Rivers, chocolate lab

Long-lost dog on way home to Arkansas family
By Sherri Zickefoose, Postmedia News
March 27, 2012


CALGARY — An Arkansas family is being reunited with a long-lost dog that showed up in Calgary after vanishing mysteriously.

Nearly four years ago, five-month-old Rivers went missing from his Fayetteville, Ark., backyard, his owners say.

On Saturday, the registered purebred chocolate Labrador retriever was found running at large in a northwest Calgary park.

He was linked to his owners through a microchip.

"I'm just ecstatic. I really wish he could talk so he could explain the last 3 1/2 years to me," said owner Mary Sue Farmer.

"We're very excited. He's very far from home, We just can't wait to pick him up from the airport."

The dog is being flown home to Arkansas Tuesday.

Farmer bought the $500 pup for her duck-hunting son, Peter. They hoped their older Lab, Chip, would help teach Rivers duck hunting skills.

When he returned home from university classes, the back gate was swinging wide open and the dog was gone.

The family posted flyers and called veterinarians and animal shelters but there was no sign of the puppy.

"After several months you think she's not coming back. And after this many years we never dreamed of it," said Farmer, adding her son refused the offer of a new dog because he was heartbroken over the loss of Rivers.

While the family was accepting their sad fate, Rivers was adopted and renamed Buddy by an Oregon man. He moved to the Kootenays in British Columbia recently.

While visiting Calgary on the weekend, the dog escaped his caregiver and was picked up running loose by city bylaw officers.

When the dog's B.C. owners were told the pup belonged to a family 2,800 kilometres away, they agreed to return the pet to its rightful owners.

Described as friendly and "a bit of a goof," the 100-pound dog was crated and is being flown to Arkansas on United Airlines. Farmer said she didn't think twice about paying the $800 fee, plus an extra $75 for Rivers to be walked during a layover.

"A pet's licence is his ticket home," said Bill Bruce, director of Animal and Bylaw Services.

"We've returned dogs to Saskatoon and Victoria, but this is the first from the States. It's unlikely that this reunion would be occurring if Rivers' owner hadn't micro-chipped him."

All cats and dogs within Calgary are required to be licensed at three months of age.

Calgary has the highest return-to-owner and lowest cat and dog euthanization rates in North America, bylaw services say.

The city licensing program boasts over 90 per cent of dogs and 55 per cent of cats residing in Calgary are licensed.

In Calgary, dogs are required to wear their licence tag when off their owners' property. Calgary cats need to be licensed but if they have a readable microchip or legible tattoo, are not required to wear their tag.

Sometimes pets that are microchipped are still unable to be reunited with their owners because their contact information was not updated with their microchip provider.



"Licensing and permanent identification, as in Rivers' situation, provide peace of mind for pet owners because they know that if their pet goes missing, these tools will help Animal and Bylaw Services reunite them with their pet," said Bruce.

Source: http://www.calgaryherald.com/life/Long+lost+home+Arkansas+family/6362715/story.html

Zoe, cava-poo

VB woman reunited with stolen dog
Tuesday, 27 Mar 2012

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) - A Virginia Beach woman was reunited with her dog Wednesday morning.

Grace Gavin told WAVY.com "Zoe" was stolen from her car, while she ran into the Target on Military Highway on March 27. When she returned, the 3 1/2-month-old puppy was gone.

"I looked under the chair, under the backseat, like she was nowhere," Gavin said. " I was like completely shocked then hysteria started setting in. I was looking around the parking lot..."

Gavin called police and filed a report.

She told WAVY.com a witness saw a suspicious man in the parking lot.

Police say it is common for people to steal dogs then try to re-sell them for hundreds of dollars.

Grace called WAVY News 10 Wednesday morning and said Zoe was spotted near the intersection of Norview Avenue and Atwood Avenue in Norfolk. She said a woman called her and said she found the dog in her neighborhood.

VB woman reunited with stolen dog: wavy.com

Grace said Target has surveillance of the puppy thief, but police have not released the video.

