Lost Dog, Family Reunited After 6 Years
Golden Retriever escaped and wound up 120 miles away.
Posted: January 30, 2007, 5 a.m. EST
A Golden Retriever who slipped away from his yard in St. Louis more than six and a half years ago has now been reunited with his original owners after living in several different cities across Missouri.
The dog was known as Cujo when – at 7 years old – he escaped from his owners’ yard in July 2000. He ended up 120 miles away in Columbia, Missouri, in the home of an elderly woman.
When the woman entered a nursing home, the dog was sent to the Central Missouri Humane Society where Bob Tillay, president of Dirk’s Fund, a Golden Retriever rescue group, happened to spot the dog – who had been renamed Willy – on a dog adoption website.
Tillay arranged to have Willy transferred to St. Louis, where the dog was taken to serve as a pet for the elderly in a nursing home. Things there didn’t work out, so his picture went up on the Dirk’s Fund website.
In mid-January, Michael Barczewski, the brother-in-law of Noreen Barczewski – one of Cujo’s original owners – was looking for a dog when he visited the Dirk’s Fund website.
Michael and his wife, Gail, had been Cujo’s original breeders and he recognized the dog immediately. The dog, now 13, was reunited with the Barczewskis on Jan 26.
For more information on Dirk’s Fund, visit http://www.dirksfund.com
Source: http://www.dogchannel.com/dog-news/2007_01/2007_01-30news001.aspx
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Chuck, black lab
Rancho Palos Verdes family reunites with dog after 4 years lost
Rob Hayes
Tuesday, May 03, 2011
RANCHO PALOS VERDES, Calif. (KABC) -- Four years ago, a black Labrador retriever mix did what most Labs do: bust out of his fenced backyard.
But on that day in 2007, Chuck didn't come back to his Palos Verdes Estates home.
"He was gone. We looked everywhere. We drove up and down the streets," said Chuck's owner, Lisa Nakkim.
The Nakkim family was desperate. They began posting flyers around their neighborhood, but to no avail.
Years went by and the Nakkims and their four children began to talk about replacing Chuck.
Not too far away, Torrance city worker Linda Sheldon recently spotted Chuck wandering the streets as she was walking to work. Only the pooch didn't look like he did on the flyers. The once 100-pound dog had lost 40 pounds. You could count his ribs.
"He was, I'm sorry to say, the smelliest dog ever," Sheldon said. "I could see the potential in the dog. He just has a wonderful, big heart."
She brought the emaciated dog to her office, where a coworker noticed the badly worn I.D. tag on Chuck's collar and Sheldon dialed the number.
"Every word that she kept saying I'm thinking, 'Oh my gosh. Is this really happening? Is this really Chuck?'" Nakkim said.
They reunited at Torrance City Hall. After a trip to the veterinarian, they brought Chuck to their new home.
"My daughter said, 'Oh, we got a dog,' and I said, 'No, Lexa. That's Chuck.' She started crying. She just lost it," Nakkim said.
"He's back 100 percent," said Nakkim's husband, Eric. "It's like a lost member of the family coming home."
Source: http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/bizarre&id=8110715
Printer-friendly version here
Ooops, didn't realize this story was already in this blog! The video here made it so much more memorable a story than the earlier version, which is at: http://lostdogsfound.blogspot.com/2011/05/chuck-black-lab.html#comments
Rob Hayes
Tuesday, May 03, 2011
RANCHO PALOS VERDES, Calif. (KABC) -- Four years ago, a black Labrador retriever mix did what most Labs do: bust out of his fenced backyard.
But on that day in 2007, Chuck didn't come back to his Palos Verdes Estates home.
"He was gone. We looked everywhere. We drove up and down the streets," said Chuck's owner, Lisa Nakkim.
The Nakkim family was desperate. They began posting flyers around their neighborhood, but to no avail.
Years went by and the Nakkims and their four children began to talk about replacing Chuck.
Not too far away, Torrance city worker Linda Sheldon recently spotted Chuck wandering the streets as she was walking to work. Only the pooch didn't look like he did on the flyers. The once 100-pound dog had lost 40 pounds. You could count his ribs.
 |
| http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YE5T0KkgRaU |
"He was, I'm sorry to say, the smelliest dog ever," Sheldon said. "I could see the potential in the dog. He just has a wonderful, big heart."
She brought the emaciated dog to her office, where a coworker noticed the badly worn I.D. tag on Chuck's collar and Sheldon dialed the number.
"Every word that she kept saying I'm thinking, 'Oh my gosh. Is this really happening? Is this really Chuck?'" Nakkim said.
They reunited at Torrance City Hall. After a trip to the veterinarian, they brought Chuck to their new home.
"My daughter said, 'Oh, we got a dog,' and I said, 'No, Lexa. That's Chuck.' She started crying. She just lost it," Nakkim said.
"He's back 100 percent," said Nakkim's husband, Eric. "It's like a lost member of the family coming home."
Source: http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/bizarre&id=8110715
Printer-friendly version here
Ooops, didn't realize this story was already in this blog! The video here made it so much more memorable a story than the earlier version, which is at: http://lostdogsfound.blogspot.com/2011/05/chuck-black-lab.html#comments
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Snowflake, bull terrier
Stolen dog Snowflake found
by Kevin Cheng and Tom Westbrook
Jun 11 @ 06:50am
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Snowflake, the stolen minature bull terrier, was returned to Ermington police station yesterday afternoon just hours after The Parramatta Advertiser hit the streets with the story on the front page.
The puppy was stolen last Tuesday afternoon when owner Nik Wilker was walking with it on William St, Granville.
Mr Wilker, 25, was king-hit from behind and knocked unconscious.
When he woke up a short time later, Snowflake was gone.
After a week of fruitless searching, Mr Wilker has been reunited with his pet, thanks to The Parramatta Advertiser.
“I think it really was the big front page that brought her back,” he said.
“Someone must have seen that and thought ‘no, this dog is way too hot’, and just dumped it.”
Snowflake was found wandering in Ermington and was returned to the police station after a reader recognised her from the story.
Mr Wilker is overjoyed to have his favourite pet back.
“I couldn’t believe it, we were jumping up and down ... I’m nothing but happy,” he said.
Originally from Germany, Mr Wilker has lived in Australia for 2 1/2 years and in Granville for only six months.
He was walking Snowflake back from the off-leash dog park in Glen St, Granville, about 4.40pm.
He walked up William St and crossed the road between The Avenue and Lumley St, when he was attacked.
Mr Wilker said he remembered seeing a black Barina but his memory was blank after that.
Police said despite William St being a busy road, no one saw the incident or even came to Mr Wilker’s aid.
“If there’s not even one witness, there’s not much the police can do,” Mr Wilker said.
He suffered cuts to his head, hands and knees and woke up with a sore face.
The theft of Snowflake was the latest in a string of dognappings in Sydney.
In a Parramatta dog park last Wednesday, a man approached the owners of a staffie and asked if they would like to earn money by putting their dog in fights.
by Kevin Cheng and Tom Westbrook
Jun 11 @ 06:50am
Snowflake was returned to his owner after a front page in the Parramatta Advertiser told of how he went missing
Snowflake, the stolen minature bull terrier, was returned to Ermington police station yesterday afternoon just hours after The Parramatta Advertiser hit the streets with the story on the front page.
The puppy was stolen last Tuesday afternoon when owner Nik Wilker was walking with it on William St, Granville.
Mr Wilker, 25, was king-hit from behind and knocked unconscious.
When he woke up a short time later, Snowflake was gone.
After a week of fruitless searching, Mr Wilker has been reunited with his pet, thanks to The Parramatta Advertiser.
“I think it really was the big front page that brought her back,” he said.
“Someone must have seen that and thought ‘no, this dog is way too hot’, and just dumped it.”
Snowflake was found wandering in Ermington and was returned to the police station after a reader recognised her from the story.
Mr Wilker is overjoyed to have his favourite pet back.
“I couldn’t believe it, we were jumping up and down ... I’m nothing but happy,” he said.
Originally from Germany, Mr Wilker has lived in Australia for 2 1/2 years and in Granville for only six months.
He was walking Snowflake back from the off-leash dog park in Glen St, Granville, about 4.40pm.
He walked up William St and crossed the road between The Avenue and Lumley St, when he was attacked.
Mr Wilker said he remembered seeing a black Barina but his memory was blank after that.
Police said despite William St being a busy road, no one saw the incident or even came to Mr Wilker’s aid.
“If there’s not even one witness, there’s not much the police can do,” Mr Wilker said.
He suffered cuts to his head, hands and knees and woke up with a sore face.
The theft of Snowflake was the latest in a string of dognappings in Sydney.
In a Parramatta dog park last Wednesday, a man approached the owners of a staffie and asked if they would like to earn money by putting their dog in fights.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Odin, German shepherd
Dog missing after Fairbanks fire found
by Sam Friedman, Fairbanks Daily News Miner
Jun 23, 2011
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FAIRBANKS — A dog that fled a burning downtown duplex was found safe a few miles away this week.
Odin, a 3-year old German shepherd, reportedly snarled at and then ran away from firefighters putting out a fire in an arctic entrance at a Wickersham Street building early Monday morning.
A tip from an animal control officer who saw Odin at a transfer station led the dog’s owner, Aron Lace, to find him about a mile up the Old Steese Highway later Monday.
The reunion was joyous, and it took no time for Odin to go back to his usual spot, Lace said.
“After about five seconds, he bolted into the back seat of my car,” he said.
Lace said he had received about 15 phone calls from people who had seen Odin or who wanted to offer their support.
Odin is named after the Norse god of war, magic and prophecy. Lace said he plans to breed Odin and name one of the male puppies Thor.
Source: http://newsminer.com/view/full_story/14441926/article-Dog-missing-after-Fairbanks-fire-found?instance=local_news
by Sam Friedman, Fairbanks Daily News Miner
Jun 23, 2011
After a stressful couple of days Aron Lace is thankful to be reunited with with his beloved Odin, shown together here Wednesday June 22, 2011.
FAIRBANKS — A dog that fled a burning downtown duplex was found safe a few miles away this week.
Odin, a 3-year old German shepherd, reportedly snarled at and then ran away from firefighters putting out a fire in an arctic entrance at a Wickersham Street building early Monday morning.
A tip from an animal control officer who saw Odin at a transfer station led the dog’s owner, Aron Lace, to find him about a mile up the Old Steese Highway later Monday.
The reunion was joyous, and it took no time for Odin to go back to his usual spot, Lace said.
“After about five seconds, he bolted into the back seat of my car,” he said.
Lace said he had received about 15 phone calls from people who had seen Odin or who wanted to offer their support.
Odin is named after the Norse god of war, magic and prophecy. Lace said he plans to breed Odin and name one of the male puppies Thor.
Source: http://newsminer.com/view/full_story/14441926/article-Dog-missing-after-Fairbanks-fire-found?instance=local_news
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Maynard, mastiff
Christmas Miracle! Dog re-united with Owner after 2 Years!
Posted on February 25, 2010 by admin
Maynard, an 8 year old Mastiff mix, was turned into the Erath County Humane Society shelter in Stephenville, Texas, 3 weeks before Christmas. He was very emaciated.
The shelter manager scanned the dog for a micochip and got a number. She tried to trace it via telephone, but didn’t have any luck for days. There just didn’t seem to be a record of the dog anywhere.
So she asked me (I’m the vice president of the Erath County Humane Society) if I can help her track down the owner online since the shelter doesn’t have a computer.
I managed to get a hit at the Austin TLAC Rescue Office. Thank you Kathryn!!! From then on the 2 Yahoo Groups (tlacrescue and centraltexasrescue) took over and before I knew it, there was more information available. What a networking! Thank you so much to everybody who got involved!
All traces ended with Charlyne’s Pound Puppies where Susan ended up finding a record of the microchip number, the date he was adopted out and to whom!
In the meantime, Maynard’s last day was nearing at the shelter. There is only so much room and funds available and Maynard was kept longer than usual already. So I decided to foster him at least over Christmas and try to find him a home. But it never came down to that.
Thanks to Susan who made a few phone calls, Maynard’s original owner called. She explained that she had gone through some hard times nearly three years back and had given the dog to her parents for a short while. Until then the dog had lived with them, slept in bed with her 2 children who grew up with him and loved him with all their hearts.
When the time came to retrieve the dog, he turned up missing. After months and months of putting out flyers and making endless phone calls, they presumed him dead. They believed that he must have eaten some of the poison the neighbor had put out for the coyotes.
So imagine when she received the phone call that her dog was found alive and well. A little bit thin, but that’s nothing that can’t be changed. What greater Christmas miracle is there?
So please, microchip your pets! Activate that chip too! Read the description that comes with the chip!
And also go to the next shelter, make a donation or adopt a pet if you happen to be planning to purchase one. Don’t buy – adopt! Too many pets are losing their homes in these hard times and the donations at the shelters are down. It’s the dogs and cats that are paying with their lives. They give us so much, it’s time to give back!
Happy Holidays!
Erath County Humane Society on petfinder: http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/TX1178.html
Source: http://adoptioniwau.org/adopt-a-pet-dog/christmas-miracle-dog-re-united-with-owner-after-2-years
Posted on February 25, 2010 by admin
Maynard, an 8 year old Mastiff mix, was turned into the Erath County Humane Society shelter in Stephenville, Texas, 3 weeks before Christmas. He was very emaciated.
The shelter manager scanned the dog for a micochip and got a number. She tried to trace it via telephone, but didn’t have any luck for days. There just didn’t seem to be a record of the dog anywhere.
So she asked me (I’m the vice president of the Erath County Humane Society) if I can help her track down the owner online since the shelter doesn’t have a computer.
I managed to get a hit at the Austin TLAC Rescue Office. Thank you Kathryn!!! From then on the 2 Yahoo Groups (tlacrescue and centraltexasrescue) took over and before I knew it, there was more information available. What a networking! Thank you so much to everybody who got involved!
All traces ended with Charlyne’s Pound Puppies where Susan ended up finding a record of the microchip number, the date he was adopted out and to whom!
In the meantime, Maynard’s last day was nearing at the shelter. There is only so much room and funds available and Maynard was kept longer than usual already. So I decided to foster him at least over Christmas and try to find him a home. But it never came down to that.
Thanks to Susan who made a few phone calls, Maynard’s original owner called. She explained that she had gone through some hard times nearly three years back and had given the dog to her parents for a short while. Until then the dog had lived with them, slept in bed with her 2 children who grew up with him and loved him with all their hearts.
