morning.



Armand Rebello greets his dog, Jubby, at New England Animal Medical Center in West Bridgewater

It had been 11 days since Jubby, a 3-year-old boxer, had run away from the backyard of Rebello’s East Taunton home. There had been one sighting a few days back, but nothing had come of it.

At 5:50 a.m., as Rebello was putting on his boots, he looked up and saw two big, dark familiar eyes staring through the window from outside his door step.

But Jubby was not the same dog that left him. The dog was emaciated — his bones sticking through his small frame — and he was limping around. But he seemed happy to be home.

“I was instantly in tears,” Rebello said. “I brought him into the house. I went to open a can of wet dog food. He was gimping around trying to follow me. It hurt me to see him limping around, but he didn’t make any kind of pain noise. He was wagging his tail.”

Rebello then called his fiancée to tell her the good news and ask her to accompany him to a veterinarian. She was just as excited as he was.

“Jubby is like a member of the family,” said Colleen Fernandes. “You don’t realize how awkward it is to be in your own house when he is gone.”

Rebello took the day off from his job at a power plant in Somerset and took Jubby to New England Animal Medical Center in West Bridgewater. There, Jubby was given an IV and treated for cuts. It was discovered that Jubby had a dislocated right hip and had suffered muscular atrophy.

Dr. Karen Moulin, a member of the senior emergency staff for the animal hospital, said something bad must have happened to the dog.

“We’re assuming it was some kind of trauma,” Moulin said. “Maybe he was hit by a car or fell from something.”

Moulin added that Jubby could have slipped on some ice and injured himself.

Rebello and Fernandes initiated a search as soon as Jubby went missing, plastering local shops and restaurants with flyers carrying a photo of the dog and offering a reward for his return. Rebello said he can only imagine what Jubby went through during those 11 days.

“I’m just surprised he survived with all the odds against him,” said Rebello, noting the recent snow storms. “All I know is he wasn’t eating. He’s just swimming in his collar now. He lost so much weight.”

Rebello said he feared that hungry coyotes had gotten to Jubby.

On Thursday, Rebello said he got a call from neighbors saying they saw a dog matching the description on his flyer a day earlier. The neighbors said they tried luring the dog in with some food, but he ran back into the woods.

Rebello said Jubby went missing from his Maycomber Street backyard. Rebello was building a fire while Jubby was retrieving wood. At some point, Jubby took off.

Rebello and several neighbors combed the woods late into night, but the dog was nowhere to be found.

Growing up with foster parents on a Berkley farm, Rebello said he has always loved the companionship of animals.

He said it is different when you have a dog, though. To Rebello, 23, Jubby is his best friend and losing him was devastating.

Thursday’s sighting brought the search for Jubby back to life, Rebello said. Prior to that point, Rebello was starting to speculate that someone took the dog.

“I went out and looked for him more,” Rebello said.

In the end, Rebello didn’t find his dog. Jubby found his way home.

“You had a rough trip, huh buddy?” said Rebello, embracing Jubby at the vet’s office. “A lot of people are very happy he has come home. He’s the greatest dog. The most playful and friendly dog. He would never hurt a thing.”

Source: http://www.wickedlocal.com/raynham/fun/pets/x1409897921/Missing-dog-has-tearful-reunion-with-owner-in-Taunton#axzz1ML5rNRAO

Harley, Jack Russell Terrier

Long-lost owner and Jack Russell terrier reunite at San Antonio Humane Society!
Follow the ’Chip
Last Updated on Monday, 25 October 2010 10:45


About five years ago, a teen-age boy moved from the home of his dad and step-mom in Chicago to his mom’s home in Austin, bringing along his Jack Russell terrier. What happened to the little pup next is unclear. One day the dog was gone—lost, or surrendered, perhaps—and the boy was very upset.

Fast forward to October 2010: Staff members of the San Antonio Humane Society visit another animal organization to transfer dogs into the shelter. One dog happens to be a Jack Russell terrier. In the process of checking the animal into the Humane Society, he is scanned for a microchip. Sure enough, he has one.

Using the phone number provided by the microchip company, a Humane Society staffer reaches the boy’s step-mom, who has relocated with the dad to Nacogdoches, Texas. She’s very excited—“It’s Harley!” she exclaims.

For Harley (since renamed “Eddie”), Tuesday, October 19 was indeed a special day. The boy’s dad, who hatched a plan to surprise his son with a truly one-of-a-kind birthday present, came to San Antonio. He entered the adoption lobby at the Humane Society. And here’s what onlookers saw: Harley running right up to him and jumping up to give him kisses on the face.



