Charlie, great pyrenees

Charlie's Story
Granite State Dog Recovery
August 28, 2011

When we say we have a story to tell and we can't wait to share it but needed to wait until we had an ending . . .  believe me when the adventure came to a screeching halt today, we were ready to bring you on our wild ride. Well the story is about to unfold! Sit tight as we tell the story of a lost transport dog on the run for months Amazing, Incredible, Miraculous, Tenacious, Tons of Willpower, Adventurous....We could go on forever but you get the hint: this was no routine lost dog search.

Charlie began his adventure in Tennessee back in June. He was a handsome dog, big and fluffy and his chance to become a member of a real family finally came up. He hitched a ride up to Massachusetts where his new family picked him up and brought him home.

The ride went great but upon getting into the house there was a little mishap and Charlie made a dash for freedom. His new family tried very hard to grab him but his paws hit the pavement and he started to run... and run he did. Gone, the happy event turned into days and then weeks of searching for this beautiful white dog.

He was spotted in several locations but each time someone ran out to find him he was gone like the wind. And then came the bad news...A big white fluffy dog had been hit and killed by a truck on rt 24 in Brockton. The accident was so horrific that there was not much left of this poor dog but everyone searching for him mourned the loss of poor Charlie.

Now the story might have ended here but actually this is where the story really begins.

Weeks later a dog is reported roaming the grounds of a local school and had been attacked by 4 coyotes which he was able to fight off and get away from. When animal control goes out to investigate, a big white fluffy dog bolts across the field and disappears into the woods.

Day after day the report continued to come in. He seemed to be a creature of habit, always in the same place but this dog disappeared just like a ghost whenever anyone tried to approach him....hence the nickname "Ghostie".

Ghostie was seen wearing a collar and tags so we thought there had to be a lost dog report somewhere. Nothing came up and no one came forward to report him missing.

Since this dog needed to be caught, animal control brought out a trap and baited it with whole chickens. As hungry as this wonderful dog was he was just as smart. He would not enter the trap but he would carefully eat the chicken from outside..Not to be outsmarted the animal control officer checked in with several other people and one recommended reaching out to GSDR.

Although this was out of our normal territory, several team members went out to survey the situation and offer advice and it was decided that the "gypsy" trap was the most logical way to catch this dog so GSDR purchased a kennel and brought it into Boston to set it up and wait for the capture. Surely it would only take a night or two and the adventure would be over.

"Ghostie" was way ahead of us however. He knew how to enter the trap and take the chicken without setting off the trigger.

Night after night several GSDR volunteers and the animal control officer waited until 2 or 3 in the morning with night vision goggles to watch this graceful creature eat his multiple dinners and then walk away only to retire in full sight a hundred yards away. He was not afraid and it seemed he was training us to serve him his meals every night.

Then came the rain, well actually torrential downpours and the GSDR volunteers and the animal control continued their stake out but again all they got for their troubles was soaking wet.

Time to regroup and call in some more help.

A call went out to Boston Animal Rescue League to discuss the situation. The decision was made to bring out a very sophisticated drop trap. Back to a backyard near the school and they all went to set up this huge trap. It took 3 hours and 4 people to get it in place and the waiting began.

This time it only took 3 hours and "Ghostie" was back looking for his dinner. Ghostie was looking for his regular food dish and as he reached down to take a bite he never looked up to see the netting that came crashing down on him.

In a flash four people rushed forward and jumped on the net as a very frantic dog went into flight mode. Scared and fighting for his life he ran in every direction, which is exactly what he needed to do to get himself wrapped up in the netting. Pinning a 80 pound dog to the ground and getting him under control became a heart pounding ordeal but everyone was dedicated to the capture and they were definitely not going to let him become a ghost again.

The capture did not come without some risk and a few of his capturers got injured in the struggle but after a short wrestle he was safely put in a vehicle and transported to an emergency animal hospital who was waiting on their arrival.

"Ghostie" was finally in a safe place where for the first time his tags could be read. Everyone took a step back as they read the name. CHARLIE.... Were we seeing a Ghost or was this the dog that was considered dead on the side of the road? How could this be... It was over 15 miles away from where Charlie went missing and it was 2 months after his escape but it was confirmed...This was CHARLIE!!!

It took several dedicated individuals to make this rescue happen but it took teamwork to make it successful. A huge thank you goes out to Brian from Boston Animal Rescue League, Leslie the Hingham Animal Control Officer, Big Fluffy Dog Rescue, the family that allowed our team to put up the drop net in their yard, and our fantastic team of volunteers from GSDR. Holly, Beth, Anne & Susan all gave up their nights and days to stake out this rescue and make it successful.

A partnership between all these people made the difference today. We believe in working together for the greater good and today the greater good was a dog named CHARLIE!!!

Source: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=208490262540498&set=a.131452156910976.25689.129767517079440&type=1&theater&pid=582736&id=129767517079440