When the time came to retrieve the dog, he turned up missing. After months and months of putting out flyers and making endless phone calls, they presumed him dead. They believed that he must have eaten some of the poison the neighbor had put out for the coyotes.
So imagine when she received the phone call that her dog was found alive and well. A little bit thin, but that’s nothing that can’t be changed. What greater Christmas miracle is there?
So please, microchip your pets! Activate that chip too! Read the description that comes with the chip!
And also go to the next shelter, make a donation or adopt a pet if you happen to be planning to purchase one. Don’t buy – adopt! Too many pets are losing their homes in these hard times and the donations at the shelters are down. It’s the dogs and cats that are paying with their lives. They give us so much, it’s time to give back!
Happy Holidays!
Erath County Humane Society on petfinder: http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/TX1178.html
Source: http://adoptioniwau.org/adopt-a-pet-dog/christmas-miracle-dog-re-united-with-owner-after-2-years
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Shady, German shepherd mix
Missing Area Dog Found 900 Miles Away In Texas, Flown Home
March 23, 2011
Shady, a German shepherd mix went missing back in January. She somehow traveled from her Brewton, Alabama, home across four states to south Texas. Found wondering the streets of Brownsville with a pack of stray dogs, Brownsville animal control officers located her microchip and were able to contact owner Jodie Wilson back in Alabama.
“Receiving the phone call was shocking, knowing exactly where she was at and how far away it was with her being unharmed was utterly amazing! After being gone for so long we just assumed the worst. This is a wild but amazing story,” Wilson said.
Danny Ritter, a volunteer with Pilots N Paws flew Shady from Houston to Brewton for a happy reunion.
“We will never know how she got that far but Jesus was traveling with her because he put his angels to work. Shady’s guardian angels have rescued her, sheltered her, arranged for her to come home, transported her, watched over her, donated money for her journey home, flew her home and cared for her while she was on her big adventure,” Wilson said.
And Wilson’s advice for other pet owners? “Microchip your pet, it works!”
Source: http://www.northescambia.com/?p=48795
March 23, 2011
An Escambia County, Alabama, dog is back home today after being found 900 miles away in Brownsville, Texas
Shady, a German shepherd mix went missing back in January. She somehow traveled from her Brewton, Alabama, home across four states to south Texas. Found wondering the streets of Brownsville with a pack of stray dogs, Brownsville animal control officers located her microchip and were able to contact owner Jodie Wilson back in Alabama.
“Receiving the phone call was shocking, knowing exactly where she was at and how far away it was with her being unharmed was utterly amazing! After being gone for so long we just assumed the worst. This is a wild but amazing story,” Wilson said.
Danny Ritter, a volunteer with Pilots N Paws flew Shady from Houston to Brewton for a happy reunion.
“We will never know how she got that far but Jesus was traveling with her because he put his angels to work. Shady’s guardian angels have rescued her, sheltered her, arranged for her to come home, transported her, watched over her, donated money for her journey home, flew her home and cared for her while she was on her big adventure,” Wilson said.
 |
| Members of Shady’s family met her at the Brewton Airport after she was flown back from Texas |
Source: http://www.northescambia.com/?p=48795
Friday, June 24, 2011
Baxter, miniature poodle
Man Reunited With Lost Dog After 5 Years
Puppy Left Brevard Crash Site; Microchip Prompts Reunion
Rick Neale
June 23, 2011
MELBOURNE, Fla. -- Confused in the darkness after the violent crash, Baxter the puppy bolted from the back seat and vanished from view in a wooded area near Port St. John in 2005.
The purebred poodle's gravely injured owner, Craig Kline, had just wrecked and totaled his Nissan Maxima on the night before Thanksgiving at the western terminus of the Port St. John Parkway.
Kline suffered a broken neck, and he was flown by helicopter to Holmes Regional Center in Melbourne. As years passed, he gave up hope of ever seeing his lost pet again.
But 66 months later, Kline received a jaw-dropping phone call. Someone had picked up Baxter from a roadside and dropped him off at the Central Brevard Humane Society animal shelter in Cocoa, Local 6 News partner Florida Today reported.
Man and dog were reunited May 10. Kline's new wife, Kim, said Baxter recognized his former master right away.
"Oh, I'm ecstatic. He's a great dog," Craig Kline said. "He's well-behaved and well-adjusted. He's a member of our family."
Baxter was lucky: Workers at the Cocoa shelter had scanned him with an electronic wand, detecting the tiny microchip embedded between his shoulder blades. That's how he was identified.
Theresa Clifton, CBHS executive director, said the miniature poodle's wayfaring tale serves as a cautionary lesson for Space Coast pet owners -- particularly during hurricane season.
"It just takes a minute. It's just like a shot," Clifton said of microchip implants. "You can't feel it. You can't find it inside your pet. Once it's inserted, you don't even know that it's there."
After hurricanes Frances and Jeanne hammered Brevard County in September 2004, Clifton said her shelter took in about 100 extra homeless, unidentified animals.
And most Gulf Coast evacuees never saw their pets again after Hurricane Katrina, she said, because their beloved critters "were scattered to the four corners."
"For 25 bucks, you can get your dog back -- even after five years," she said.
Slightly larger than the size of a grain of rice, microchips provide access to owners' names, addresses and phone numbers, which are listed in a national database.
During an interview at the Klines' Melbourne home, Baxter bounded across furniture, wagged his tail and licked Florida Today personnel, wearing a camouflage neckerchief. He leaned on Craig Kline's shin while he scratched his floppy ears.
Baxter was named after Ron Burgundy's dog in the movie "Anchorman" -- the one that was kicked off the side of a bridge by Jack Black.
"He's very mellow. Super friendly. Very playful. A little shy," Kim Kline said. "He gets along with kids, adults and other animals."
Craig Kline, a 26-year Air Force reservist, is an aircraft maintenance worker at Patrick Air Force Base. He paid $1,200 for Baxter in 2005, owned him for less than a month before the crash, and had no clue of his whereabouts during his hiatus.
On May 10, someone spotted Baxter wandering along the roadside near Grissom Parkway and Fay Boulevard in Mims and took him to the shelter. Aside from a matted coat, he was in good health, Craig Kline said.
"We think he was probably running around for quite a while," he said.
Clifton said Kline's 5.5-year reunion with Baxter is the longest she's aware of at her shelter.
About three years ago, Clifton said a Texas family vacationing in Brevard got in a wreck on Interstate 95, and their German Shepherd wandered off. The dog showed up at the CBHS shelter a couple months later, and his microchip led to his safe return home.
Michael McFarland, Brevard County animal services and enforcement director, estimated microchips are 98 percent accurate. His enforcement officers scan strays that are picked up in the field, in hopes of locating the owner before transport to the shelter.
McFarland said shelter workers also scan unclaimed dogs and cats one final time before euthanizing them.
"Believe me, it's cheap insurance to get your animal back," he said.
Source: http://www.clickorlando.com/family/28330069/detail.html
Printer-friendly version here
Another version of the story with video: http://www.lifewithdogs.tv/2011/06/lost-dog-found-after-five-years-on-the-run/
Puppy Left Brevard Crash Site; Microchip Prompts Reunion
Rick Neale
June 23, 2011
MELBOURNE, Fla. -- Confused in the darkness after the violent crash, Baxter the puppy bolted from the back seat and vanished from view in a wooded area near Port St. John in 2005.
 |
| Video at: http://bcove.me/5003criu |
The purebred poodle's gravely injured owner, Craig Kline, had just wrecked and totaled his Nissan Maxima on the night before Thanksgiving at the western terminus of the Port St. John Parkway.
Kline suffered a broken neck, and he was flown by helicopter to Holmes Regional Center in Melbourne. As years passed, he gave up hope of ever seeing his lost pet again.
But 66 months later, Kline received a jaw-dropping phone call. Someone had picked up Baxter from a roadside and dropped him off at the Central Brevard Humane Society animal shelter in Cocoa, Local 6 News partner Florida Today reported.
Man and dog were reunited May 10. Kline's new wife, Kim, said Baxter recognized his former master right away.
"Oh, I'm ecstatic. He's a great dog," Craig Kline said. "He's well-behaved and well-adjusted. He's a member of our family."
Baxter was lucky: Workers at the Cocoa shelter had scanned him with an electronic wand, detecting the tiny microchip embedded between his shoulder blades. That's how he was identified.
Theresa Clifton, CBHS executive director, said the miniature poodle's wayfaring tale serves as a cautionary lesson for Space Coast pet owners -- particularly during hurricane season.
"It just takes a minute. It's just like a shot," Clifton said of microchip implants. "You can't feel it. You can't find it inside your pet. Once it's inserted, you don't even know that it's there."
After hurricanes Frances and Jeanne hammered Brevard County in September 2004, Clifton said her shelter took in about 100 extra homeless, unidentified animals.
And most Gulf Coast evacuees never saw their pets again after Hurricane Katrina, she said, because their beloved critters "were scattered to the four corners."
"For 25 bucks, you can get your dog back -- even after five years," she said.
Slightly larger than the size of a grain of rice, microchips provide access to owners' names, addresses and phone numbers, which are listed in a national database.
During an interview at the Klines' Melbourne home, Baxter bounded across furniture, wagged his tail and licked Florida Today personnel, wearing a camouflage neckerchief. He leaned on Craig Kline's shin while he scratched his floppy ears.
Baxter was named after Ron Burgundy's dog in the movie "Anchorman" -- the one that was kicked off the side of a bridge by Jack Black.
"He's very mellow. Super friendly. Very playful. A little shy," Kim Kline said. "He gets along with kids, adults and other animals."
Craig Kline, a 26-year Air Force reservist, is an aircraft maintenance worker at Patrick Air Force Base. He paid $1,200 for Baxter in 2005, owned him for less than a month before the crash, and had no clue of his whereabouts during his hiatus.
On May 10, someone spotted Baxter wandering along the roadside near Grissom Parkway and Fay Boulevard in Mims and took him to the shelter. Aside from a matted coat, he was in good health, Craig Kline said.
"We think he was probably running around for quite a while," he said.
Clifton said Kline's 5.5-year reunion with Baxter is the longest she's aware of at her shelter.
About three years ago, Clifton said a Texas family vacationing in Brevard got in a wreck on Interstate 95, and their German Shepherd wandered off. The dog showed up at the CBHS shelter a couple months later, and his microchip led to his safe return home.
Michael McFarland, Brevard County animal services and enforcement director, estimated microchips are 98 percent accurate. His enforcement officers scan strays that are picked up in the field, in hopes of locating the owner before transport to the shelter.
McFarland said shelter workers also scan unclaimed dogs and cats one final time before euthanizing them.
"Believe me, it's cheap insurance to get your animal back," he said.
Source: http://www.clickorlando.com/family/28330069/detail.html
Printer-friendly version here
Another version of the story with video: http://www.lifewithdogs.tv/2011/06/lost-dog-found-after-five-years-on-the-run/
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Ginger, shepherd mix
Epileptic Girl Reunited With Missing Dog
Dog Found Thanks To Microchip, Good Samaritan
Isis Romero, KSAT 12 News Reporter
Monday, June 20, 2011
SAN ANTONIO -- It's been a difficult past few months for Rosalia Gallegos, 10, after searching tirelessly for her missing dog, Ginger.
Gallegos, who suffers from epilepsy, said she had not experienced a seizure in two years, thanks in part to her dog.
However, after burglars broke into her home and allowed Ginger to get out, the seizures returned.
"I have a feeling in my heart that she's alive and trying to find her way home," Rosalia said in January. "I want Ginger to come home."
On Monday morning, Rosalia finally got her wish, as Ginger was returned home to her, safe and sound.
According to the girl's mother, Lydia Barrientos, Ginger had been under the care of someone who found her several months ago, and was living just four miles away.
After the person took Ginger to get spayed, the dog's microchip revealed its true owner.
"The person that found her took her to the vet, and they scanned her, so the microchip said that she had been reported missing," Barrientos said. "I called the man who had her, and he agreed to meet me after work to return Ginger."
As for Rosalia's epileptic seizures, Barrientos said they disappeared once again after the family got another dog a few months ago. The family said they will now keep both dogs.
Source: http://www.ksat.com/news/28300722/detail.html
Printer-friendly version here
Video at: http://www.ksat.com/video/28303076/index.html
Previous story at: http://www.ksat.com/news/26629790/detail.html
Dog Found Thanks To Microchip, Good Samaritan
Isis Romero, KSAT 12 News Reporter
Monday, June 20, 2011
SAN ANTONIO -- It's been a difficult past few months for Rosalia Gallegos, 10, after searching tirelessly for her missing dog, Ginger.
 |
| Watch the video at: http://www.ksat.com/video/28303076/index.html |
Gallegos, who suffers from epilepsy, said she had not experienced a seizure in two years, thanks in part to her dog.
However, after burglars broke into her home and allowed Ginger to get out, the seizures returned.
"I have a feeling in my heart that she's alive and trying to find her way home," Rosalia said in January. "I want Ginger to come home."
On Monday morning, Rosalia finally got her wish, as Ginger was returned home to her, safe and sound.
According to the girl's mother, Lydia Barrientos, Ginger had been under the care of someone who found her several months ago, and was living just four miles away.
After the person took Ginger to get spayed, the dog's microchip revealed its true owner.
"The person that found her took her to the vet, and they scanned her, so the microchip said that she had been reported missing," Barrientos said. "I called the man who had her, and he agreed to meet me after work to return Ginger."
As for Rosalia's epileptic seizures, Barrientos said they disappeared once again after the family got another dog a few months ago. The family said they will now keep both dogs.
Source: http://www.ksat.com/news/28300722/detail.html
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Video at: http://www.ksat.com/video/28303076/index.html
Previous story at: http://www.ksat.com/news/26629790/detail.html
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Gretchen, senior dog
Senior Dog Lost For 12 Days Reunited With Owner
Gretchen, 13-Year-Old Dog, Recovers From Ordeal
by Barbara A. Besteni, Managing Editor, Local10.com
June 21, 2011
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Next time someone refers to one of our four-legged friends as "just a dog," you may want to share this with them.
Last week, Local10.com brought you the story of Terry Knight and Gloria Sajnaj, two women who had been searching for Sajnaj's 13-year-old dog, Gretchen, since she wandered off several days earlier.