You can only imagine Harley’s reaction when he got home to the now-grown-up boy!

Source:  http://www.sahumane.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=292
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Alex, boxer

Dog missing for four years reunited with family
By Karen Kucher, Union-Tribune BREAKING NEWS TEAM
June 16, 2006

Jaclyn and Monica Najjar picked up their boxer, Alex, from the county animal shelter in San Diego Friday. They said the dog's personality seemed the same, and that she seemed to remember them, despite having been gone for four years.

SAN DIEGO – After four years, Alex the boxer is finally home.

A beloved pet that had been missing since March 2002 was reunited with her owners early Friday morning after workers at the county's central shelter found a microchip under its fur.

The dog had been relinquished by its current owner.

Lisa Najjar and two of her three daughters, Monica and Jaclyn, picked up the dog first thing Friday morning, arriving even before the shelter opened.

“Alex went straight from the shelter to the vet and then to get a bath,” Najjar said.

Najjar said no one in the family believed it at first when shelter employees called late Thursday to say they had found Alex.

“We are just really, really happy,” she said. “She looks good. She looks healthy. She's in good condition and we're thrilled to have her back.

“It kind of feels like she hasn't been gone, in a way.”

Shelter workers routinely scan animals brought in for microchips, using an identification system that stores information about a pet's owner in a database.

The dog vanished from the family's fenced backyard in Encinitas back in 2002, Lisa Najjar said. The Najjars looked for her for weeks at local veterinarian offices, pet stores and shelters. The family suspected the pure breed may have been stolen.

Two years ago, they got another dog, a papillon, and named it Metro. The two dogs were to meet Friday afternoon.

The man who relinquished the boxer told animal control workers he was unable to keep it because he was moving into a condo, Najjar said.

Johnson said the man said he had bought the dog for $100 in Escondido about three years ago from someone who claimed to be the dog's owner.

He had named the dog “Rosie” and told county shelter workers he was amazed to learn its original owners were found via its microchip. He could not be reached Friday.

Much has changed in the years since Alex turned up missing.

The three Najjar daughters have become teenagers. Jaclyn Najjar, 18, graduated from high school on Friday just hours after the family picked up Alex.

“I think she remembers us. She is really open and she seems like the exact same dog,” said Monica Najjar, 15.

Alex also will have to get used to a new house. In the years she was gone, the family moved from Olivenhain to Cardiff.

“We got her as a puppy for Christmas and had her microchipped right away,” Lisa Najjar said. “ Thank God that we did.”

Source: http://legacy.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20060616-1353-bn16doggy.html
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Chloe, yorkie

The Reappearing Puppy
A family is reunited with their four-pound Yorkshire terrier after the dog goes missing for over a year.
By Katie Knorovsky
The March 2011 issue of The Washingtonian


“Someone may have found Chloe.” When Cheryl Caponiti relayed that message to her four daughters in December, the news seemed improbable at best. Nearly a year had passed since the family’s then-12-year-old Yorkshire terrier disappeared from the yard of Caponiti’s home in Clarksburg.

The family had gotten together that night—December 18, 2009—for their annual Christmas photo. When Cheryl’s son-in-law arrived, Chloe ran to greet him.

“She was standing by the door, so I just let her out like I always did,” says Cheryl’s eldest daughter, Kristen, 27, who had a newborn and toddler in tow.

It was Kristen who, at age 13, had convinced her parents to get a dog by combing the classifieds for puppies and posting photos on the refrigerator. She’d helped pay for Chloe herself—as a puppy, the dog could fit in the palm of her hand. But 45 minutes after opening the door that December night, Kristen realized she’d forgotten to let Chloe back in. Snow had started falling, and the four-pound Yorkie was nowhere to be found.

“I had ‘mommy brain,’ ” Kristen says. “My sisters all started to cry, and I was trying not to. But I knew it was my fault.”

For the next two hours, the family went door to door asking if anybody had seen their dog. A neighbor brought his hunting dog over to sniff Chloe’s bed, but the fresh dusting of snow made it hard to trail her scent. To make matters worse, she had run outside without her collar on.

“Christmas was really hard,” says Cheryl, who often had Chloe on her lap. “A part of our family was missing.”

They put up posters, sent fliers to veterinary hospitals, and placed an ad in the Gazette but never heard anything. “I didn’t know how I was going to get through it,” Cheryl recalls.