Source: http://www.wavy.com/dpp/news/local_news/va_beach/vb-womans-dog-stolen-from-car

Peanut, rat terrier/poodle mix

Lost dog gets back home after 4 years
Microchip helps officers, HSSM return Peanut
By Tammy Smith, Sun Herald
Friday, Mar. 23, 2012

GULFPORT -- Laughter and tears of joy -- sprinkled with a lot of cries of “aw!” -- were in abundance at the Humane Society of South Mississippi on Friday afternoon, thanks to a scrappy little Peanut.

Peanut, a rat terrier/poodle mix, gets reacquainted with his owner, Danielle Weatherford, after being missing for four years.

That would be Peanut the 6-year-old rat terrier/poodle mix, a black-and-tan bundle of wire-haired joy who went through a four-year odyssey from Ocean Springs to Gulfport before he was reunited with his owner.

Danielle Weatherford of Ocean Springs got Peanut as a Christmas present in 2006.

“I picked her out, and my mom adopted her as a gift for me. His little face -- he just stole my heart,” she said Friday afternoon as she waited for her first glimpse of Peanut in four years.

“I was living with my parents, and then I moved, but where I was living, you couldn’t have pets,” Weatherford said. Her aunt took Peanut in.

“She went to work one day, then when she got home, she couldn’t find him,” Weatherford said. “We looked and looked, but we never could find him.”

Then, Thursday night, Weatherford got a call from her mother.

“She said, ‘You remember Peanut? They found him.’ I just couldn’t believe it,” she said.

Nobody knows how Peanut survived for the past four years or how he got from Ocean Springs to Gulfport or why he made the journey. One thing is sure: He and Weatherford wouldn’t have been reunited had it not been for his microchip.

On Monday, Gulfport animal control officer Dorothy Payne saw the little dog at a residence on O’Neal Road. She scanned him for a microchip, a routine procedure for the animal control officers, and was surprised to find he did have one. Her surprise grew when she learned the owner was listed as an Ocean Springs resident.

At first, Payne feared the contact information was no longer accurate -- after all, the dog was about 30 miles away from his home.

“I thought for sure that the microchip information was just out of date,” she told HSSM.

Payne called the associated phone number and left a message and, to her surprise, got a call back a few days later from Donna Nelson, Weatherford’s mother.

On Friday, Peanut was wiggly and sweet, and Weatherford was ecstatic and teary-eyed as her dog alternately gave her kisses and squirmed down to visit with a couple of Pomeranians in the animal shelter’s gift shop.

“Can we go home now?” she quietly asked as she brushed away tears and smiled.

Source: http://www.sunherald.com/2012/03/23/3839009/lost-dog-gets-back-home-after.html?storylink=addthis#.T29-j48I-v8.facebook#storylink=cpy

Haley, schnauzer

Dog missing after Meyerland burglary found in Montrose .
by KHOU.com staff
Posted on March 18, 2012 at 4:07 PM

HOUSTON – Good news for a Meyerland family whose dogs disappeared after a burglary at their home – one of the missing pups has been found.

Haley, a 12-year-old miniature Schnauzer, was found near Montrose and West Gray, in the parking lot of Christie’s doughnuts.

Haley, along with her canine brother Max, a 5-year-old Maltese, had been missing since March 9, when someone broke into their home in Meyerland area.

The Fisher family said the thieves took $21,000 worth of computers and jewelry, along with the dogs.

"We didn’t care about all the jewelry that was stolen. We didn’t care about the computers that were stolen. Our most precious jewels that were taken were our puppies, Max and Haley," said Karen Fisher.

As of Friday, the suspects in the burglary were still at large, and Max was still missing.

But Precinct 5 deputy constables increased patrols in the Fishers’ neighborhood and were asking anyone with information on the break-ins to contact them.

Source: http://www.khou.com/community/blogs/animal-attraction/Dog-missing-after-Meyerland-burglary-found-in-Montrose-142954325.html

As of the date of this post, Max the Maltese is still missing:

Maggie, teacup yorkie

Woman reunited with Yorkie stolen from Midtown bar
by khou.com staff
Thursday, Feb 23 at 12:01 PM

HOUSTON – A Houston woman whose tiny dog was stolen from a Midtown bar was reunited with her pet Wednesday night in LaGrange.