When a neighbor claimed to have seen Gretchen, Knight and Sajnaj began papering the area with fliers.
That’s when Robert Creston, a supervisor of the city's Code Compliance Division, flagged down Knight's car and told her he was taking down all the signs because they were in violation of the city’s code.
When we posted the story on Local 10’s Facebook page, viewers were outraged at the city’s insensitivity, considering that Knight had provided Local 10 with dozens of photos of code violations the city had ignored while ripping down the lost dog signs.
Gretchen was lost in West Palm Beach last week week. After 12 days, she was reunited with her owner.
On Wednesday, animal advocates who had heard of Sajnaj’s plight attended the mayor’s monthly meeting and pleaded on her behalf.
On Thursday, Knight received the following note from Dianne Sauve, the director of Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control:
“I spoke with the City and they have agreed to review their policies on flyers for lost dogs and/or cats. I believe you can safely post now!"
Meanwhile, the reward for Gretchen’s return increased to $600 from people who came forward and wanted to help.
With renewed faith and strength, Knight and Sajnaj resumed their search for Gretchen.
On Monday morning, Knight sent Local 10 a note saying that Gretchen had been found. And although she was in pretty bad shape after 12 days of being on her own, Gretchen was responding to treatment and was expected to go home after a couple of days of recuperating at a veterinary clinic.
“When Gloria found Gretchen, she was under a bush by the railroad tracks just about 50 feet from the street," Knight wrote. "It was evident that had she not been found, that is where she would die."
Knight also she received dozens of calls from people who wanted to help pay Gretchen’s veterinary bills.
On Tuesday morning, we received an e-mail with a new photo of Gretchen.
“I am so happy to share this picture with you of sweet little Gretchen - just home after her ordeal on the street and in the ER," Knight wrote.
Both Knight and Sajnaj thank everyone who came together to make this miracle happen.
“Gosh, and I guess we should thank Robert Creston -- the code compliance officer -- for taking down posters which got the publicity to begin with," she added.
And so this story has a happy ending.
I guess you could say it's just another miracle that started with just another dog.
Source: http://www.local10.com/furryfriends/28305700/detail.html
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Gretchen, 13-Year-Old Dog, Recovers From Ordeal
by Barbara A. Besteni, Managing Editor, Local10.com
June 21, 2011
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Next time someone refers to one of our four-legged friends as "just a dog," you may want to share this with them.
Last week, Local10.com brought you the story of Terry Knight and Gloria Sajnaj, two women who had been searching for Sajnaj's 13-year-old dog, Gretchen, since she wandered off several days earlier.
When a neighbor claimed to have seen Gretchen, Knight and Sajnaj began papering the area with fliers.
That’s when Robert Creston, a supervisor of the city's Code Compliance Division, flagged down Knight's car and told her he was taking down all the signs because they were in violation of the city’s code.
When we posted the story on Local 10’s Facebook page, viewers were outraged at the city’s insensitivity, considering that Knight had provided Local 10 with dozens of photos of code violations the city had ignored while ripping down the lost dog signs.
Gretchen was lost in West Palm Beach last week week. After 12 days, she was reunited with her owner.
On Wednesday, animal advocates who had heard of Sajnaj’s plight attended the mayor’s monthly meeting and pleaded on her behalf.
On Thursday, Knight received the following note from Dianne Sauve, the director of Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control:
“I spoke with the City and they have agreed to review their policies on flyers for lost dogs and/or cats. I believe you can safely post now!"
Meanwhile, the reward for Gretchen’s return increased to $600 from people who came forward and wanted to help.
With renewed faith and strength, Knight and Sajnaj resumed their search for Gretchen.
On Monday morning, Knight sent Local 10 a note saying that Gretchen had been found. And although she was in pretty bad shape after 12 days of being on her own, Gretchen was responding to treatment and was expected to go home after a couple of days of recuperating at a veterinary clinic.
“When Gloria found Gretchen, she was under a bush by the railroad tracks just about 50 feet from the street," Knight wrote. "It was evident that had she not been found, that is where she would die."
Knight also she received dozens of calls from people who wanted to help pay Gretchen’s veterinary bills.
On Tuesday morning, we received an e-mail with a new photo of Gretchen.
“I am so happy to share this picture with you of sweet little Gretchen - just home after her ordeal on the street and in the ER," Knight wrote.
Both Knight and Sajnaj thank everyone who came together to make this miracle happen.
“Gosh, and I guess we should thank Robert Creston -- the code compliance officer -- for taking down posters which got the publicity to begin with," she added.
And so this story has a happy ending.
I guess you could say it's just another miracle that started with just another dog.
Source: http://www.local10.com/furryfriends/28305700/detail.html
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Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Marley, pit
Marley returns home after a year
Wellington dog back after rough adventure
Stacey Wood, Dominion Post
June 9, 2011
HOMEWARD BOUND: Marley, who had been missing for a year, is recovering and putting on weight at the SPCA before going home with owner Hinetaapora Moko-Mead.
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A microchip has helped reunite a lost dog with her family, a year after she went missing.
Wellington SPCA's animal rescue unit found Marley running around in traffic on State Highway 2 near Petone on Sunday, and took her to the SPCA base in Newtown.
SPCA senior inspector Ben Lakomy said Marley was extremely underweight and in a "pretty rough" condition.
Thanks to a microchip the size of a grain of rice, the SPCA was able to find Marley's owner, who had last seen her about a year ago.
Mr Lakomy said: "We rang some of the neighbours first, just to make sure she hadn't been at that address when she got into that condition, but they said they hadn't seen her there for ages."
When he rang Marley's owner in Porirua, Hinetaapora Moko-Mead, she was overjoyed. "They were very, very shocked to get a call from us, they were over the moon, and quite emotional when they came in."
Miss Moko-Mead said she had found Marley as a seven-month-old stray and taken her in. "We took her to the SPCA but then we decided to keep her.
"We paid a lot of money and got her vaccinations done, and got her microchipped and everything, and then a year ago she ran away.
"We looked everywhere for her, rang around, drove around looking."
Marley was wearing a collar with her name and phone number on it when she went missing, along with the microchip.
Marley had given birth during the year she was missing, and Miss Moko-Mead said that might indicate the dog had been stolen. Mr Lakomy said Marley was the kind of dog that might have been kept to breed fighting dogs.
The family's other dog, Rocky, would be pleased, Miss Moko-Mead said. "They're around the same age, so they're best friends, and he was quite depressed when she went missing."
Mr Lakomy said the SPCA had not found any puppies near where Marley turned up. Anyone who had seen a similar-looking dog lately was asked to contact the SPCA.
Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/5118480/Marley-returns-home-after-a-year
More pictures at: http://www.wellingtonspca.org.nz/news/topics/media/
Wellington dog back after rough adventure
Stacey Wood, Dominion Post
June 9, 2011
HOMEWARD BOUND: Marley, who had been missing for a year, is recovering and putting on weight at the SPCA before going home with owner Hinetaapora Moko-Mead.
A microchip has helped reunite a lost dog with her family, a year after she went missing.
Wellington SPCA's animal rescue unit found Marley running around in traffic on State Highway 2 near Petone on Sunday, and took her to the SPCA base in Newtown.
SPCA senior inspector Ben Lakomy said Marley was extremely underweight and in a "pretty rough" condition.
Thanks to a microchip the size of a grain of rice, the SPCA was able to find Marley's owner, who had last seen her about a year ago.
Mr Lakomy said: "We rang some of the neighbours first, just to make sure she hadn't been at that address when she got into that condition, but they said they hadn't seen her there for ages."
When he rang Marley's owner in Porirua, Hinetaapora Moko-Mead, she was overjoyed. "They were very, very shocked to get a call from us, they were over the moon, and quite emotional when they came in."
Miss Moko-Mead said she had found Marley as a seven-month-old stray and taken her in. "We took her to the SPCA but then we decided to keep her.
"We paid a lot of money and got her vaccinations done, and got her microchipped and everything, and then a year ago she ran away.
"We looked everywhere for her, rang around, drove around looking."
Marley was wearing a collar with her name and phone number on it when she went missing, along with the microchip.
Marley had given birth during the year she was missing, and Miss Moko-Mead said that might indicate the dog had been stolen. Mr Lakomy said Marley was the kind of dog that might have been kept to breed fighting dogs.
The family's other dog, Rocky, would be pleased, Miss Moko-Mead said. "They're around the same age, so they're best friends, and he was quite depressed when she went missing."
Mr Lakomy said the SPCA had not found any puppies near where Marley turned up. Anyone who had seen a similar-looking dog lately was asked to contact the SPCA.
Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/5118480/Marley-returns-home-after-a-year
More pictures at: http://www.wellingtonspca.org.nz/news/topics/media/
Monday, June 20, 2011
George, staffie
Facebark campaign helps collar dog thief
Nick Ralston
June 14, 2011
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It had only just gone dark when George, a three-year-old blue Staffie, was stolen in a brazen dognapping at a busy Kings Cross intersection.
A friend of his owner Nahji Chu had taken George for a short walk and tied him to a pole while she used the ATM on the corner of Bayswater and Darlinghurst roads. A minute later she turned back and he was gone - the latest victim in a spate of dognappings.
An elderly woman watched as a tall, bald man with his right arm in plaster untied George's leash and walked off with him about 5pm last Friday.
It sparked a two-day hunt across the inner city for George, with 20 people on foot and thousands of posters offering a $4000 reward.
A Facebook group spreading the word about George's theft attracted 900 supporters and by Sunday night #findGeorge was the top trending topic on Twitter in Sydney.
The good news for Ms Chu came yesterday morning when police spotted George walking with a man fitting the description of the alleged thief in Redfern. She had received a number of tip-offs from strangers that he was in that area.
''It just goes to show that there are [criminals] out there but they are not going to get away with crime when there is social media like there is today. It's quite a powerful tool, Facebook,'' she said.
George is not the only Staffie to be a target of dognappers recently. Shannon Bavister from Wilton had her two Staffies, Mack and Mia, taken from her backyard on Saturday. She went straight to the police after she returned home and found her gate closed but both dogs gone. They have not been found.
Asked if the dogs were being taken to be sold, used to breed or in illegal dogfights, one Staffie breeder said: ''It's a little bit of everything.''
Last Wednesday, at a dog park in Parramatta, Staffie owners were approached by a man asking if they would like to earn money by entering their dog in fights.
At Bligh Park, a Staffie named Elvis disappeared only days after he had found a home. He was returned to his owner when a woman, who had bought the dog from a man outside a nearby shopping plaza for $300, saw a ''missing'' poster.
Source:
http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/facebark-campaign-helps-collar-dog-thief-20110613-1g0j9.html
Nick Ralston
June 14, 2011
Hot dog ... George back with his owner, Nahji Chu
It had only just gone dark when George, a three-year-old blue Staffie, was stolen in a brazen dognapping at a busy Kings Cross intersection.
A friend of his owner Nahji Chu had taken George for a short walk and tied him to a pole while she used the ATM on the corner of Bayswater and Darlinghurst roads. A minute later she turned back and he was gone - the latest victim in a spate of dognappings.
An elderly woman watched as a tall, bald man with his right arm in plaster untied George's leash and walked off with him about 5pm last Friday.
It sparked a two-day hunt across the inner city for George, with 20 people on foot and thousands of posters offering a $4000 reward.
A Facebook group spreading the word about George's theft attracted 900 supporters and by Sunday night #findGeorge was the top trending topic on Twitter in Sydney.
The good news for Ms Chu came yesterday morning when police spotted George walking with a man fitting the description of the alleged thief in Redfern. She had received a number of tip-offs from strangers that he was in that area.
''It just goes to show that there are [criminals] out there but they are not going to get away with crime when there is social media like there is today. It's quite a powerful tool, Facebook,'' she said.
George is not the only Staffie to be a target of dognappers recently. Shannon Bavister from Wilton had her two Staffies, Mack and Mia, taken from her backyard on Saturday. She went straight to the police after she returned home and found her gate closed but both dogs gone. They have not been found.
Asked if the dogs were being taken to be sold, used to breed or in illegal dogfights, one Staffie breeder said: ''It's a little bit of everything.''
Last Wednesday, at a dog park in Parramatta, Staffie owners were approached by a man asking if they would like to earn money by entering their dog in fights.
At Bligh Park, a Staffie named Elvis disappeared only days after he had found a home. He was returned to his owner when a woman, who had bought the dog from a man outside a nearby shopping plaza for $300, saw a ''missing'' poster.
Source:
http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/facebark-campaign-helps-collar-dog-thief-20110613-1g0j9.html
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Joey, Australian shepherd
Sun Lakes woman gets stolen dog, car back
Posted: 06/18/2011
By: Mike Pelton
SUN LAKES, AZ - A Sun Lakes woman said she’s still in shock after thieves stole both her car and dog this week.
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Carol Denmead spent Saturday with her 12-year-old dog, Joey, after going more than a day without him.
“It’s just [a] shock,” she said. “I’ve been kind of in shock for two days.”
Denmead said she left her car running with Joey inside on Thursday, as she ran into a nearby Walgreens to buy some ice cream. When she came out of the store, her car was gone.
“At first I thought I must have forgotten where I parked or something,” she said.
Authorities arrested three people in connection with the crime. Police were able to find the car Thursday, but the dog was nowhere to be found.
“He’s been all I have,” Denmead said. “He’s my only reason for getting up in the morning.”
Denmead said she received a call Friday, with a woman informing her they found Joey. The dog was reportedly wandering around in the far east Valley.
“They could have taken my car,” Denmead said of the suspects. “I want my puppy. I want my Joey.”
Denmead told ABC15 Joey is in good health, but has needed a lot of rest.
Source: http://www.abc15.com/dpp/news/region_southeast_valley/chandler/sun-lakes-woman-gets-stolen-dog,-car-back
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Posted: 06/18/2011
By: Mike Pelton
SUN LAKES, AZ - A Sun Lakes woman said she’s still in shock after thieves stole both her car and dog this week.
Carol Denmead spent Saturday with her 12-year-old dog, Joey, after going more than a day without him.
“It’s just [a] shock,” she said. “I’ve been kind of in shock for two days.”
Denmead said she left her car running with Joey inside on Thursday, as she ran into a nearby Walgreens to buy some ice cream. When she came out of the store, her car was gone.
“At first I thought I must have forgotten where I parked or something,” she said.
Authorities arrested three people in connection with the crime. Police were able to find the car Thursday, but the dog was nowhere to be found.