Eventually, she made peace with the fact that Chloe was gone and that someone must have picked her up that night: “I would just tell myself that if they’re taking care of her and loving her, then she can bless their life.”

Cheryl looked online for puppies in the hopes that a new dog would help comfort her. She found Zoe, another Yorkie, at a breeder in Pennsylvania and gave her the rhyming name as a tribute to Chloe. But she thought of Chloe all the time, especially on the 18th. “I counted the months,” she says.

A year passed with no leads. On the evening of Friday, December 3, two friends sent Cheryl postings from the Café Montgomery listserv and the Montgomery County Lost Pets blog about a Yorkie that had been picked up in Germantown and brought into the Montgomery County Humane Society. The shaggy dog in the photo scarcely resembled Chloe.

“All I could see was her left eye, which had the cataract, and that her nose was scraped up,” says Cheryl. She forwarded the photo to her daughters and ex-husband.

“Oh, my God,” Kristen said, seeing the spots on the dog’s nose. “That’s her.”

Kristen and her sister Lauren went to the shelter the next morning. The dog’s fur was matted with dirt and infested with fleas, but they recognized the spot where she’d had teeth removed. Lauren went back on Monday with Chloe’s dental records, and to the surprise of the vet technician, everything matched up. Lauren sobbed on the drive to her mother’s house: They were bringing Chloe home.

“I was in shock,” Cheryl says. “But when I heard her bark, I knew.”

Chloe had lost her hearing and some fur, but her blood work came back nearly perfect even though she had pancreatitis and required antibiotics.

“For her to survive a year without her medication is a miracle,” Cheryl says.

At home, Chloe remembered where her food was and started playing with her toys. She and her new buddy, Zoe, are still deciding who’s in charge.

Says Cheryl: “It’s like she’s never been gone.”

Source: http://www.washingtonian.com/blogarticles/homegarden/openhouse/18840.html

Zeus, boxer puppy

Lost Puppy Reunited with Owner after Crash
Thursday, May 12 2011, 10:26 PM CDT

A lost puppy is found after he went missing, following a semi versus pickup accident Saturday night in rural Black Hawk County.

Chad Bartels was driving his truck, with Zeus the boxer puppy in the cab, when he collided with a semi. The semi driver and her passenger were okay. Bartels had to go to the hospital for a broken jaw. And Zeus could not be found.

Search parties looked for days with no luck.

But Courtny Cline saw the dog as she was riding with her mother. She got out of the vehicle Wednesday and convinced the now-scrawny little dog to come to her.

She called the number she found in a missing dog ad, and was able to reunite the pup with his owner.

Cline had removed the ticks from the dog. Zeus' veterinarian says he's lucky to survived so long on his own.

Bartels says words cannot describe how much he appreciates Cline and her family returning Zeus safely to him.

Source: http://www.kgan.com/shared/newsroom/top_stories/videos/kgan_vid_6236.shtml

Bingo, shih tzu

Bored dog gets fed up of walkies - so takes the train instead
Metro Weird Reporter
12th May, 2011

A dog named Bingo gave his owners a fright when he decided he was tired of walkies - and took a trip on the train instead.

Will and Jo Erwin thought Bingo's number was up when the six-year-old shih tzu disappeared from their home in Lostwithiel, Cornwall.

At the time the Erwins were unaware that Bingo had wandered down to the local railway station and boarded a train.

But after a frantic four-hour search, a passenger on a train bound for Plymouth found Bingo curled up asleep – 50km (30 miles) away from his owners.

The passenger carried him off the train and took him to a rescue centre (the Gables Farm Dogs and Cats Home) in Plympton, Devon.

Staff there saw Bingo's picture on their missing animal website and a radio appeal, and he was reunited with owners.

49-year-old Will Erwin says this isn't the first time the dog has tried to make a break for freedom – he regularly pursues tourists eating their fish and chips.

Afterwards Will said: "I want to thank the kind man who gave him in."

Sources: http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/863059-bored-dog-gets-fed-up-of-walkies-so-takes-train-instead and http://www.thisisdevon.co.uk/animals/Train-hopping-Bingo-reunited-owner/article-3549838-detail/article.html

Buddy, weimeraner

Pets lost in the storm; donations being collected
By Eric Sollman
May 03, 2011


MADISON COUNTY, AL (WAFF) - 10-year-old Jordan Hagan of Madison is enjoying her time with a beautiful Weimaraner.