Keri Gharagouzloo said she took her teacup Yorkie, Maggie, to Celtic Garden Sunday and a woman at a nearby table asked to hold the two-and-a-half-pound dog. Gharagouzloo obliged and when she turned away for a brief moment to talk with a friend and turned back, the woman, her friends and Maggie were gone.

Gharagouzloo said a man in Austin called her and said he had a friend who had her dog. He said he saw a news report and confronted his friend.




Source: http://www.khou.com/video/yahoo-video/Woman-united-with-Yorkie-stolen-from-Midtown-bar-140104553.html#


Original story with video at http://www.click2houston.com/news/Dog-stolen-at-local-restaurant/-/1735978/8827256/-/hhm38u/-/index.html

HOUSTON - A two-and-a-half pound teacup Yorkie was stolen while with her owner at a Midtown restaurant.

The dog owner said she loves to go to Celtic Gardens, 2300 Louisiana St., on Sunday afternoons, but last Sunday she didn't leave with her dog.

Maggie, the 6-year-old teacup Yorkie, was at the restaurant with her owner, Keri Gharagouzloo.

Gharagouzloo said, "They ask to hold her all of the time because she is small, and I usually say no problem with that. I handed her off to several different people within my sight."

When Maggie was out of Gharagouzloo's sight, Maggie's owner said she went to the woman who was holding her.

"I looked back over and the gal was no longer holding her," Gharagouzloo said.

Gharagouzloo said the woman told her that she handed the dog to one of Gharagouzloo's friends.

Gharagouzloo said she hopes someone was having a good time, simply made a mistake and took her dog.

"I just want them to bring her back to me. This is the love of my life," Gharagouzloo said.

Gharagouzloo said she was looking at the surveillance tape of the entrances and exits trying to see who might have left with Maggie.

Maple, terrier

Family Reunited with Dog Lost for 8 Weeks in Bunker Hill Bogs
Posted by Phil Stilton
Friday, March 23rd, 2012

Family members today report that Maple, a dog reported lost on February 8th along the Bunker Hill Bogs Purple Heart Trail, has been reunited with her family after spending 8 weeks in the wild.

On February 8th, Maple was being walked with two other dogs when one, a greyhound mix got loose, dragging 14 year old maple through the trails.

The other dog was found later, wet and covered in mud, but Maple was not. On Thursday, Maple’s owner, Gail, said that the 14 year old terrier was spotted by a man living in the development, cowering under his deck.

Gail’s husband and daughter rushed over to be reunited with their dog.

“Maple was extremely timid and guarded after wandering around alone for six weeks; furthermore, she lost nine pounds,” Gail said.

“A full third of her previous body weight. It’s wonderful to have her back and we are praying for her full recovery. Happy endings like this are a such rare thing. Her homecoming is truly a miracle for us!”

Source: http://www.jacksonnjonline.com/2012/03/23/family-reunited-with-dog-lost-for-8-weeks-in-bunker-hill-bogs/32112/

Charlie, boxer

Couple reunites with dog stolen during burglary
Wednesday, February 08, 2012

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- We have an update on a dog that was stolen during a burglary. The dog's owners say their boxer has been found

Wes and Hannah Covington say Charlie was found just a few miles from their home in northwest Harris County. The couple says the dog was stolen during a burglary at their home last Saturday.

A woman in the Bear Creek Village subdivision saw the dog and called Houston Boxer Rescue. The Covingtons say Charlie was hungry and thirsty, but not harmed.




Source: http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/local&id=8535400

Original story at http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/local&id=8532145

Dog stolen during home burglary in NW Houston
Sunday, February 05, 2012

You hear about burglars stealing televisions, stereo systems or -- in this case -- even a custom-made guitar. But there is only one thing that was taken that the Covingtons want back: their three-year-old dog, Charlie.

Wes and Hannah Covington are a young couple without children, and their pets are important to them.

"We don't have kids, so that's our baby right now," Hannah Covington said.

The thieves broke into their house on East Copper Village in northwest Houston Saturday morning.

"Both the front and back doors were smashed; TV was ripped off the wall; it was ransacked," Hannah Covington said.