“He’s been all I have,” Denmead said. “He’s my only reason for getting up in the morning.”
Denmead said she received a call Friday, with a woman informing her they found Joey. The dog was reportedly wandering around in the far east Valley.
“They could have taken my car,” Denmead said of the suspects. “I want my puppy. I want my Joey.”
Denmead told ABC15 Joey is in good health, but has needed a lot of rest.
Source: http://www.abc15.com/dpp/news/region_southeast_valley/chandler/sun-lakes-woman-gets-stolen-dog,-car-back
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Saturday, June 18, 2011
Rocco, beagle
Dog gone! Lost beagle back after 5 years, 850 miles
Rocco’s owner is now 11; ‘I was scared I’d never see him again,’ she says
By Bob Considine, TODAY.com contributor
7/16/2008
Five years ago, a heartbroken 5-year-old girl from Queens, N.Y., was hanging posters for the return of her lost beagle. Today, after years of wishes, little Natalie Villacis has been miraculously reunited with her beloved dog Rocco after he resurfaced some 850 miles away in Georgia — proving that every dog owner can have their day.
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“I was actually scared that I was never going to see him again,” the now 11-year-old Natalie told TODAY’s Ann Curry on Wednesday. “I literally said, ‘I will probably never see him again.’ ”
Cristina Villacis, Natalie’s mother, said the family was shocked to get a call last week from a shelter in Hinesville, Ga., informing them that their long-lost pup had been found after half a decade. Thanks to a microchip implanted in the dog, an effective form of permanent identification, Natalie’s greatest hopes had been realized.
To help fill the aching void left by Rocco, the family got another dog a year after the disappearance — Bonita, a poodle from Ecuador. But even another wagging tail in the household could not fully erase Natalie’s
heartache. “She got over it, but she was always wishful that he’d come back,” Cristina Villacis said. “She’d always make wishes.”
A surprise call
Although she was barely a pup herself at the time, Natalie had no problem remembering the joy of getting a new puppy named Rocco.
“I was really excited,” she told Curry.
But one fateful day in 2003, after just two months in the Villacis household, the beagle slipped under a fence and ran off.
The family searched high and low, checked with neighbors and local authorities and posted flyers. But the only thing that remained of Rocco was his little red toy — and the memory of the joy he brought Natalie.
“She was very devastated,” Cristina said. “She kept his toy. She had a scrapbook with his picture.”
Then, on July 5, while Natalie was at a block party, the family received a call from Liberty County, Ga, Animal Control.
“We were so surprised,” Cristina said. “At first, of course, we thought, ‘It’s the wrong dog. It can’t be.’ But I think the turning point
was when they said, ‘His name is Rocco.’
Right there, we said, ‘OK, it’s ours.’ ”
When her mom told her the amazing news, Natalie just “cried hysterically,” Cristina said.
“She actually wanted to go to Georgia to pick him up, but the ride back was too long.”
A long leash
Natalie’s father, Jorge, and older brother, Nick, flew down to Georgia to pick up Rocco and drove the dog back home in a rental car.
“I was so choked up when I saw him,” Nick said. “It was a very nice moment, just to see him. He was doing well. He looked well-kept.”
Randy Durrence, supervisor at Liberty County, Ga., Animal Control, said Rocco had only a cut under his left eye and a spot behind one ear to show for his years on the road when he was brought in by someone who found him at a local military base. After the dog was scanned for a microchip, which Durrence says is “normal procedure,” he gladly made the call to the Villacis household.
“[Jorge] said he had been missing for five years,” Durrence said. “My understanding is that [Natalie] ran off into the bathroom and started crying right away. She is a real animal lover.”
How Rocco actually got all the way to Georgia from New York remains a mystery.
“Somebody must have taken him there; I onestly don’t think he walked there,” Cristina said with a laugh. “It’s OK, as long as we have him back.”
Durrence said no one came to claim the dog before the Villacis family, and that no one called to report this type of dog missing. But whoever it was that looked after Rocco over five long years has the lifelong gratitude of a little girl in Queens.
“Too bad we couldn’t meet them or see them,” Natalie said wistfully.
Source: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/25700149/ns/today-today_pets_and_animals/t/dog-gone-lost-beagle-back-after-years-miles/#
Printer-friendly version here
Another version of the story is at: http://stilespoints.blogspot.com/2008/07/lost-dog-returns-after-six-years.html
Rocco’s owner is now 11; ‘I was scared I’d never see him again,’ she says
By Bob Considine, TODAY.com contributor
7/16/2008
Five years ago, a heartbroken 5-year-old girl from Queens, N.Y., was hanging posters for the return of her lost beagle. Today, after years of wishes, little Natalie Villacis has been miraculously reunited with her beloved dog Rocco after he resurfaced some 850 miles away in Georgia — proving that every dog owner can have their day.
“I was actually scared that I was never going to see him again,” the now 11-year-old Natalie told TODAY’s Ann Curry on Wednesday. “I literally said, ‘I will probably never see him again.’ ”
Cristina Villacis, Natalie’s mother, said the family was shocked to get a call last week from a shelter in Hinesville, Ga., informing them that their long-lost pup had been found after half a decade. Thanks to a microchip implanted in the dog, an effective form of permanent identification, Natalie’s greatest hopes had been realized.
To help fill the aching void left by Rocco, the family got another dog a year after the disappearance — Bonita, a poodle from Ecuador. But even another wagging tail in the household could not fully erase Natalie’s
heartache. “She got over it, but she was always wishful that he’d come back,” Cristina Villacis said. “She’d always make wishes.”
A surprise call
Although she was barely a pup herself at the time, Natalie had no problem remembering the joy of getting a new puppy named Rocco.
“I was really excited,” she told Curry.
But one fateful day in 2003, after just two months in the Villacis household, the beagle slipped under a fence and ran off.
The family searched high and low, checked with neighbors and local authorities and posted flyers. But the only thing that remained of Rocco was his little red toy — and the memory of the joy he brought Natalie.
“She was very devastated,” Cristina said. “She kept his toy. She had a scrapbook with his picture.”
Then, on July 5, while Natalie was at a block party, the family received a call from Liberty County, Ga, Animal Control.
“We were so surprised,” Cristina said. “At first, of course, we thought, ‘It’s the wrong dog. It can’t be.’ But I think the turning point
was when they said, ‘His name is Rocco.’
Right there, we said, ‘OK, it’s ours.’ ”
When her mom told her the amazing news, Natalie just “cried hysterically,” Cristina said.
“She actually wanted to go to Georgia to pick him up, but the ride back was too long.”
A long leash
Natalie’s father, Jorge, and older brother, Nick, flew down to Georgia to pick up Rocco and drove the dog back home in a rental car.
“I was so choked up when I saw him,” Nick said. “It was a very nice moment, just to see him. He was doing well. He looked well-kept.”
Randy Durrence, supervisor at Liberty County, Ga., Animal Control, said Rocco had only a cut under his left eye and a spot behind one ear to show for his years on the road when he was brought in by someone who found him at a local military base. After the dog was scanned for a microchip, which Durrence says is “normal procedure,” he gladly made the call to the Villacis household.
“[Jorge] said he had been missing for five years,” Durrence said. “My understanding is that [Natalie] ran off into the bathroom and started crying right away. She is a real animal lover.”
How Rocco actually got all the way to Georgia from New York remains a mystery.
“Somebody must have taken him there; I onestly don’t think he walked there,” Cristina said with a laugh. “It’s OK, as long as we have him back.”
Durrence said no one came to claim the dog before the Villacis family, and that no one called to report this type of dog missing. But whoever it was that looked after Rocco over five long years has the lifelong gratitude of a little girl in Queens.
“Too bad we couldn’t meet them or see them,” Natalie said wistfully.
Source: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/25700149/ns/today-today_pets_and_animals/t/dog-gone-lost-beagle-back-after-years-miles/#
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Another version of the story is at: http://stilespoints.blogspot.com/2008/07/lost-dog-returns-after-six-years.html
Friday, June 17, 2011
Daphne, pit bull mix
Joplin Family Finds Lost Dog on Petango
Susan Arts, Pethealth Inc
06/03/11
OAKVILLE, ONTARIO -- While most Americans spent last Sunday celebrating the Memorial Day long weekend, thanks to online pet portal Petango.com, one family was engaged in a very different kind of celebration-an emotional reunion with their family pet Daphne, a handsome Pit Bull mix who went missing following the tornado in Joplin, Missouri.
"We looked for her for a whole week," says Whitney Williams of Joplin, MO. "We went to the Joplin Humane Society every day so I wasn't really looking on Petango but then on Sunday I got the feeling I should try, and there she was."
Although the majority of displaced pets brought to the shelter remain in the care of the Joplin Humane Society, Daphne was brought in by a concerned citizen who chose to keep the distraught dog with her rather than leave her in a kennel.
Daphne's information and picture were uploaded onto Petango.com, and the dog went home with her rescuer. Although Petango.com typically features adoptable pets, via its live feed from animal management software PetPoint, it is uniquely able to create lost pet pages, such as the listing created for lost pets following the Tuscaloosa tornadoes.
In this case, Petango.com developed a page specifically for displaced pets in the care of Joplin Humane Society to improve the chances for successful reunification with pet owners.
"I knew it was her in the picture," says Williams. "But when I went to the Joplin Humane Society warehouse she wasn't there, so one of the staff took her ID number from the Petango profile and looked her up in the system. It came back saying she was in foster."
Once back at the shelter, Daphne bolted from the vehicle into the outstretched arms of her waiting family.
"We've been working nonstop for days so it was a great feeling to realize all that hard work is really paying off and we can make a difference for people and their pets."
In addition to assisting the search, Ortega has offered to supply Daphne with a 24Petwatch microchip to protect her against future loss. As part of a coordinated effort to reduce strays, pets adopted from organizations using PetPoint and Petango are automatically microchipped through the 24Petwatch microchip program. Once registered, the contact information associated with the unique microchip ID is used to notify the owner if the pet becomes lost and is found.
About Petango.com, ThePetangoStore.com and 24Petwatch Microchip ID
Susan Arts, Pethealth Inc
06/03/11
OAKVILLE, ONTARIO -- While most Americans spent last Sunday celebrating the Memorial Day long weekend, thanks to online pet portal Petango.com, one family was engaged in a very different kind of celebration-an emotional reunion with their family pet Daphne, a handsome Pit Bull mix who went missing following the tornado in Joplin, Missouri.
"We looked for her for a whole week," says Whitney Williams of Joplin, MO. "We went to the Joplin Humane Society every day so I wasn't really looking on Petango but then on Sunday I got the feeling I should try, and there she was."
Although the majority of displaced pets brought to the shelter remain in the care of the Joplin Humane Society, Daphne was brought in by a concerned citizen who chose to keep the distraught dog with her rather than leave her in a kennel.
Daphne's information and picture were uploaded onto Petango.com, and the dog went home with her rescuer. Although Petango.com typically features adoptable pets, via its live feed from animal management software PetPoint, it is uniquely able to create lost pet pages, such as the listing created for lost pets following the Tuscaloosa tornadoes.
In this case, Petango.com developed a page specifically for displaced pets in the care of Joplin Humane Society to improve the chances for successful reunification with pet owners.
"I knew it was her in the picture," says Williams. "But when I went to the Joplin Humane Society warehouse she wasn't there, so one of the staff took her ID number from the Petango profile and looked her up in the system. It came back saying she was in foster."
Once back at the shelter, Daphne bolted from the vehicle into the outstretched arms of her waiting family.
"Seeing Daphne reunited with her family was wonderful," says Jorge Ortega, Emergency Responder and Regional Director, Shelter Outreach at Pethealth Inc., who assisted Williams when looking for her dog.
"We've been working nonstop for days so it was a great feeling to realize all that hard work is really paying off and we can make a difference for people and their pets."
In addition to assisting the search, Ortega has offered to supply Daphne with a 24Petwatch microchip to protect her against future loss. As part of a coordinated effort to reduce strays, pets adopted from organizations using PetPoint and Petango are automatically microchipped through the 24Petwatch microchip program. Once registered, the contact information associated with the unique microchip ID is used to notify the owner if the pet becomes lost and is found.
"Get your dog microchipped and never give up looking," says Williams. "We didn't give up and now we are so happy to have her back."
For a family that lost everything in the tornado, Daphne's return has provided a measure of comfort and closure as they prepare to move back to Chicago where friends and relatives can help them start anew.
About Petango.com, ThePetangoStore.com and 24Petwatch Microchip ID
- Petango.com is the only adoptable search site that exclusively uses live animal data feeds from over 1,650 animal welfare organizations and offers a wide range of content-rich options for potential adopters, shelters and anyone who wants to learn more about pet adoption. It is the one-stop destination for anyone looking to adopt a pet from an animal welfare organization and participate in an interactive, social networking pet lovers' community in North America. It is also the exclusive provider of Petango Petmatch™ through which potential adopters can search for pets that match their personality based on lifestyle and preferences.
- ThePetangoStore.com is the place to shop for pets and help save homeless pets with a percentage of every purchase donated back to the animal shelter of the shopper's choice. ThePetangoStore.com offers a full range of discounted pet medications and pet supplies, including brand names such as Frontline, Advantage, Heartgard and K9 Advantix.
- 24Petwatch has been dedicated to the safety of cats and dogs since 2003. With a comprehensive line of exclusive products and services designed to enhance and protect the lives of companion animals, 24Petwatch gives pet owners and their pets access to health, happiness and peace of mind. If a lost pet is found with a collar tag, call 24Petwatch at 1-866-597-2424 immediately. A 24Petwatch lost pet recovery specialist will report the pet as found and contact the owner so they can be reunited with their pet. If there is no collar tag or if the tag is unreadable or scratched, found pets should be taken to the nearest animal shelter or veterinary clinic so the pet can be scanned for the presence of a microchip. For more information about 24Petwatch Microchip ID and 24Petwatch Insurance programs, visit http://www.24petwatch.com/.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Ellie, yellow lab
Dog that fled deadly wreck found
By Staff reports, the Charleston Gazette
June 11, 2011
MOUNT LOOKOUT, WVa. -- A dog that fled a wreck that left one of her owners dead earlier this month was found Saturday -- an hour before the woman's funeral service.
The dog, an 18-month-old yellow Labrador retriever named Ellie, was caught in a humane trap on "a little country road" in Mount Lookout near Summersville, said Christy Adkins, assistant manager of the Nicholas County Animal Shelter.
