Lilly, yellow lab

Missing Vermilion dog reunited with owners
By Megan Rozsa, Morning Journal
Published: Tuesday, June 16, 2009

VERMILION — A yellow Labrador that had been missing since Friday was finally home yesterday with her rightful owners.

The 3-year-old dog, Lilly, was in the back of Greg Butchko's truck when he made a quick stop at Quaker Steak & Lube in Vermilion on Friday night. He was in the restaurant for 10 minutes and came out to find his dog missing.

The Butchko family made fliers and hung them around town, offering a $250 reward for her return. Butchko said companies in Lorain County raised the award gradually, making the total $1,000.

"The Lorain County residents came to bat completely," he said. "Everyone offered to add money toward the reward. The people were just so unbelievable."

Butchko said he finally got a call Sunday from Jim Riddell, a North Ridgeville city worker. Riddell said he was at Quaker Steak that night with some off-duty Lorain police officers. He saw Lilly in the truck, and he and the officers petted her.

Riddell told Butchko he saw a couple with a child waiting to pet the dog also. When Riddell saw the family's flier for the missing Lilly at an ice cream shop, he knew he remembered the family.

"I knew the girl from high school," Riddell said. "I did some research and drove out to her house to see if I could see the dog, but I couldn't."

Riddell called Butchko and gave him the location of the house.

"I drove to there around 8 a.m. (Monday) morning," Butchko said. "They were sitting in their garage. I introduced myself and said I was looking for a dog."

The couple acted like they didn't know what dog Butchko wanted, which struck him as funny since the announcement was all over the news, Butchko said.

"I told them that Quaker Steak had security video of them with the dog and they said, 'Oh, that dog!'" Butchko said. "They told me that she was walking around the parking lot without a collar on. He said they didn't even think to ask whose dog it was, they just put it in their car and left."

The couple went into the house to retrieve the dog, which was in the basement.

"She came running up those basement stairs and buried her head right in my chest," Butchko said. "My wife was standing there crying. Lilly knew it was us."

Butchko said he thanked the couple for taking care of her and took her home. He then called Riddell and thanked him for his help in finding Lilly.

"I thanked him up and down, and he refused to take a reward, but he said he would take a perch fishing trip," Butchko said laughing. Lilly's "with me all the time, she's with me now at work. She doesn't even like if I go in the bathroom. She sits outside the door."

Riddell said he didn't want the money because he thought he was just doing the right thing.

"I didn't know what kind of reward there was," he said. "I told him I didn't want any money, I just wanted to meet him and the dog. Money doesn't mean anything to me. I was just doing a good deed, and I thank God he got his dog back."

Source: http://www.morningjournal.com/articles/2009/06/16/news/mj1195460.txt?viewmode=fullstory