They stole everything of value, including one of Wes Covington's autographed guitars.

"It was something that was custom-built for me; especially for me," he said.

What hurt them the most was when they found one of the family dogs missing.

"He's very friendly. He'll come right up to you. His name is Charlie. He's very well-behaved. If you tell him to sit, lay down, come, stay. He knows all that," Hannah Covington said.

Their neighbor caught a glimpse of the burglars around 11:15am Saturday, not realizing at first that anything was wrong.

"He stopped, opened the back rear door, then put the dog in," said the neighbor, who asked that we not identify her. "He saw me. Looked up and saw me."

The burglars were gone in minutes -- with Charlie.

"I'm just sick about what happened to them. Sick. I was right here," the neighbor said. "I didn't hear glass break, I didn't hear them try to break down the door."

Now, the Covingtons are left with boarded-up doors, a cloud of fear and an empty crate for Charlie.

"He's a male boxer, 75 to 80 pounds, mostly brown [with] white on his face, chest, belly and paws, and his ears are not clipped and he's unaltered," Hannah Covington said.

They're pleading with people to keep an eye out in hopes of getting him back home safely.

"That really is the only thing I want back is just my dog. Everything else, pawn it, keep it, mount the TV in your own house; I don't care. The dog is mine," Wes Covington said.

That neighbor described the men she saw. Both were in their 20s, she said. One was white and one was black with a long face and tall, slim build. She said they drove away in a small silver or gray car with a rounded front. She also noticed the suspect handling the dog was wearing a yellow glove.

Maggie, black lab

Rural Texas family, lost dog reunited in Loveland
Details of Maggie's trek north unclear; microchip ID'd her
Written by Robert Allen
March 24, 2012

A family in rural Texas will be complete once more after its lost dog was found along Interstate 25 near Loveland, 11 days and nearly 800 miles from home.

Ashley Orr of Bennett, Texas, said that Maggie, the energetic 2-year-old black Labrador retriever, disappeared under suspicious circumstances. The family was on an emotional “rollercoaster” before they got a call from Larimer Humane Society.

“(Maggie) sleeps with my son every single night. Her bed is still in his room,” Orr said. “It’s very challenging trying to explain to a 3-year-old that your dog is gone.”

It’s unclear how Maggie arrived on the side of the highway, but the microchip her owners had embedded in the dog resulted in her return home Wednesday, according to the humane society.

Maggie is in excellent health and was eager to meet new people Friday afternoon when the Coloradoan visited the shelter. Orr said her son, Conner, is “very excited” for her return.
“I think his patience level is about done,” she said. “He’s asked me every day at least five times, ‘When is Maggie coming home?’ ”

Bennett is about an hour north of Amarillo.

Orr said Maggie had been left inside a fenced backyard at the family’s two-acre property the day she disappeared. Her son may have accidentally left the gate open, she said.

Maggie was wearing a license and vaccination tags in addition to the embedded microchip, she said. Employees at a nearby oil pump supply company said someone had apparently stopped by with Maggie looking for the owners. But the family never heard from anyone before last weekend, when the humane society called.

HomeAgain, the microchip company, is helping pay the expenses of sending Maggie home. Orr said she’d first tried a separate company online but was scammed out of $55.

Microchipping is a permanent form of identification, embedded in the dog, that cannot fall off or become impossible to read. This, in addition to a dog license, which is required in Fort Collins, Loveland and Larimer County, helps ensure an owner can reunite with a lost pet, according to the news release.

Source: http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20120324/NEWS01/120324003/Rural-Texas-family-lost-dog-reunited-Loveland

Alex, husky

Lost husky who wandered 200 miles reunited with family
Dog Heirs
March 23, 2012

Alex, a 13-year-old Siberian Husky, who made a 200-mile journey in search of his owner, was reunited with his family yesterday. The dog had gotten separated from his owner when they were moving homes in December of last year.

Alex had wandered from Dahlonega, Georgia to Morganton over a four-month period, until one day he showed up in Kerri McFalls’ neighborhood. When Kerri saw the mangy and thin dog, she knew he was in trouble and wanted to help.