On June 1, Linda and Jim Booth were traveling from Hayesville NC, to Pennsylvania when their vehicle flipped near the intersection of US 19 and Mount Lookout Road in Nicholas County. They were traveling to a family reunion and to celebrate their 50th anniversary.
Linda Booth, 68, died at the scene. Her husband, 74, was taken to the hospital.
Last week, friends had said finding the dog would be crucial in helping the Booth family cope with their loss.
Jim Booth went to his wife's funeral Saturday knowing Ellie had been found, Adkins said. The dog will be returned to him Monday.
"She was caught an hour before [Linda Booth's] services," said Adkins, who credited the community with helping to find the dog. "It was wonderful."
The shelter staff had put some of Jim Booth's clothing articles in the trap so the scent would attract Ellie, Adkins said. They also sprinkled his cologne around the area.
Ellie had some cuts and scrapes, as well as an open wound on her side, Adkins said.
"The vet said it's going to heal," Adkins said.
Source: http://wvgazette.com/News/201106111068
By Staff reports, the Charleston Gazette
June 11, 2011
MOUNT LOOKOUT, WVa. -- A dog that fled a wreck that left one of her owners dead earlier this month was found Saturday -- an hour before the woman's funeral service.
The dog, an 18-month-old yellow Labrador retriever named Ellie, was caught in a humane trap on "a little country road" in Mount Lookout near Summersville, said Christy Adkins, assistant manager of the Nicholas County Animal Shelter.
On June 1, Linda and Jim Booth were traveling from Hayesville NC, to Pennsylvania when their vehicle flipped near the intersection of US 19 and Mount Lookout Road in Nicholas County. They were traveling to a family reunion and to celebrate their 50th anniversary.
Linda Booth, 68, died at the scene. Her husband, 74, was taken to the hospital.
Last week, friends had said finding the dog would be crucial in helping the Booth family cope with their loss.
Jim Booth went to his wife's funeral Saturday knowing Ellie had been found, Adkins said. The dog will be returned to him Monday.
"She was caught an hour before [Linda Booth's] services," said Adkins, who credited the community with helping to find the dog. "It was wonderful."
The shelter staff had put some of Jim Booth's clothing articles in the trap so the scent would attract Ellie, Adkins said. They also sprinkled his cologne around the area.
Ellie had some cuts and scrapes, as well as an open wound on her side, Adkins said.
"The vet said it's going to heal," Adkins said.
Source: http://wvgazette.com/News/201106111068
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Beast, chihuahua
Dane Cook uses Twitter to find lost dog
Beast goes missing in West Hollywood and comic gets help from social media
June 12, 2011
Social media to the rescue!
Comedian/actor Dane Cook took to Twitter on Saturday night in a panic after his beloved dog, Beast, went missing in West Hollywood, Calif.
“WestHollywood I need your help please. My dog Beast is missing in that area,” he tweeted on Saturday. “I’ve attached a pic. Email [address] if found.”
The “My Best Friend’s Girl” star added a photo of his missing companion before pleading for help, asking his Twitter followers to meet him at 1289 North Crescent Heights Blvd in West Hollywood to aid in the search.
“Thank you volunteers who are showing up! Here is another photo of Beast,” he later tweeted, with an additional picture of the adorable pooch.
Two hours later, Cook's mission was accomplished.
“We found Beast!!!! Thank you so so so much everyone for your help!!!!” he tweeted. “I am so happy right now!!!!!”
But there were those who used the opportunity for less kind purposes, and to them Cook tweeted, “And to everyone that said he was dead … you are sick f**ks.”
Source: info from many sources that will be available for a long time to come were combined in this story
Beast goes missing in West Hollywood and comic gets help from social media
June 12, 2011
Social media to the rescue!
Comedian/actor Dane Cook took to Twitter on Saturday night in a panic after his beloved dog, Beast, went missing in West Hollywood, Calif.
“WestHollywood I need your help please. My dog Beast is missing in that area,” he tweeted on Saturday. “I’ve attached a pic. Email [address] if found.”
The “My Best Friend’s Girl” star added a photo of his missing companion before pleading for help, asking his Twitter followers to meet him at 1289 North Crescent Heights Blvd in West Hollywood to aid in the search.
“Thank you volunteers who are showing up! Here is another photo of Beast,” he later tweeted, with an additional picture of the adorable pooch.
Two hours later, Cook's mission was accomplished.
“We found Beast!!!! Thank you so so so much everyone for your help!!!!” he tweeted. “I am so happy right now!!!!!”
But there were those who used the opportunity for less kind purposes, and to them Cook tweeted, “And to everyone that said he was dead … you are sick f**ks.”
Source: info from many sources that will be available for a long time to come were combined in this story
Monday, June 13, 2011
Dante, pomeranian
After 5 Years The Phone Finally Rings!
Posted By: Todd Wackford, Granite Bay, CA
6/2/2011
Five years ago, I purchased a cute 10 week old Pomeranian puppy for my 16 year old daughter as we had moved into a new place. I thought a new little buddy would help the transition and keep her from being lonely. She named him Dante. He followed her around like the proverbial puppy he was. They were inseparable.
A few weeks later, my Daughter let the dog out into the back yard when she took a shower. When she got out, she went to let Dante back into the house but he was gone. The gardeners had opened the gate to mow the back lawn and he slipped away when they were not looking. After a lot of tears and searching of the neighborhood, we did the normal reward posters and waited for the phone to ring, but nothing. A couple of weeks later, I got out the papers he came with and registered his chip online with HomeAgain.
Time went by and we would often see other Pom's and think about where he might be. I even would look at online pet placement blogs just to see if I'd spot him. I never did. Then today June 1, 2011, I got a text message from my daughter: "Call me ASAP". I called right away and she was ecstatically screaming "They found him! They found Dante!” Apparently he was found in a field and brought to the animal shelter in Sacramento. They wanded him and found the chip which led to the call!
My Daughter is now 21 and moved into her own house just last weekend. And now she has the little fuzzy pal I bought five years ago to keep her from being lonely in a new place. Dante is back Home Again.......
Source: http://foundpets.homeagain.com/after-5-years-the-phone-finally-rings!.aspx
Posted By: Todd Wackford, Granite Bay, CA
6/2/2011
Five years ago, I purchased a cute 10 week old Pomeranian puppy for my 16 year old daughter as we had moved into a new place. I thought a new little buddy would help the transition and keep her from being lonely. She named him Dante. He followed her around like the proverbial puppy he was. They were inseparable.
A few weeks later, my Daughter let the dog out into the back yard when she took a shower. When she got out, she went to let Dante back into the house but he was gone. The gardeners had opened the gate to mow the back lawn and he slipped away when they were not looking. After a lot of tears and searching of the neighborhood, we did the normal reward posters and waited for the phone to ring, but nothing. A couple of weeks later, I got out the papers he came with and registered his chip online with HomeAgain.
Time went by and we would often see other Pom's and think about where he might be. I even would look at online pet placement blogs just to see if I'd spot him. I never did. Then today June 1, 2011, I got a text message from my daughter: "Call me ASAP". I called right away and she was ecstatically screaming "They found him! They found Dante!” Apparently he was found in a field and brought to the animal shelter in Sacramento. They wanded him and found the chip which led to the call!
My Daughter is now 21 and moved into her own house just last weekend. And now she has the little fuzzy pal I bought five years ago to keep her from being lonely in a new place. Dante is back Home Again.......
Source: http://foundpets.homeagain.com/after-5-years-the-phone-finally-rings!.aspx
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Ivory, Great Pyrenees
Dog finds eventual adoptive family 54 miles from animal shelter
Sheltered dog escapes and is saved
By Matt Cozzi
Created: Saturday, June 11, 2011
WOODSTOCK – Michelle Moberg held back tears. She’d worked with animals almost her entire life, but never had she experienced anything like this past week.
The Helping Paws kennel assistant was both upbeat and emotional Friday afternoon as a month-plus search for one of the animal shelter’s dogs came to a close after a family in Wisconsin decided to adopt the hound.
That dog is Ivory, a white Great Pyrenees mixed breed that ran away from Helping Paws on May 7 and was found 54 miles away in Mukwonago, Wis.
Helping Paws staff said they could recall one other dog who got away previously, but in that instance, the dog already had been adopted and was with a family.
“[Ivory’s] the only one that’s [ran away] and traveled as far as he has,” Moberg said. “He got pretty far. … I’d looked for Ivory for hours and hours, put ads around McHenry County. I thought we’d never hear anything.”
Ivory’s trek eventually led him to the Minors Homestead neighborhood in Mukwonago, where Karen Broncatti, whose family has two dogs and two cats, first interacted with their furry friend 2½ weeks ago.
“We would be on walks, and [Ivory] would follow us home,” Broncatti said. “Every morning, he’d be lying on the front yard, waiting for us to come out and play. We started to feed him, and got closer and closer, and finally, we were able to put a leash over his head [on Wednesday].
Moberg was able to connect with the Broncatti family through the Wisconsin Lost Dogs organization about a week ago, drove up to Mukwonago when Ivory was finally secured with a leash just three days ago, and took Ivory back to Helping Paws that same day.
Little did Moberg know, Ivory eventually would return to Mukwonago. This time, though, with a new owner.
“[The Broncattis] called me Thursday morning and said they wanted their dog back,” Moberg said. “I sent them pre-adopt information, they sent it back later in the day, and came back [Friday] to get him.”
Karen Broncatti and her son, Corey, 10, arrived at Helping Paws on Friday, elated to bring their now-third dog back home.
As the Broncatti family, Ivory and Moberg embraced one final time before heading back home, Karen Broncatti summed up Ivory’s journey.
“After driving this distance, I don’t know how Ivory ended up at our house,” Broncatti said, “but it must be for a good reason.
“He picked us.”
Source: http://www.nwherald.com/2011/06/10/dog-finds-eventual-adoptive-family-54-miles-from-animal-shelter/ae4iex6/
Video: http://ssm.nwherald.com/video/3912/sheltered-dog-escapes-and-is-saved/
Another version of the story at: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-talk-dog-home-06-11-20110610,0,4195267.story
Sheltered dog escapes and is saved
By Matt Cozzi
Created: Saturday, June 11, 2011
Ivory is a dog that ran away to Wisconsin from Helping Paws in Woodstock. The Broncatti family eventually found the dog and traveled to Helping Paws to officially adopt the dog on Friday.
WOODSTOCK – Michelle Moberg held back tears. She’d worked with animals almost her entire life, but never had she experienced anything like this past week.
The Helping Paws kennel assistant was both upbeat and emotional Friday afternoon as a month-plus search for one of the animal shelter’s dogs came to a close after a family in Wisconsin decided to adopt the hound.
That dog is Ivory, a white Great Pyrenees mixed breed that ran away from Helping Paws on May 7 and was found 54 miles away in Mukwonago, Wis.
Helping Paws staff said they could recall one other dog who got away previously, but in that instance, the dog already had been adopted and was with a family.
“[Ivory’s] the only one that’s [ran away] and traveled as far as he has,” Moberg said. “He got pretty far. … I’d looked for Ivory for hours and hours, put ads around McHenry County. I thought we’d never hear anything.”
Ivory’s trek eventually led him to the Minors Homestead neighborhood in Mukwonago, where Karen Broncatti, whose family has two dogs and two cats, first interacted with their furry friend 2½ weeks ago.
“We would be on walks, and [Ivory] would follow us home,” Broncatti said. “Every morning, he’d be lying on the front yard, waiting for us to come out and play. We started to feed him, and got closer and closer, and finally, we were able to put a leash over his head [on Wednesday].
Moberg was able to connect with the Broncatti family through the Wisconsin Lost Dogs organization about a week ago, drove up to Mukwonago when Ivory was finally secured with a leash just three days ago, and took Ivory back to Helping Paws that same day.
Little did Moberg know, Ivory eventually would return to Mukwonago. This time, though, with a new owner.
“[The Broncattis] called me Thursday morning and said they wanted their dog back,” Moberg said. “I sent them pre-adopt information, they sent it back later in the day, and came back [Friday] to get him.”
Karen Broncatti and her son, Corey, 10, arrived at Helping Paws on Friday, elated to bring their now-third dog back home.
 |
| Cory Broncatti, 10, fed and nurtured Ivory when the dog wandered into the boy's yard |
As the Broncatti family, Ivory and Moberg embraced one final time before heading back home, Karen Broncatti summed up Ivory’s journey.
“After driving this distance, I don’t know how Ivory ended up at our house,” Broncatti said, “but it must be for a good reason.
“He picked us.”
Source: http://www.nwherald.com/2011/06/10/dog-finds-eventual-adoptive-family-54-miles-from-animal-shelter/ae4iex6/
Video: http://ssm.nwherald.com/video/3912/sheltered-dog-escapes-and-is-saved/
Another version of the story at: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-talk-dog-home-06-11-20110610,0,4195267.story
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Rinty, Lakeland terrier
Tug of love battle over lost dog
By Allan Tunningley
9:00am Thursday 9th June 2011
A pet puppy which disappeared four years ago has been reunited with its original owners after a ‘tug of love’ court battle.
Rinty the terrier vanished in January 2007 when she was just eight months’ old, leaving the Beaty family, of Troutbeck, distraught.
Mum Pamela Beaty, husband Brian and kids Victoria and James spent months putting up posters around the area and notifying vets about their missing pet.
After hearing nothing, they eventually gave up hope of ever seeing Rinty again.
Then out of the blue Mrs Beaty received a letter from the pet-chipping company Anibase saying someone had applied to have the details on the terrier’s chip changed.
It was four years, two months and three days after she went missing. But the family’s anxious wait for Rinty’s return was to go agonisingly on for several more weeks. Mrs Beaty said: “We were delighted to know that Rinty was still alive, but Anibase said they could not reveal who had her because of the Data Protection Act.”
She said Cumbria Police traced Rinty but at first said they could not help as it was a civil matter.
But after three weeks, they relented and revealed Rinty was living with David and Karen Akister in Allithwaite.
They knew her as Tess, a name given by her previous owner, who had died.
Mrs Beaty wrote to the couple asking for Rinty back; but the Akisters – who had looked after the terrier since last December – refused.
In papers submitted to Kendal County Court, they said the previous owner - named only as Debbie - had bought the terrier in good faith through a shop advert at eight months old.
Last Wednesday, a judge at Kendal County Court agreed with the Beatys – and Rinty was returned.