"He's very tamed, he's a very good dog," said Hagan.

"We're calling him Buddy, because he responded to that. We don't actually know his real name," Hagan added.

"Buddy" showed up after last Wednesday's storms.

So far, a half dozen dogs have shown up at Huntsville Animal Services. These dogs are believed to be lost from the storm.

Inside the shelter's building they're collecting things for those who have their pets, but not much else.

Huntsville Animal Services is taking donations in the form of dog and cat food to take to storm victims so they can feed their pets.

It's not just meals, but old towels or blankets, even food and water bowls are appreciated.

Jeremy Eslick with Huntsville Animal Services says many people are finding pets, but cannot feed them and provide care.

"First of all if you find a pet, make sure you return that pet to that area," said Eslick.

He says taking them to a shelter close to where you found them gives them a better chance of being re-united with their owner.

While 10-year-old Jordan Hagan and her family are able to harbor their new buddy, they know it's also important for "Buddy" to get back home.

"My mom said there might be a little girl who loved this dog, and it makes me kind of sad because he ran away," said Hagan.

Source:  http://www.waff.com/story/14567127/pets-in-the-storm
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Dog lost in the storm gets reunited with his family
Submitted by Matt Smith
Monday, May 9th

WAFF 48 News has an update on a four-legged storm victim that we featured on a previous newscast.

We showed you the Weimeraner that a family in Madison found after the storm. That family held the dog last week until its rightful owners could be found, and today we got word that the dog has been reunited with its family.

Roxy, Staffordshire bull terrier

Couple’s joy as stolen dog is returned
By Lisa Nightingale
Published on Thursday 21 April 2011 08:30

REUNITED ... Amber Charles and Carl Harrison have got their stolen dog Roxy back.

An overjoyed South Tyneside couple have been reunited with their beloved dog after it was allegedly snatched from their garden.

Carl Harrison and Amber Charles were devastated after six-month old Staffordshire bull terrier Roxy was “dog-napped”.

The playful puppy had been in the back garden of their home in Burnham Street, South Shields, on Sunday when she disappeared.

Desperate for her safe return, the couple contacted the police.

Officers followed up a number of tip-offs and eventually found Roxy at a house on the Woodbine Estate, South Shields, on Monday night.

Mr Harrison was contacted and the pet handed back to her rightful owner.

Mr Harrison, 30, said: “I was shocked when we got a call from the police late on Monday night, telling us they had found Roxy.

“I didn’t think we would get her back so soon.”

He added: “We are just so glad to get her back. I haven’t let her out of my sight since.”

Mr Harrison, who said he was “over the moon” with her safe return, added: “We have had a lot of help from people who contacted us with information about Roxy’s whereabouts.

“And since we put an appeal in the Gazette I have had phone calls from people who saw the dog.

“All that information is now helping the police with their inquiries.

“I just want to thank the police for everything they have done to get her back.

“When they returned her, she was so excited to see us.”

Police today confirmed that three people have been arrested in connection with Roxy’s disappearance.

A 19-year-old woman and two men, aged 19 and 18, are on police bail, pending further inquiries.

Source: http://www.shieldsgazette.com/news/crime/couple_s_joy_as_stolen_dog_is_returned_1_3309693

Jazz, golden retriever mix

Rescued dog from Taiwan lost at NY airport found
By Cheryl Hanna, Pet Rescue Examiner
May 6th, 2011

Jazz, a two-year-old golden retriever mix who was rescued from a high kill Taiwan shelter, had been flown to New York to be fostered by Hopeful Hearts of Wilmington, Delaware until he was adopted.

Jazz escaped from his crate as he was being off-loaded from the plane and took off. The dog spent three days wandering around the airport area, but happily a team of Port Authority police officers found him. Officer Randal Draft reported the dog's paws were ripped and bleeding. Jazz is being treated by a veterinarian.

Eight months ago, Jazz was dropped off at a public shelter in Taiwan and was saved the day he was scheduled to be euthanized. Only two to three percent of dogs rescued in Taiwan shelters are ever adopted. They are frequently abandoned and thrown away as yesterday's trash. Most shelters will only keep a dog three days before the animal is euthanized.

The volunteers of Hopeful Hearts make a difference in the lives of a few of them; Jazz is one such lucky pooch. At his foster home in Taiwan, Jazz recuperated from serious health problems, but since has tested to be healthy. He is described as weighing 55 pounds and loves to run and play.