She right away posted what information she had on the husky to her Facebook page on March 12. "There is a husky who appears to be lost in my neighborhood. It has a collar with tags but she wont let me get close enough to her. She appears to be hungry and sad. :/ If anyone is missing a dog please let me know," she wrote.

Unable to lure the dog to her, animal control officers set up a cage outside of Kerri's house to catch the shy animal. Kerri found Alex in the cage early one morning, and took him inside to give him food and water.

Although the dog was wearing a collar with a rabies tag, connecting with his owner proved to be a bit more difficult. The phone number on the tag was for a vet’s office outside of Atlanta. When Kerri called, they told her that the owner, John Locklear, had called them in December and said he had just relocated and during the move he had lost Alex. The vet's office said they would try to reach the owner and give him the news.

While she waited, she gave the scared dog lots of TLC, treating him for worms and cleaning him up. Kerri posted: "Alex is so very sweet. I can tell he was just so scared. He's finally able to eat and rest now... *fingers crossed*!!".

A few days passed, and the vet's office had not heard back from John yet. Knowing that Alex must have really missed his family to be lost for so long, Kelli thought she would help with trying to reunite the pair as soon as possible. She again mobilized her friends and set up a Facebook page to see if anyone could track down the right John Locklear from the 100 plus listed in the area.

After some sleuthing, Jamie Lee Alison found his sister and was able to send word to her about Alex, so the sister could tell her brother.

Within just a week of finding Alex, Kerri received a call from John who was amazed to hear how far away his lost dog had wandered. The two arranged to meet so that Kerri could return Alex to John. Kerri updated her friends with the news: "Everyone has been amazing... I'm still in shock over Alex's journey and story... John is, too..."

Finally, after his epic trip, the devoted dog was homeward bound. Kerri brought a few of her friends, who had helped her, along for the reunion. Kerri described Alex's reaction to the reunion: "When Alex got out of the car his tail was wagging and he went right up to John and was so happy as if to say 'Hey, I've been looking for you. Where have you been?'"

John told Kerri he had moved to Dahlonega, Georgia from Merietta and figures Alex was trying to find his way back to their old home in Merietta when he became lost. He had not seen Alex since December 1 of last year. John said his first priority was to take Alex to the vet prior to talking to any media.

Kerri has nothing but praise for how friends and the community came together and rallied behind Alex and "supporting his mission to make it back home." Kerri posted: "Alex is truly a special dog. I feel like God put him in my life for a reason and I feel like a better person now because of him. ♥ We all did a good thing. :)"

Both parties videotaped the occasion. Here's Kerri's video of taking Alex home.



Source: http://www.dogheirs.com/larne/posts/777-lost-husky-who-wandered-200-miles-reunited-with-family
Also follow the bulletins here or here

Pierre, poodle

Local Student Reunited With Missing Poodle
Kara Pennington Says She Paid $5,200 To Get Back Her Missing Dog Pierre
POSTED: 1:08 pm PDT March 21, 2012

SAN DIEGO -- A local college student has been reunited with her missing poodle.

Kara Pennington said her 3-year-old poodle, Pierre, escaped from her house through a broken door.

"We went crazy looking for him," she said.

Pennington hired a pet detective, posted thousands of fliers all the way to Tijuana, marched in the St. Patrick's Day parade with signs and cashed out her life savings of $5,000 for Pierre's safe return.

"It was a nightmare [and] the worst thing that could happen," she said. "He's like my baby."

On Saturday, a break in the case came from a stranger who said they saw Pierre at a downtown homeless shelter.

"A woman told us she saw our signs and thought she saw Pierre with a homeless man who had him in a stroller bundled up," said Pennington. "He was selling him to a man who lived in Mexico for $200."

Another break in the case came when a man called from a Tijuana pay phone saying he had the dog, saw the reward poster and now wanted the money.

"The guy didn't speak English, but I heard 'Perro' and 'dinero,'" said Pennington. "He basically wanted $5,200 in cash: $200 for what he paid for the dog and $5,000 for the reward."

Pennington met the man at the Tijuana police station and made the exchange.