Mrs Beaty said: “It’s been an emotional time but it’s wonderful to have her back. She soon settled in and resp-onded to her name again.”
Mr Akister said: “My wife and I are both devastated.”
Source: http://www.thewestmorlandgazette.co.uk/news/9072151.Tug_of_love_battle_over_lost_dog/
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By Allan Tunningley
9:00am Thursday 9th June 2011
A pet puppy which disappeared four years ago has been reunited with its original owners after a ‘tug of love’ court battle.
 |
| Rinty, from the DogLost website when she was first posted in 2007 |
Rinty the terrier vanished in January 2007 when she was just eight months’ old, leaving the Beaty family, of Troutbeck, distraught.
Mum Pamela Beaty, husband Brian and kids Victoria and James spent months putting up posters around the area and notifying vets about their missing pet.
After hearing nothing, they eventually gave up hope of ever seeing Rinty again.
Then out of the blue Mrs Beaty received a letter from the pet-chipping company Anibase saying someone had applied to have the details on the terrier’s chip changed.
It was four years, two months and three days after she went missing. But the family’s anxious wait for Rinty’s return was to go agonisingly on for several more weeks. Mrs Beaty said: “We were delighted to know that Rinty was still alive, but Anibase said they could not reveal who had her because of the Data Protection Act.”
She said Cumbria Police traced Rinty but at first said they could not help as it was a civil matter.
But after three weeks, they relented and revealed Rinty was living with David and Karen Akister in Allithwaite.
They knew her as Tess, a name given by her previous owner, who had died.
Mrs Beaty wrote to the couple asking for Rinty back; but the Akisters – who had looked after the terrier since last December – refused.
In papers submitted to Kendal County Court, they said the previous owner - named only as Debbie - had bought the terrier in good faith through a shop advert at eight months old.
Last Wednesday, a judge at Kendal County Court agreed with the Beatys – and Rinty was returned.
Mrs Beaty said: “It’s been an emotional time but it’s wonderful to have her back. She soon settled in and resp-onded to her name again.”
Mr Akister said: “My wife and I are both devastated.”
Source: http://www.thewestmorlandgazette.co.uk/news/9072151.Tug_of_love_battle_over_lost_dog/
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Friday, June 10, 2011
Lily, yorkie
Dog in ad featuring $2,000 reward found
By Jessica Cilella, RedEye redeyechicago.com
June 2, 2011
Lily, a 5-year-old Yorkie that went missing last month and was featured in full-page RedEye ad offering a $2,000 reward has been found.
Anna Kumis, a Chicago resident who was watching the dog for her parents while they were out of town, said she received a call May 28 from a couple who said they found Lily. Kumis declined to say whether she paid the $2,000 reward.
They spotted the dog sitting outside their garage near the intersection of Grand and Ashland Avenues -- about a mile and a half from where Lily slipped out of her collar while taking a stroll with a dog walker.
The couple called the police, but then the husband recalled seeing missing Yorkie signs on Grand Avenue and went to pick one up, Kumis said. Shortly after his wife called Kumis with a description of the lost dog.
"She explained that [Lily] also had a little ponytail in her hair, so right away I figured that it was her, it had to be her, because my mom puts a little band [on her head] to keep the hair out of her eyes," Kumis said.
Kumis said the little dog wasn't the same when she was reunited with her owners.
"She was off. She had definitely been traumatized," Kumis said. "I think that she was just so exhausted and had been through so much that she wasn't naturally herself."
Kumis' parents took Lily back to their home in Darien and had her checked at a veterinarian, who said the dog was in good health aside from her torn up paws.
Kumis said she was grateful for everyone who helped in the search.
"I had amazing calls from really good people, and a ton of people who saw the ad in the RedEye that wanted to help," Kumis said. "I got an overwhelming response."
"We really appreciate their love and support and prayers," she added. "It was awesome just to experience meeting really good people, complete strangers that wanted to help."
Source: http://www.redeyechicago.com/news/ct-red-chicago-dog-found-20110602,0,6409818.story
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By Jessica Cilella, RedEye redeyechicago.com
June 2, 2011
Lily, a 5-year-old Yorkie that went missing last month and was featured in full-page RedEye ad offering a $2,000 reward has been found.
Anna Kumis, a Chicago resident who was watching the dog for her parents while they were out of town, said she received a call May 28 from a couple who said they found Lily. Kumis declined to say whether she paid the $2,000 reward.
They spotted the dog sitting outside their garage near the intersection of Grand and Ashland Avenues -- about a mile and a half from where Lily slipped out of her collar while taking a stroll with a dog walker.
The couple called the police, but then the husband recalled seeing missing Yorkie signs on Grand Avenue and went to pick one up, Kumis said. Shortly after his wife called Kumis with a description of the lost dog.
"She explained that [Lily] also had a little ponytail in her hair, so right away I figured that it was her, it had to be her, because my mom puts a little band [on her head] to keep the hair out of her eyes," Kumis said.
Kumis said the little dog wasn't the same when she was reunited with her owners.
"She was off. She had definitely been traumatized," Kumis said. "I think that she was just so exhausted and had been through so much that she wasn't naturally herself."
Kumis' parents took Lily back to their home in Darien and had her checked at a veterinarian, who said the dog was in good health aside from her torn up paws.
Kumis said she was grateful for everyone who helped in the search.
"I had amazing calls from really good people, and a ton of people who saw the ad in the RedEye that wanted to help," Kumis said. "I got an overwhelming response."
"We really appreciate their love and support and prayers," she added. "It was awesome just to experience meeting really good people, complete strangers that wanted to help."
Source: http://www.redeyechicago.com/news/ct-red-chicago-dog-found-20110602,0,6409818.story
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Thursday, June 9, 2011
Tuesday, Yorkshire Terrier
Tuesday's Tale of Terror!
Told by Melissa Quillan To Lost Dogs Found
June 8, 2011
While visiting my mom in Luray, Virginia over the Memorial Day weekend, our Yorkshire terrier “Tuesday” decided to go for a walk on her own. She slipped through the front door that wasn’t shut all the way. This was Sunday evening around 6pm.
Within 20 minutes of her being gone, our search had begun. Within the first hour, we had almost 10 people looking. We had fliers printed, and we posted the search on Facebook. We did not find her that first night.
Monday morning we began our Craigslist posts on all of the Virginia cities. We listed her in both the Lost & Found sections and the Pets sections. By Monday afternoon, I had resolved that someone probably had her. The passage of time without her and not knowing where she could be was excruciating, as anyone who has experience this can understand.
Finally, on Wednesday evening, I received a phone call. It was an amazing call that I will never, ever forget! It was from a woman that said she knew who had our dog! Here’s what she told me:
She said that she lives and works in Washington DC, which is about and hour and 45 min away from Luray. It seems that someone that she works with that was visiting the area over the weekend had “found” a yorkie.
Being a doggie mommy, she had asked her co-worker if the dog had tags. He responded that the little dog had a name tag, but that it didn’t have any numbers on it, so they decided to bring the dog home with them. (Tuesday’s tag had not only her name, but two cell phone numbers listed.)
The woman knew that a dog like the one her co-worker described must have a family missing her, and it was sounding as if the man wasn’t concerning himself with the dog’s family that might be looking everywhere for her. So this wonderful woman went in search of lost dog ads on Craigslist, and found one of our many ads.
Early on Thursday morning, she gave him our contact info. Surprise, surprise – he told her a story that the dog had run out on him just the night before. How about that!
So she provided me with his contact information, and I called and spoke with him. He was very vague about the details of where she was lost from, and that’s when I contacted the police.
I didn’t know precisely where he was located when I contacted Fairfax City police Dept, but I had the good fortune to get a wonderful officer on the line, and she instructed me in just how to speak to him and what to say to increase the pressure on the man when I called him back. She said that if the man didn’t return the dog to me within 24 hours, they were going to put a trace on his cell phone to locate him. She was great!
I tried calling him, but he never picked up my calls. I then contacted his coworker that had called us, and shared my suspicions with her that he had our dog and wanted to keep her, and the fact that I had filed a police report. The coworker decided to reveal what she knew to management in their company. The great people there that she spoke with realized that this was becoming a legal matter that would have him charged with felony theft if he didn’t give up the dog. They sent him home for the day to resolve it.
I received a call from the guy's wife saying that they had “found” our missing dog, after all.
I set up a time and location to pick her up and we got her later that night. They had purchased a new collar, leash and treats for her. When they returned her they gave us all the things they had bought. They even tried to make us feel bad by saying their kids were SO upset that they had to give her back. (I guess they have thought carefully about what they want to teach their kids about right v wrong.)
I will credit us getting our dog back to the courageous coworker/doggie mommy that knew in her heart that our girl had a family looking for her, and to my friends that tirelessly called shelters and rescue groups to get the word out.
We are shaken by what happened, as we believe that this man picked our dog up from as close to home as the corner of the next door neighbor’s yard, but we are so very happy to have her home!
Told by Melissa Quillan To Lost Dogs Found
June 8, 2011
While visiting my mom in Luray, Virginia over the Memorial Day weekend, our Yorkshire terrier “Tuesday” decided to go for a walk on her own. She slipped through the front door that wasn’t shut all the way. This was Sunday evening around 6pm.
Within 20 minutes of her being gone, our search had begun. Within the first hour, we had almost 10 people looking. We had fliers printed, and we posted the search on Facebook. We did not find her that first night.
Monday morning we began our Craigslist posts on all of the Virginia cities. We listed her in both the Lost & Found sections and the Pets sections. By Monday afternoon, I had resolved that someone probably had her. The passage of time without her and not knowing where she could be was excruciating, as anyone who has experience this can understand.
Finally, on Wednesday evening, I received a phone call. It was an amazing call that I will never, ever forget! It was from a woman that said she knew who had our dog! Here’s what she told me:
She said that she lives and works in Washington DC, which is about and hour and 45 min away from Luray. It seems that someone that she works with that was visiting the area over the weekend had “found” a yorkie.
Being a doggie mommy, she had asked her co-worker if the dog had tags. He responded that the little dog had a name tag, but that it didn’t have any numbers on it, so they decided to bring the dog home with them. (Tuesday’s tag had not only her name, but two cell phone numbers listed.)
The woman knew that a dog like the one her co-worker described must have a family missing her, and it was sounding as if the man wasn’t concerning himself with the dog’s family that might be looking everywhere for her. So this wonderful woman went in search of lost dog ads on Craigslist, and found one of our many ads.
Early on Thursday morning, she gave him our contact info. Surprise, surprise – he told her a story that the dog had run out on him just the night before. How about that!
So she provided me with his contact information, and I called and spoke with him. He was very vague about the details of where she was lost from, and that’s when I contacted the police.
I didn’t know precisely where he was located when I contacted Fairfax City police Dept, but I had the good fortune to get a wonderful officer on the line, and she instructed me in just how to speak to him and what to say to increase the pressure on the man when I called him back. She said that if the man didn’t return the dog to me within 24 hours, they were going to put a trace on his cell phone to locate him. She was great!
I tried calling him, but he never picked up my calls. I then contacted his coworker that had called us, and shared my suspicions with her that he had our dog and wanted to keep her, and the fact that I had filed a police report. The coworker decided to reveal what she knew to management in their company. The great people there that she spoke with realized that this was becoming a legal matter that would have him charged with felony theft if he didn’t give up the dog. They sent him home for the day to resolve it.
I received a call from the guy's wife saying that they had “found” our missing dog, after all.
I set up a time and location to pick her up and we got her later that night. They had purchased a new collar, leash and treats for her. When they returned her they gave us all the things they had bought. They even tried to make us feel bad by saying their kids were SO upset that they had to give her back. (I guess they have thought carefully about what they want to teach their kids about right v wrong.)
I will credit us getting our dog back to the courageous coworker/doggie mommy that knew in her heart that our girl had a family looking for her, and to my friends that tirelessly called shelters and rescue groups to get the word out.
We are shaken by what happened, as we believe that this man picked our dog up from as close to home as the corner of the next door neighbor’s yard, but we are so very happy to have her home!
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Katie in Hyattsville MD
Catching Katie!
Submitted by Liam Hughes, Director of Animal Control Field Services, Washington Humane Society
Saturday, June 4th, 2011
For almost a week, Katie had been seen all over the park near her new home and visiting all of the other dogs nearby. Over the past 6 days since Katie went missing we received nearly a dozen calls reporting her whereabouts. A small army of WHS volunteers, most from our PACK program (People & Animal Cardio Klub) and some of her friends from the shelter including Penny (Who is still searching for a home of her own) went to go see if they could find her but by the time someone arrived, she was gone.
Scott Giacoppo and I started to look at the maps of all her sightings and we both figured where Katie was hanging out in. We consulted with one the nation’s top organizations for finding lost pets, The Missing Pet Partnership and with their help we devised a search strategy.
Today, Saturday, June 4th, 2011, I decided to take my sidekick Blazer who has the good habit of finding new dog friends where ever he goes. So with his search harness on we headed out and found a few deer paths that looked promising near where Katie was last seen. Walking through the heavy woods, full of mosquitoes, poison Ivy, more mosquitoes, thorn and sticker bushes, and even more mosquitoes we only found the tracks of deer, raccoons and surprised a few snakes that were not expecting us to be creeping around the woods. We found no dog tracks and nothing that gave us any hope.
We began our mile long walk back and stopped to speak to a few people and some university police officers that had not seen Katie, but promised they would call if they did she her. Blazer and I looked at the map again and decided to try the wooded area on the other side of the search area we were in so we filled up on water and drove off to the next area.
As we rounded the corner to Rosemary Lane, we noticed a woman looking at the lost flyer. When I stopped and asked if she seen Katie, the woman said “yes, she was just here 10 minutes ago. “ She was close! I decided to go back to the house she was just spotted at, and there she was, just sitting in the yard like it was her house!
Now there are 2 ways to catch a dog, you can chase the dog and try to wear it out, that’s the hard way. Dogs tend not to like you afterwards and get very stressed out. Not a good way of catching a dog and I wanted Katie to like me, so the better option was to slowly approach her and with many treats and being as non-threatening as possible. Ask any Animal Control Officer; they know how read what the animals are saying to them. Katie was telling me that she would stick around because I had food but not to get too close. So I laid down on the ground and started feeding her treats.