When the Port Authority Police notified Joan Chien of Hopeful Hearts that Jazz had been found, Chien was "ecstatic."

Welcome to the United States Jazz. Here's hoping you find the perfect family and live a long and gentle life. If you would like more information on Jazz, please click here.

Source: http://www.examiner.com/pet-rescue-in-national/rescued-dog-from-taiwan-lost-at-ny-airport-found

Brandy, cocker mix

Lost dog reunited with owner after more than 5 years
published Saturday, June 11th, 2011
by Karen Nazor Hill

Kenny Stackman was heartbroken when his dog ran away in November 2005.

Stackman, a Miami resident, and his rescued best friend, Brandy, a cocker spaniel mix, had just arrived in Hixson to spend Thanksgiving with relatives. Within minutes of getting out of the car at his cousin’s house, Brandy broke from her leash and bolted.

Brandy, a Cocker Spaniel mix, went missing in November 2005 when owner Kenny Stackman was visiting Hixson for Thanksgiving. Stackman searched for the dog, but was unable to locate her. Five-and-a-half years later, Brandy was put up for adoption by his "new" owners, and was taken in by the McKamey Animal Care and Adoption center, where her RFID chip pointed to her Miami owner

“She got scared when my cousin hugged me,” Stackman said. “Brandy darted out into the dark.”

For the next few days, Stackman and his family looked everywhere for Brandy. He contacted the Humane Educational Society here, put out fliers and drove through the community looking for his dog.

“I drove home alone and wasn’t so happy,” he said. “Brandy had been mistreated when I got her, so she was afraid of people, except for me.”

Fast-forward 5-1⁄2 years. On April 29, Stackman got a message that his dog had been taken in by McKamey Animal Care and Adoption Center in Hixson. His contact information was stored in Brandy’s HomeAgain microchip.

“I was told that Brandy had been in a loving home [and that] the person who brought Brandy into the center had to give her up,” he said. “I thank him from the bottom of my heart for taking good care of her.”

Karen Walsh, executive director of the McKamey Center, said animals brought in for adoption there are routinely scanned for microchips, which are about the size of a grain of rice and cost from $25 to $80.

“We call it an ID for life,” she said. “The process is lifelong. A collar can be changed.”

Walsh said the family that had taken Brandy in here had never exposed the dog to vet care that might have detected the microchip ID.

Stackman soon made the trip from Miami to Chattanooga to reclaim Brandy, and the two immediately rebonded, he said.

“She is wonderful,” he said. “I rescued another dog after Brandy went missing. They get along like sisters.”

The only surprise, he said, was that Brandy had doubled in weight from the last time Stackman saw her.

“Back in 2005, she was about 30 pounds. When I got her a few weeks ago, she weighed about 65 pounds,” Stackman said. “She looks like a little pig, but I’m so happy to have her back.”

Source: http://timesfreepress.com/news/2011/jun/11/lost-dog-reunited-owner-after-more-5-years/
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ORIGINAL VERSION OF THE STORY, FROM
http://foundpets.homeagain.com/brandy-found-in-tn-after-5-years-missing.aspx

Brandy Found In TN After 5 Years Missing
Ken, North Miami Beach, FL
5/3/2011

I went to visit family in Chattanooga, TN during Thanksgiving of 2005 from Miami, FL. I had just adopted Brandy, a cocker mix, about 2 months prior to the trip. She was fine on the road in the car.


When we arrived, she freaked out by the greetings and hugs. She pulled her head out of her collar and ran from the front of the house. It was dark so she disappeared immediately.

We went walking and driving around the neighborhood, looking for her and calling her name. I left notices with the humane society and the local animal clinic. I spoke to neighbors and no one had seen her.


After two days, we were not able to find her, and I returned home to Miami. I made flyers with her photo and contact information and mailed them to some of the local businesses to post by their doors or registers.


I received a few calls, but none of them was for my dog.


On April 29, 2011, I received a call from an animal care center in Chattanooga that a dog was found and the HomeAgain chip had my contact information. I returned the call to find out the dog had been found several years ago and was wonderfully cared for all these years.


The person who brought Brandy into the center had no choice and had to give up the dog last week. I thank him from the bottom of my heart for taking good care of her.


If I knew who had her all this time and how much she was loved, and if he was able to keep her, I would leave her in good hands.


Now I am making a return trip to Chattanooga to reclaim her and bring her back to a loving home that she deserves.


When I adopted her in 2005, I was told that she appears to have been mistreated by previous owners. She was very shy and fearful at first, but she was just getting comfortable with me when she darted out into the darkness over 5 years ago.