"He wanted to see the money first before they showed the dog," she said. "I was beyond relieved when I saw it was really Pierre. I looked at his paws to find a spot he always licks to make sure it was really him. It was."

Pennington took Pierre to a veterinarian for a thorough checkup on Tuesday. The dog had ringworm on his hindquarter but appeared to be in good shape.

D.V.M. Rochelle Brinton, who is with Relief Veterinary Services in San Diego, said it is not unusual for dogs like Pierre to be sold into Mexican puppy mills.

"It's another good reason to have your pets spayed and neutered," she said. "This, I think is another way people make money in this depressed economy. Take care of your pets. Give them good food and get them micro chipped."

Pierre was given a clean bill of health. Pennington said she is hoping for no more escapes.

"He's always been my best friend," she said. "Part of my heart was gone when he left. I'm glad he's back."

Source: http://www.10news.com/news/30732687/detail.html
Video: http://www.10news.com/video/30732730/index.html
Original story & video: http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/weird/Bikini-Lost-Dog-Hillcrest-Owner-Kara-Pennington-143099526.html

Brody, black lab

Black lab's long, strange journey has a happy ending
Dog kidnapped in Florida is rescued in Cecil County
By Lisa Broadt
Friday, March 16, 2012

Well-traveled dog Brody was stolen in Florida and rescued in Cecil County

Walking past the rows of forgotten animals at the Cecil County SPCA, Debby Stevens had a sickening thought: What if, after weeks of worry and more than a thousand miles of travel, the dog being housed here was not, in fact, her Brody?

Inside the indicated cage, a black Labrador lay prostrate on the concrete floor.

"Brody?" Stevens asked.

The dog leapt up; Stevens began to cry.

"There was no doubt about it," recalled the SPCA staff member who took Stevens through the kennel. "That dog just came alive."

* * *

Two weeks earlier, Debby Stevens awoke in her Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., home and found that Brody, her family's 9-year-old lab, had not returned home. She knew something was wrong.

Friendly and playful with big brown eyes that expected nothing but hoped for everything, Brody was a key member of the Stevens family. Every so often the lab would nuzzle through the screened-in porch and spend the afternoon exploring, but he always returned home by nightfall, Stevens said.

Except this time.

Sean Stevens, Debby's 25-year-old son, plastered the neighborhood with "Missing" flyers that afternoon, and the family waited and hoped.

"We heard nothing at all on Thursday," Stevens recalled. "But on Friday a woman called. She said: 'I know where your lab is.'"

The anonymous caller reported that a family relative had recently visited Florida with her three little boys. While playing outside, the kids had befriended the outgoing Brody. When the children asked their mother if they could keep the dog, she agreed they could. They loaded Brody in the car and headed back to New York, the caller said.

Stevens was shocked, but as the caller continued, the story grew even stranger.

While driving through Cecil County, the woman was pulled over by police and arrested for driving under the influence, the caller said. Her three human passengers were sent to foster care homes for the night, and the Labrador traveling with her was sent to the local pound.

The next morning, according to the caller, the woman was released from jail. The sequence of events following her release were not exactly clear, but at 12:35 a.m., the 37-year-old mother was struck and killed by an Amtrak train in Havre de Grace.

Stevens might want to try calling some of the local animal shelters, the caller suggested before hanging up.

"I was so grateful for her call, but I just thought: Oh, my God. This is the craziest thing – how does this happen?" Stevens said. "How did they even get so far in a day and a half?"

Sean and his younger brothers, Trevor, 23, and Colin, 20, began calling Maryland animal shelters. They called 15 or 16 before getting a lead at the Cecil County SPCA where a staff member confirmed that a dog matching Brody's description had been brought in recently by police. The family was thrilled.

Stevens, a special education teacher, worried that she would not have time to go up to Maryland to retrieve Brody. But, on the suggestion of a friend, she contacted a New England animal rescue group, which in turn, put her in touch with Martha’s Mutt Movers.

Martha Chandler, the director of the group, coordinates the Mutt Movers to help transport dogs from shelters to rescues.

“I guess you could compare me to a dispatcher at Roadway,” Chandler explained. “People contact me... and I put together a run and send it out to volunteers drivers along the route.