For about an hour I crawled on my hands and knees, and then slowly belly crawled closer and closer to her. As I inched up to her I never made eye contact with her, I was always looking past her or out of the corner of my eye. I made no sudden movements and even rolled over for her a few times, All the while being attacked by every gnat, fly and mosquito in the county. She realized I wasn’t there to hurt her so she laid there with me in the shade as I got closer.
When I was a foot away she started to sniff me and I began to scratch her under her muzzle. Katie was my friend then and there. I placed the lead around her neck and we slowly walked back to her new mom where Katie’s new harness and leash were put on and drove her back home to where she was finally able to be in her new home.
Katie had a lot of great people and neighbors looking out for her while she was out exploring, but stories like this don’t often get happy endings like Katie’s. Please make sure your pets are licensed and have register microchips. If your local Animal Control Officer does find your pet, they can get them home quickly.
Pet parents should also talk with trainers and make sure their pets know their names. If your pets are trained to come when called those rare times when they might push the gate open or they run past the UPS man, you have a better chance of getting them back inside. Blazer knows his name because we constantly train and positively reinforce the cool things he learns. Katie’s new mom is starting work on that right away and is just happy she is safe and starting her new life.
Katie’s new mom wants to send a big thank you to everyone involved in her search & rescue, and WHS wants to thank the Missing Pet Partnership for their assistance in developing a plan to catch Katie.
If you ever do lose your pet, please contact your animal control department immediately and file a report then visit www.missingpetpartnership.org for the most helpful tips and techniques.
Source: http://washhumane.typepad.com/blog/2011/06/catching-katie.html
Submitted by Liam Hughes, Director of Animal Control Field Services, Washington Humane Society
Saturday, June 4th, 2011
For almost a week, Katie had been seen all over the park near her new home and visiting all of the other dogs nearby. Over the past 6 days since Katie went missing we received nearly a dozen calls reporting her whereabouts. A small army of WHS volunteers, most from our PACK program (People & Animal Cardio Klub) and some of her friends from the shelter including Penny (Who is still searching for a home of her own) went to go see if they could find her but by the time someone arrived, she was gone.
 |
| Katie, after her capture, looking over at her friend! |
Scott Giacoppo and I started to look at the maps of all her sightings and we both figured where Katie was hanging out in. We consulted with one the nation’s top organizations for finding lost pets, The Missing Pet Partnership and with their help we devised a search strategy.
Today, Saturday, June 4th, 2011, I decided to take my sidekick Blazer who has the good habit of finding new dog friends where ever he goes. So with his search harness on we headed out and found a few deer paths that looked promising near where Katie was last seen. Walking through the heavy woods, full of mosquitoes, poison Ivy, more mosquitoes, thorn and sticker bushes, and even more mosquitoes we only found the tracks of deer, raccoons and surprised a few snakes that were not expecting us to be creeping around the woods. We found no dog tracks and nothing that gave us any hope.
We began our mile long walk back and stopped to speak to a few people and some university police officers that had not seen Katie, but promised they would call if they did she her. Blazer and I looked at the map again and decided to try the wooded area on the other side of the search area we were in so we filled up on water and drove off to the next area.
As we rounded the corner to Rosemary Lane, we noticed a woman looking at the lost flyer. When I stopped and asked if she seen Katie, the woman said “yes, she was just here 10 minutes ago. “ She was close! I decided to go back to the house she was just spotted at, and there she was, just sitting in the yard like it was her house!
Now there are 2 ways to catch a dog, you can chase the dog and try to wear it out, that’s the hard way. Dogs tend not to like you afterwards and get very stressed out. Not a good way of catching a dog and I wanted Katie to like me, so the better option was to slowly approach her and with many treats and being as non-threatening as possible. Ask any Animal Control Officer; they know how read what the animals are saying to them. Katie was telling me that she would stick around because I had food but not to get too close. So I laid down on the ground and started feeding her treats.
For about an hour I crawled on my hands and knees, and then slowly belly crawled closer and closer to her. As I inched up to her I never made eye contact with her, I was always looking past her or out of the corner of my eye. I made no sudden movements and even rolled over for her a few times, All the while being attacked by every gnat, fly and mosquito in the county. She realized I wasn’t there to hurt her so she laid there with me in the shade as I got closer.
When I was a foot away she started to sniff me and I began to scratch her under her muzzle. Katie was my friend then and there. I placed the lead around her neck and we slowly walked back to her new mom where Katie’s new harness and leash were put on and drove her back home to where she was finally able to be in her new home.
Katie had a lot of great people and neighbors looking out for her while she was out exploring, but stories like this don’t often get happy endings like Katie’s. Please make sure your pets are licensed and have register microchips. If your local Animal Control Officer does find your pet, they can get them home quickly.
Pet parents should also talk with trainers and make sure their pets know their names. If your pets are trained to come when called those rare times when they might push the gate open or they run past the UPS man, you have a better chance of getting them back inside. Blazer knows his name because we constantly train and positively reinforce the cool things he learns. Katie’s new mom is starting work on that right away and is just happy she is safe and starting her new life.
Katie’s new mom wants to send a big thank you to everyone involved in her search & rescue, and WHS wants to thank the Missing Pet Partnership for their assistance in developing a plan to catch Katie.
If you ever do lose your pet, please contact your animal control department immediately and file a report then visit www.missingpetpartnership.org for the most helpful tips and techniques.
Source: http://washhumane.typepad.com/blog/2011/06/catching-katie.html
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Shadow, shar pei chow mix
Days later, trooper pulls puppy from debris
By Travis Andersen, Globe Staff
June 5, 2011
Amid the devastation left in the wake of the tornadoes that ripped through central and western Massachusetts on Wednesday, a state trooper has brought a measure of joy to a family in one of the hardest hit towns.
State Police said in a statement that Trooper Brian Pearl rescued a 25-pound, dark brown Shar-Pei-Chow mix puppy from a collapsed home on Stewart Avenue in Monson on Saturday morning, three days after high winds sucked the dog from its home on a nearby street.
Pearl, 37, said in a phone interview today that he was on a looting prevention patrol when a woman on the street "waving frantically at me" prompted him to exit his cruiser. He said the woman told him she could hear a dog barking and whimpering under a collapsed roof nearby.
"You could see the dog had buried itself way in the debris under the roof," said Pearl, an 11-year veteran of the force. "He clearly didn't want to come out. He was petrified."
After neighbors failed to lure the dog out with food, Pearl said he retrieved a long pole from his cruiser used to rescue animals and crawled under the roof, hoping to corral the puppy in a loop at the end of the device. He wore elbow and kneepads to protect himself from the sharp objects that lined his path to the dog.
"There [were] nails, there was stuff everywhere," Pearl said. "All kinds of debris."
He said he was not hurt by the debris and pulled the dog out after it repeatedly slipped from the loop. Once freed, he said, the puppy, later identified as Shadow, went from a state of terror to one of elation.
"He was wagging his tail like crazy," Pearl said. "Once he came out, he was licking my hand ... he was laughing like crazy."
Pearl said the neighbors knew Shadow's owners, who live near the rescue site on an adjacent street. He said the owners, one of whom State Police identified as Audrey Carabetta, were soon reunited with Shadow, when a Monson police officer brought the dog to their home.
Pearl said he later saw the family in their driveway and watched as their other dog, an adult purebred Shar-Pei, bounded toward Shadow. "You could tell the dogs were happy to see each other," he said.
Pearl said Carabetta hugged him and that the whole family was thrilled to find Shadow alive. He said the family had been unable to bring Shadow down to their basement when the storm hit.
"They could hear [Shadow] barking" during the storm, he said.
Pearl said he was glad to rescue Shadow and provide a ray of hope to a family whose home was badly damaged, like nearly every home in the neighborhood.
"That's part of what we're doing out here, helping out the residents," he said. "Even something simple like that, it made my day, and it made their day."
Source: http://www.boston.com/community/pets/articles/2011/06/05/days_later_trooper_pulls_puppy_from_debris/
By Travis Andersen, Globe Staff
June 5, 2011
Amid the devastation left in the wake of the tornadoes that ripped through central and western Massachusetts on Wednesday, a state trooper has brought a measure of joy to a family in one of the hardest hit towns.
State Police said in a statement that Trooper Brian Pearl rescued a 25-pound, dark brown Shar-Pei-Chow mix puppy from a collapsed home on Stewart Avenue in Monson on Saturday morning, three days after high winds sucked the dog from its home on a nearby street.
Trooper Brian Pearl and Shadow
Pearl, 37, said in a phone interview today that he was on a looting prevention patrol when a woman on the street "waving frantically at me" prompted him to exit his cruiser. He said the woman told him she could hear a dog barking and whimpering under a collapsed roof nearby.
"You could see the dog had buried itself way in the debris under the roof," said Pearl, an 11-year veteran of the force. "He clearly didn't want to come out. He was petrified."
After neighbors failed to lure the dog out with food, Pearl said he retrieved a long pole from his cruiser used to rescue animals and crawled under the roof, hoping to corral the puppy in a loop at the end of the device. He wore elbow and kneepads to protect himself from the sharp objects that lined his path to the dog.
"There [were] nails, there was stuff everywhere," Pearl said. "All kinds of debris."
He said he was not hurt by the debris and pulled the dog out after it repeatedly slipped from the loop. Once freed, he said, the puppy, later identified as Shadow, went from a state of terror to one of elation.
"He was wagging his tail like crazy," Pearl said. "Once he came out, he was licking my hand ... he was laughing like crazy."
Pearl said the neighbors knew Shadow's owners, who live near the rescue site on an adjacent street. He said the owners, one of whom State Police identified as Audrey Carabetta, were soon reunited with Shadow, when a Monson police officer brought the dog to their home.
Pearl said he later saw the family in their driveway and watched as their other dog, an adult purebred Shar-Pei, bounded toward Shadow. "You could tell the dogs were happy to see each other," he said.
Pearl said Carabetta hugged him and that the whole family was thrilled to find Shadow alive. He said the family had been unable to bring Shadow down to their basement when the storm hit.
"They could hear [Shadow] barking" during the storm, he said.
Pearl said he was glad to rescue Shadow and provide a ray of hope to a family whose home was badly damaged, like nearly every home in the neighborhood.
"That's part of what we're doing out here, helping out the residents," he said. "Even something simple like that, it made my day, and it made their day."
Source: http://www.boston.com/community/pets/articles/2011/06/05/days_later_trooper_pulls_puppy_from_debris/
Monday, June 6, 2011
Lucy, golden retriever
Dog's Amazing Tale from Alden to Indiana and Back
By: Laura Lee
Posted at: 06/02/2011 11:46 PM
(ABC 6 NEWS) -- It's a kind of journey too coincidental to believe.
Lost for nearly a week, a golden retriever named Lucy ends up a couple states away and with the help of the Internet she returns home safely.
What started out as a typical day chasing birds and rabbits ended with Lucy, missing.
"I was upset obviously, I started asking everyone," says Amber Yaw, who has owned Lucy for over four years.
"We went all the way around here and on the freeway and I had a feeling she couldn't have died," says Patti Yaw.
That's because this golden retriever was already heading east.
"The guy that picked her up was headed from Washington state to Rochester, he stopped at the the truck stop in Alden, took her collar off and asked if they knew a dog named Lucy that was out on the freeway and they had no clue so they said I guess you have a riding buddy," says Bob Yaw.
From there, she was handed over to a dog lover who promised to find Lucy's owner. "And then where does she go she lives in Nashville, Indiana and that's where she went, " says Bob.
"There really wasn't much I could do, so I created a 'Help Lucy Find Her Way Home' Facebook page, " says Amber.
At this same time, the stranger from Indiana posted Lucy on Craigslist--- fortunately, someone was paying attention.
"Within an hour someone had written on the page that she had seen on Craigslist for the 27th of May a listing for a Lucy," says Amber.
"Had we not had the Internet, had Amber not done what she did, and had the person that took her (Lucy) not put it on Craigslist, I mean all these different things had to work together," says Patti.
"It ended up being Lucy, so I asked, when I can pick up her and she said I'm in Indiana, and I said come again," chuckles Amber as she recalls the conversation.
Just by chance, her parents Patti and Bob were in St. Louis, Missouri visiting friends and decided to make the detour to Indiana.
"And met her at a gas station and as soon as she drove up Lucy got out," says Bob, "that's lucy, she gave me a hug and wrapped her arms around me."
A reunion destined to happen.
"777 was the odometer reading to the mile, from there to here in the driveway, talk about meant to be," says Bob.
"It was serendipity, who would have ever thought we'd ever find her again," says Patti.
And having a sense of humor helps. "It's nice to have her back, and she's not leaving again, she's on probation and in prison from now on," jokes Patti.
The Yaw family says Lucy is still a little shaken up from the whole ordeal, but they expect her to be okay.
They want to thank all of those who had a hand with Lucy's return.
Source: http://kaaltv.com/article/stories/s2139760.shtml
Printer-friendly version and video here
Also see:
http://www.kimt.com/content/localnews/story/Alden-Dog-Reunites-With-Family-With-Help-From/mDBkyytAzk2RN1KEu1tf5g.cspx
and
http://www.albertleatribune.com/2011/06/02/internet-key-in-finding-lost-dog/
By: Laura Lee
Posted at: 06/02/2011 11:46 PM
(ABC 6 NEWS) -- It's a kind of journey too coincidental to believe.
Lost for nearly a week, a golden retriever named Lucy ends up a couple states away and with the help of the Internet she returns home safely.
What started out as a typical day chasing birds and rabbits ended with Lucy, missing.
"I was upset obviously, I started asking everyone," says Amber Yaw, who has owned Lucy for over four years.
"We went all the way around here and on the freeway and I had a feeling she couldn't have died," says Patti Yaw.
That's because this golden retriever was already heading east.
"The guy that picked her up was headed from Washington state to Rochester, he stopped at the the truck stop in Alden, took her collar off and asked if they knew a dog named Lucy that was out on the freeway and they had no clue so they said I guess you have a riding buddy," says Bob Yaw.
From there, she was handed over to a dog lover who promised to find Lucy's owner. "And then where does she go she lives in Nashville, Indiana and that's where she went, " says Bob.
"There really wasn't much I could do, so I created a 'Help Lucy Find Her Way Home' Facebook page, " says Amber.
At this same time, the stranger from Indiana posted Lucy on Craigslist--- fortunately, someone was paying attention.
"Within an hour someone had written on the page that she had seen on Craigslist for the 27th of May a listing for a Lucy," says Amber.