Chyna, miniature pinscher

Lost pet posters work, says a Fort Lauderdale teacher reunited with her dog.
Posted by Diane Lade
August 20, 2008

About 20 minutes ago, I posted a plea from a teacher who lives in Fort Lauderdale who had been desperately looking for her minature pinscher, Chyna, since last week. Jessica Reynolds particularly was worried because tiny Chyna is 10 years old -- not exactly a youngster -- and had intestinal problems that required a special diet.

Jessica sounded so sad the few times I talked to her, and I felt the same as I put her information on Sit, Stay, Speak!, hoping for her dog's safe return.

And now I am rewriting and reposting. Because Jessica called me a few minutes ago to say Chyna had been found.

And I think the reason why is worth mentioning.

Because Jessica's "lost dog" posters that she plastered around the neighborhood, and rechecked after Tropical Storm Fay blew through, did the trick.

Animal experts have told me previously that while microchips and tatoos are fine, the old-fashioned poster still is one of the best ways to get back your MIA dog or cat.

In Jessica's case, a woman living about two miles away from her house happened to mention to her neighbors that she had seen a small black-and-tan dog out in the rain squalls sweeping through yesterday and today post-Fay. "Gee," said someone who was listening. "Go look at that poster over there. It sounds like the same dog."

They called the phone number on the flier. And by the time Jessica called me, Chyna was home having a late dinner.

Somehow, Chyna had managed to cross the bustling Oakland Park Boulevard-Federal Highway intersection, possibly during rush hour, given when she escaped. The dog was close to the house where Jessica had been living up to three months ago, and she wonders if Chyna was looking for her old home as the storm approached.

So: Welcome back, Chyna.

And the lesson for the rest of us is, Jessica agrees: Posters do work.

So always keep a current photo of your pet on hand, especially during storm season when you may have to evacuate.

Source: http://blogs.trb.com/features/lifestyle/pets/blog/2008/08/lost_pet_posters_work_says_a_f.html

Angel, basenji

Missing service dog for elderly woman in Woodburn found in Hubbard
By Lynne Terry, The Oregonian
Published: Wednesday, May 04, 2011

Basenjis, which come from Africa, are appreciated for their short hair, small size and no bark. But they do whimper and have boundless energy.

Basenjis, which come from Africa, are appreciated for their short hair, small size and no bark. But they do whimper and have boundless energy.

Angel, a retired show dog that had bolted from her new home in an assisted living center in Woodburn on Monday, has been discovered.

I am so excited," said Valerie Cortez, the dog's co-owner. "She's fine."

Cortez said that Angel, a 10-year-old Basenji, was discovered in Hubbard. The dog bolted from an office in her new home in the Colonial Gardens Assisted Living Center in Woodburn about noon on Monday, running through an open door. She was taken to the center five days earlier to be a companion and service dog for an elderly woman who had a stroke.

"She's very fearful of having another one," Cortez said. "She needs a dog to calm her."

Basenjis, called "African bush dogs," are an old breed with a storied history, turning up in cave paintings with hunters. They don't bark but they can whimper and have boundless energy.

Cortez said Angel, who pranced around show rings in Montana, is being trained as a service dog. She will be reunited with her new co-owner later today in Hubbard and then be taken back to the assisted living center.

Source: http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2011/05/missing_service_dog_for_elderly_woman_in_woodburn_found_in_hubbard.html
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Chuck, black lab

PVE: Dog gone - no more
By Art Marroquin Staff Writer
Posted: 03/07/2011

Alexa, Kai, Lisa and Koa Nakkim get reacquainted with Chuck, their dog who was missing for four years.

Every night for four years, Eric and Lisa Nakkim prayed that their missing dog, Chuck, was safe and might even come home someday.

Their prayers, spanning more than 1,500 days, were answered Friday when a woman called their home to report that she found the long-lost black Labrador/pit bull mix.

"Every night, especially when it was cold, we would think about that dog and wonder where he was," said Eric Nakkim, an emergency room doctor at Torrance Memorial Medical Center.

"It's just like seeing a long-lost friend," he said. "I'm ecstatic and overwhelmed with emotion."

The Palos Verdes Estates family adopted Chuck in April 2002, when he was just a 2-month-old puppy.

But as he grew, Chuck made a habit of sneaking out of a fenced backyard, usually through a gate that was left ajar by one of the family's four children. The mischievous mutt always found his way home and sat by the gate, patiently waiting to get back to the safety of his family's yard.