"Had we not had the Internet, had Amber not done what she did, and had the person that took her (Lucy) not put it on Craigslist, I mean all these different things had to work together," says Patti.
"It ended up being Lucy, so I asked, when I can pick up her and she said I'm in Indiana, and I said come again," chuckles Amber as she recalls the conversation.
Just by chance, her parents Patti and Bob were in St. Louis, Missouri visiting friends and decided to make the detour to Indiana.
"And met her at a gas station and as soon as she drove up Lucy got out," says Bob, "that's lucy, she gave me a hug and wrapped her arms around me."
A reunion destined to happen.
"777 was the odometer reading to the mile, from there to here in the driveway, talk about meant to be," says Bob.
"It was serendipity, who would have ever thought we'd ever find her again," says Patti.
And having a sense of humor helps. "It's nice to have her back, and she's not leaving again, she's on probation and in prison from now on," jokes Patti.
The Yaw family says Lucy is still a little shaken up from the whole ordeal, but they expect her to be okay.
They want to thank all of those who had a hand with Lucy's return.
Source: http://kaaltv.com/article/stories/s2139760.shtml
Printer-friendly version and video here
Also see:
http://www.kimt.com/content/localnews/story/Alden-Dog-Reunites-With-Family-With-Help-From/mDBkyytAzk2RN1KEu1tf5g.cspx
and
http://www.albertleatribune.com/2011/06/02/internet-key-in-finding-lost-dog/
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Annie, weimeraner
Lucky Dog Survives Train Hit, Two Days In The Wild
McKay Allen | KXLY4 Reporter
June 2, 2011
CHENEY, Wash. -- Is it a miracle? Or just one lucky dog?
Two Fridays ago Scott Jensen's dogs Annie and Buddy went out to play on the family's property near the Cheney-Spokane road.
"They run together a lot," Jensen says.
A few hours passed and Buddy returned. Annie didn't.
Immediately that concerned Jensen. "The fact that he came back without the female obviously something had happened to her."
He called all the neighbors, then got on his ATV and looked all day Saturday, Sunday and Monday morning.
"There was no sign," he says.
Was she hit by a car? Attacked by a predator? Or, perhaps, hit by one of the trains that pass about a half mile from the Jensen home?
"Two different times with binoculars I scanned the tracks, no sign, no sign of her."
The weekend came and went, over 48 passed, and by Monday hope that Annie would ever come home was gone.
"It got me down, the [other dog] was depressed, my wife was stressed out. I actually went to the office and starting looking for a new dog for us," Jensen recalls.
But then, perhaps, a miracle. On a whim Scott Jensen's wife called a vet in Cheney. That vet had an injured dog matching Annie's description. The dog had been brought in the day before.
It was Annie.
Turns out she had been hit by a train Friday afternoon. Her pelvis was crushed. Her leg was cut. Her ear was nearly chewed off by scavengers.
Annie laid on the ground near the tracks for nearly 48 hours until Sunday evening when a man fishing on a nearby lake saw Annie and rescued her.
"She was in and out of consciousness," Jensen says. "Half of her ear was chewed off, she was covered in blood. Most people probably would have given her up for dead."
But now Annie is back at home and she's running and playing again. And for the Jensen family she is a walking miracle.
"Something was meant to be, there was some high power looking out," Jensen said.
Source: http://www.kxly.com/news/28114634/detail.html
McKay Allen | KXLY4 Reporter
June 2, 2011
CHENEY, Wash. -- Is it a miracle? Or just one lucky dog?
Two Fridays ago Scott Jensen's dogs Annie and Buddy went out to play on the family's property near the Cheney-Spokane road.
"They run together a lot," Jensen says.
A few hours passed and Buddy returned. Annie didn't.
Immediately that concerned Jensen. "The fact that he came back without the female obviously something had happened to her."
He called all the neighbors, then got on his ATV and looked all day Saturday, Sunday and Monday morning.
"There was no sign," he says.
Was she hit by a car? Attacked by a predator? Or, perhaps, hit by one of the trains that pass about a half mile from the Jensen home?
"Two different times with binoculars I scanned the tracks, no sign, no sign of her."
The weekend came and went, over 48 passed, and by Monday hope that Annie would ever come home was gone.
"It got me down, the [other dog] was depressed, my wife was stressed out. I actually went to the office and starting looking for a new dog for us," Jensen recalls.
But then, perhaps, a miracle. On a whim Scott Jensen's wife called a vet in Cheney. That vet had an injured dog matching Annie's description. The dog had been brought in the day before.
It was Annie.
Turns out she had been hit by a train Friday afternoon. Her pelvis was crushed. Her leg was cut. Her ear was nearly chewed off by scavengers.
Annie laid on the ground near the tracks for nearly 48 hours until Sunday evening when a man fishing on a nearby lake saw Annie and rescued her.
"She was in and out of consciousness," Jensen says. "Half of her ear was chewed off, she was covered in blood. Most people probably would have given her up for dead."
But now Annie is back at home and she's running and playing again. And for the Jensen family she is a walking miracle.
"Something was meant to be, there was some high power looking out," Jensen said.
Source: http://www.kxly.com/news/28114634/detail.html
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Buster Brown, lab mix
Boulder dog triumphantly returns home after 6-month sojourn to California
By John Aguilar, Boulder Daily Camera Staff Writer
06/03/2011
Buster Brown mysteriously disappeared from his home on Olde Stage Road in November
Was he curled up at the base of the Book Cliffs in western Colorado? Did he roam the back alleys of Salt Lake City after dark? Did he slake a fierce thirst on the shores of Lake Tahoe?
It will likely never be known how Buster Brown, a 7-year-old mutt that went missing in mid-November from his home near Boulder, ended up in Salinas, Calif., and exactly what he was up to along the way.
But any speculation as to the beagle/retriever/pit bull's whereabouts over the last six months yielded to elation Friday when Buster's owner, Samantha Squires, reunited with her "magical dog" at Denver International Airport amid a waterfall of tears and a vigorous, thigh-slapping tail.
"I never gave up on him and I thought about him every day," she said hours before Buster Brown landed at DIA on a Frontier flight from San Francisco. "It wouldn't be surprising to me that he was looking for us the whole time."
It was Nov. 19 and Squires was headed out to Boulder Reservoir for a run. When she returned to her Olde Stage Road home that afternoon, Buster Brown had simply vanished from the back yard. She noticed that a gate was slightly ajar.
The dog had wandered off on a couple of occasions before, so Squires didn't immediately panic. She knew Buster Brown was deeply bonded to her after she rescued him as an abandoned puppy from the Humane Society of Boulder Valley.
"He had massive separation anxiety," she said. "He could not be away from me ever. But once he followed his nose, he had a little trouble there."
The single mother admitted that as the months dragged on, she had tugs of doubt about her close companion, fearing that a mountain lion might have claimed the pooch in the foothills west of Boulder. She even adopted a new dog, named Toby, three weeks ago.
But despite her misgivings, she kept all of Buster Brown's toys, and as recently as last weekend, decided against taking his allergy report down from the kitchen wall.
"I have not thrown away one thing from Buster," she said.
'He looked tired'
On May 20, more than 1,200 miles away, Peter Ochoa noticed a strange dog sitting on the front porch of his home in Salinas, Calif., an agricultural community about 100 miles south of San Francisco.
The dog, which had no collar, moved to the back of the house and laid down under an old Ford truck.
"He looked like a big bear," Ochoa said. "He laid there staring at me like, 'Are you going to take me in?'"
Ochoa said he approached Buster Brown, told him to sit, and then shook his paw.
"He looked tired, we gave him water, and his tail was wagging," he said.
The family called animal control, and a police officer picked up the dog. Ochoa said he told the officer that if the local animal shelter couldn't find a home for the animal, he would provide one.
"If you're going to put him down, I'll take him," he remembered saying.
Staff at the Salinas Animal Shelter found a microchip in Buster Brown and tried calling the numbers that came up. But they were no good, said shelter manager Cindy Burnham.
She said the shelter sent a certified letter to the last known address associated with the microchip.
Heart started 'racing'
On Tuesday, Squires went out to retrieve her mail. She saw the letter from California, read it, and her heart started "racing."
"It said 'If you don't call us by (Tuesday) May 31, Buster will become the property of California,'" she said.
Which meant adoption at best, Squires said, and euthanasia at worst.
She desperately called the shelter several times and was finally able to confirm that Buster Brown was indeed there, 13 pounds heavier than when he had left Boulder.
"That could be because he was eating pizza out of a Dumpster," Squires said.
Squires immediately started trying to put together plans to get her dog back to Colorado. As a single mother with a 4-year-old son, she wasn't able to make the drive to the West Coast. And she couldn't afford to fly him back.
Squires scrolled through her list of Facebook contacts and attempted to set up a relay of sorts, with friends driving Buster Brown east through several legs of the 1,200-mile journey.
That's when Frontier offered to fly the dog for free.
"It was an act of kindness," Squires said, referring not only the airline's generosity, but to everyone else who played a role in getting her dog back home.
She also noted how critical it was that Buster Brown had a microchip implanted for identification.
"The chip is big," she said. "Everyone should chip their dog."
Adventure remains a mystery
Squires said she'll probably never know what happened to her "first child" during the six months he was on the road.
She guesses that he didn't travel the full distance from Colorado to California by foot, but got an unsolicited ride along the way.
"I think someone fell in love with him and took him and couldn't take care of him and that's when the journey began," Squires said. "My guess is he lived in a couple of homes and was a stray toward the end. People would take care of him -- he's just a doggy you want to love."
Source: http://www.dailycamera.com/ci_18198413
Printer-friendly version here
Another version of the story, and video, at http://www.ksbw.com/r/28115054/detail.html
Reunion video found at http://denver.cbslocal.com/2011/06/03/boulder-dog-found-in-california-reunited-with-family/
By John Aguilar, Boulder Daily Camera Staff Writer
06/03/2011
Buster Brown mysteriously disappeared from his home on Olde Stage Road in November
Was he curled up at the base of the Book Cliffs in western Colorado? Did he roam the back alleys of Salt Lake City after dark? Did he slake a fierce thirst on the shores of Lake Tahoe?
 |
| Samantha Squires and her son, Darian, with Buster Brown at their home before the dog's disappearance in November. |
It will likely never be known how Buster Brown, a 7-year-old mutt that went missing in mid-November from his home near Boulder, ended up in Salinas, Calif., and exactly what he was up to along the way.
But any speculation as to the beagle/retriever/pit bull's whereabouts over the last six months yielded to elation Friday when Buster's owner, Samantha Squires, reunited with her "magical dog" at Denver International Airport amid a waterfall of tears and a vigorous, thigh-slapping tail.
"I never gave up on him and I thought about him every day," she said hours before Buster Brown landed at DIA on a Frontier flight from San Francisco. "It wouldn't be surprising to me that he was looking for us the whole time."
It was Nov. 19 and Squires was headed out to Boulder Reservoir for a run. When she returned to her Olde Stage Road home that afternoon, Buster Brown had simply vanished from the back yard. She noticed that a gate was slightly ajar.
The dog had wandered off on a couple of occasions before, so Squires didn't immediately panic. She knew Buster Brown was deeply bonded to her after she rescued him as an abandoned puppy from the Humane Society of Boulder Valley.
"He had massive separation anxiety," she said. "He could not be away from me ever. But once he followed his nose, he had a little trouble there."
The single mother admitted that as the months dragged on, she had tugs of doubt about her close companion, fearing that a mountain lion might have claimed the pooch in the foothills west of Boulder. She even adopted a new dog, named Toby, three weeks ago.
But despite her misgivings, she kept all of Buster Brown's toys, and as recently as last weekend, decided against taking his allergy report down from the kitchen wall.
"I have not thrown away one thing from Buster," she said.
'He looked tired'
On May 20, more than 1,200 miles away, Peter Ochoa noticed a strange dog sitting on the front porch of his home in Salinas, Calif., an agricultural community about 100 miles south of San Francisco.
The dog, which had no collar, moved to the back of the house and laid down under an old Ford truck.
"He looked like a big bear," Ochoa said. "He laid there staring at me like, 'Are you going to take me in?'"
Ochoa said he approached Buster Brown, told him to sit, and then shook his paw.
"He looked tired, we gave him water, and his tail was wagging," he said.
The family called animal control, and a police officer picked up the dog. Ochoa said he told the officer that if the local animal shelter couldn't find a home for the animal, he would provide one.
"If you're going to put him down, I'll take him," he remembered saying.
Staff at the Salinas Animal Shelter found a microchip in Buster Brown and tried calling the numbers that came up. But they were no good, said shelter manager Cindy Burnham.
She said the shelter sent a certified letter to the last known address associated with the microchip.
Heart started 'racing'
On Tuesday, Squires went out to retrieve her mail. She saw the letter from California, read it, and her heart started "racing."
"It said 'If you don't call us by (Tuesday) May 31, Buster will become the property of California,'" she said.
Which meant adoption at best, Squires said, and euthanasia at worst.
She desperately called the shelter several times and was finally able to confirm that Buster Brown was indeed there, 13 pounds heavier than when he had left Boulder.
"That could be because he was eating pizza out of a Dumpster," Squires said.
Squires immediately started trying to put together plans to get her dog back to Colorado. As a single mother with a 4-year-old son, she wasn't able to make the drive to the West Coast. And she couldn't afford to fly him back.
Squires scrolled through her list of Facebook contacts and attempted to set up a relay of sorts, with friends driving Buster Brown east through several legs of the 1,200-mile journey.
That's when Frontier offered to fly the dog for free.
"It was an act of kindness," Squires said, referring not only the airline's generosity, but to everyone else who played a role in getting her dog back home.
She also noted how critical it was that Buster Brown had a microchip implanted for identification.
"The chip is big," she said. "Everyone should chip their dog."
Adventure remains a mystery
Squires said she'll probably never know what happened to her "first child" during the six months he was on the road.
She guesses that he didn't travel the full distance from Colorado to California by foot, but got an unsolicited ride along the way.
"I think someone fell in love with him and took him and couldn't take care of him and that's when the journey began," Squires said. "My guess is he lived in a couple of homes and was a stray toward the end. People would take care of him -- he's just a doggy you want to love."
Source: http://www.dailycamera.com/ci_18198413
Printer-friendly version here
Another version of the story, and video, at http://www.ksbw.com/r/28115054/detail.html
Reunion video found at http://denver.cbslocal.com/2011/06/03/boulder-dog-found-in-california-reunited-with-family/
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