Chuck performed one of his infamous escape acts on Jan. 7, 2007, but this time, he didn't come home.

"We don't know if he got lost or got picked up by someone," Eric Nakkim said.

The family hoped someone would find Chuck and call the phone number etched into a round, silver tag that hung from a black collar bearing metal spikes.

The Nakkims distributed fliers plastered with Chuck's mug. Ads were placed in the newspaper. A year had passed and the Nakkims feared the worst.

It's still unknown what happened to Chuck in the ensuing years.

Eric Nakkim thought Chuck could have become lost after wandering off. Lisa Nakkim said she hoped the friendly dog was keeping company with a lonely homeless person.

"We just gave up hope on ever getting him back," Eric Nakkim said.

The family's despair quickly turned to elation when they received a phone call from Linda Sheldon.

Sheldon had just got off a bus about 6:30 a.m. and was walking to her job with the environmental division at Torrance City Hall when she spotted a dog near the intersection of Maple Avenue and El Dorado Street.

Sheldon, who has helped strays before, called to the dog.

"He was a little shy, but he came to me," Sheldon said. "I could see he was very nice and very homeless from his condition."

The thin, friendly animal was wearing a black collar with metal spikes that were worn to the nubs.

Attached was a silver tag with lettering that was worn smooth, but still legible, except for the last digit of a phone number.

The dirty, smelly dog trotted alongside Sheldon to her office. After she gave the dog some food and water, Sheldon began calling numbers in hopes of finding the owners.

Her first attempt led to a disconnected line.

She dialed again, changing the last digit of the phone number. This time, Sheldon reached Lisa Nakkim.

"She described Chuck exactly: big, black and friendly," Lisa Nakkim recalled.

The Nakkims picked up the dog from Sheldon on Friday afternoon and thanked her for contacting them.

"I'm just happy that he's gone from rags to riches," Sheldon said.

After a daylong visit to the vet on Friday, Chuck finally went home with his family. A checkup found that the 100-pound pooch had withered down to 60 pounds, likely from malnutrition and dehydration. He was sent home with a prescription to clear up a urinary tract infection.

Additionally, all the gates to the Nakkim home are now secured. But Chuck has taken to sleeping indoors since he arrived home.

"We can't have this happen again," Lisa Nakkim said. "We're just so thankful that this good Samaritan took the time to check on a missing dog, and that he's finally home with us."

Source: http://www.dailybreeze.com/ci_17561701?source=rss_viewed




Another, printer-friendly version of the story is here

Ooops, I repeated this story later when I found a video that makes the story far more memorable than this version. Oh well . . . http://lostdogsfound.blogspot.com/2011/06/chuck-black-lab.html

Chelsea, terrier mix

Lost dog from Ft. Myers finally reunites with owners
By Colleen Hogan, Reporter / Videojournalist
Posted: May 01, 2011 5:55 PM CDT


A Ft. Myer's couple finds their lost dog 30 miles away, months after the dog first went missing.

Four In Your Corner's Colleen Hogan caught up with the couple, who credit FOX 4 with being the first media outlet to get their story out, when the dog first went missing.

"It was our worst nightmare, something we never expected," the dog's owner Gail said.

But out of a nightmare, came a miracle. Gail says her energetic terrier-mix Chelsea is finally back at home, running around in the backyard, after being gone for months.

The dog was missing for 74 days before she was eventually found.

"She followed 2 strange men that were in the yard next to us back to their truck and disappeared."

That was back in February. The couple offered a $5,000 reward for Chelsea's return. They posted her pictures all over town even reaching out to vet's offices, and going on-line trying to find the dog.

"We had tracked down so many different leads, just always with disappointment at the end."

The break came earlier this week, when someone saw Chelsea's pictures in a vet's office, and thought she looked a lot like another dog on the block. But his dog was being kept outside on a lanai, most of the time. So the couple traveled 30 miles north to check out the tip, and sure enough, it was Chelsea.

"Her first reaction was pure happiness."

The people who had her, let her go home with Gail and her husband without a fight.

"We just wanna thank God because we believe this was truly a miracle."

Finally home again, Gail says it took a few days for the pup to settle back in. Chelsea now has two microchips so she never has to worry about being lost again.

"Our lives feel complete now. There was just such an empty spot with her missing."



The couple says they want to thank everyone for their prayers and help during the time the dog was gone.

Source: http://www.fox4now.com/story/14550628/lost-dog-from-ft-myers-finally-reunites-with-owners
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Gertie, hound

Gertie the dog found safe after a winter on the run
Written by Brian J. Howard
May 1, 2011

CORTLANDT — Claire Albahae had just about given up hope of ever finding Gertie, the mixed breed, black-and-white hound dog she lost nearly seven months ago.

Gertie the dog is safe at home with owner Claire Albahae in Brewster, nearly seven months after she first went missing from Clarence Fahnestock State Park in Putnam Valley, 15 miles away.

But Gertie turned up Tuesday, 15 miles from where she'd been lost. By Friday night, trackers had snared the emaciated pup. Now she's safe at home, if a bit scrawnier than before.

"Physically, she's not quite skin and bones," a relieved Albahae, 62, said.

"I had almost given up hope but not quite," the Brewster resident said. "I had many, many sightings."

Albahae was hiking with her three dogs in Clarence Fahnestock State Park in Putnam Valley Oct. 9 when Gertie, her youngest, broke free and ran. Albahae searched for her until 4 a.m.

Sightings poured in all fall and winter as Albahae posted hundreds of signs and followed up on every lead.

Gertie, who is between 7 and 8 years old, weighed 38 pounds when she went missing. At Brewster Veterinary Hospital on Saturday, she weighed in at 28 pounds.

Several feet of snow fell between Christmas and early February. And when it wasn't snowing, it was cold.

Gertie's ID tags and collars were still on, so Albahae thinks she was fed by strangers but never caught.

Trackers Chuck and Kricket Dyckman of Dyckman Wildlife Control in Carmel advised her to post signs and try to establish where Gertie was roaming.

That proved difficult until the call from a worker at Hudson Valley Charter Service in Cortlandt who'd spotted Gertie. Albahae went there and laid out food to lure the dog and an infrared camera to make sure it was indeed Gertie.

When she saw that it was, she called the Dyckmans.

A trap they set Friday morning safely captured her by midnight. Albahae had her home by 1 a.m., in need of a bath and tick removal, but safe and in good spirits.

"I'm so happy. Life has never been the same since I lost her," Albahae said. "There was a blank spot where her bed used to be, and I would just stare at it."

She found Gertie at PetFinder.com in early 2010, rescued by ASPCA of Ohio from an abusive home. She also has a beagle, another mixed breed and three cats, one she found while looking for Gertie.

This isn't the first local dog to survive a winter in the suburban wilds. In February 2010, a black Labrador named Apollo roamed the woods of Croton-on-Hudson for six weeks before the Dyckmans found him.

"There's always hope," said Kricket Dyckman, who has tracked dogs lost as long as three years. "Dogs are hardy animals; they really are. They can travel a good distance and they're smart."

Albahae plans to offer the worker who found Gertie a cash reward. A message left at the business was not immediately returned.

Source: http://www.lohud.com/article/20110501/NEWS02/105010363/Gertie-dog-found-safe-after-winter-run?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|News
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Brady, Boston terrier

Missing Dog Reunited With Owners
A dog reported missing turns up at a local animal shelter safe and sound.
By Parker Gavigan
Published: April 27, 2011

LINCOLN, R.I. -- You can't separate Brady from his bone.

But on Tuesday, some distance was put between the Boston terrier pup and his Lincoln family.



"We just brought him outside and he just disappeared. We didn't even see what happened. It happened so quickly," said 12-year-old Michael Cotrone.

"There's over 100 acres of woods behind us. We went through all the woods several times, looking in ditches, pipes, anything we could find to see if he was under there," said Frank Cotrone, Michael's father.

The search took over the family's neighborhood. More than 100 fliers were posted on telephone poles, and a reward was offered. Michael even went on TV.

Brady is not just the family dog. He's a special friend to Michael, who's battling leukemia.

"I didn't sleep at all. I just couldn't stop thinking about him. It was really scary," said the seventh-grader.

All of a sudden, Brady was back.

He was found outside the gate at the Lincoln pound in a makeshift crate early Wednesday morning.

Could it have been the work of a good Samaritan? Or was someone shamed into returning him?

"It's strange he just disappeared into thin air. He usually doesn't go far at all because he's so small," Frank Cotrone said.

There was no note left with Brady, just water. Perhaps someone was thinking of Michael?

"It was just the best feeling," Michael said.

Source: http://www2.turnto10.com/news/2011/apr/27/missing-dog-reunited-owners-ar-468678/