“I normally move dogs for rescues that are pulling from shelters or pounds in the areas where overpopulation is great and euthanasia rates are high.”

While Brody’s case was different from most that Chandler handles, the lab’s story – an elderly dog kidnapped from his owners – stuck a chord with her. So she agreed to take him on.

Stevens called the Cecil County SPCA on Monday to tell them that someone from Chandler's group would be by soon to retrieve Brody.

Not possible, the folks at the SPCA told her. Stevens herself must positively identify and pick up Brody; they could not release the dog to anyone but the owner.

Although Team Brody understood the SPCA's decision, they were unsure of their next move.

"Brody had enough going on – if he was truly Brody – that he didn't need to be pulled by someone that wasn't truly his family," Chandler later said.

"The whole next week we were trying to decide what to do. Finally, I decided to fly up there," Stevens said.

She arrived in Philadelphia on March 9 and was picked up by Marianne Perry, a North East resident and a volunteer with the Mutt Movers. Perry took Stevens to the SPCA where she made the positive identification, and the group then headed back to Perry's home.

Brody was, by all appearances, one happy dog, Perry recalled.

"His huge tail waved the whole ride, and I think it wagged all the time he was at our house," she said with a laugh.

The next morning, Stevens flew back to Jacksonville while Brody, because of his advanced age, was transported home by the Mutt Movers who had received his itinerary and description via email.

"Passenger: Brody; Age: 9 years (they have had him since he was 3 years old!)," the email described him. "Size/weight: 95 pounds (they clearly love him!); General temperament: Very sweet, loving, mellow and friendly – loves everyone and everything; Reason for transport: Being reunited with family after being dognapped."

Perry took the lab as far as Bethesda. He was then picked up by another volunteer and relayed down the East Coast by a total of 10 different Mutt Movers.

At 9:30 p.m. on March 10, after a two-and-a-half week adventure, Brody arrived in Jacksonville and was reunited with his family.

"It was a stressful couple of weeks – it felt like one of our family members disappeared," Stevens said. “But I have to give so much credit to Martha’s Mutt Movers, to strangers who just volunteer to transport animals. Brody really is the luckiest – the wonder dog.”

Source: http://www.cecildaily.com/news/local_news/article_84c49360-6ee9-11e1-83b5-001871e3ce6c.html

Sasha, terrier

Family of a Woodhaven solider reunited with his lost dog 2 weeks after she went missing
Posted: 03/14/2012
By: Glenda Lewis

WOODHAVEN, Mich. (WXYZ) - When Mark Lowery was walking his stepson's dog Sasha, she saw something she wanted and went after it.

"She saw a small animal or something and took off, busted the leash and was gone," Lowery says.

Her real owner is a world away, in Turkey serving our country as a Senior Airman in the United States Air Force. Joe says mom and dad were taking care of Sasha for him for a little while.

"I miss her terribly, they tried everything and no one knows where she is," he says.

As Mark was showing us the area behind his Wellington Manor Apartment in Woodhaven, the phone rang, it was Joe's mom saying Sasha had been found.

"Follow me to the Woodhaven/Trenton Animal Control," said Mark.

Sasha screeched when she saw Mark, just about the same way Joe did when we called him back in Turkey to talk about the good news.

"I am so thankful to everyone who helped me on-line, in one day of posting pictures she was found," he says.



Source: http://www.wxyz.com/dpp/news/region/wayne_county/family-of-a-local-solider-reunited-with-his-lost-dog-2-weeks-after-she-went-missing

Lilly, black lab mix

Lilly is Home After 262 Days Missing!
On March 17, 2012

PAWS is thrilled to announce that the last of the missing PAWS dogs, Lilly, is finally home after 262 days in the wild!

Lilly is an elderly black lab mix that got away from her adoptive family on June 28th, 2011. Lilly had only arrived to the DC metro area a mere two days before from the PAWS sanctuary in Missouri. She was a “worst case scenario” to lose- timid, desperately fearful of people, and completely unfamiliar with her surroundings.

PAWS volunteers immediately launched into action. We organized massive volunteer searches with up to 30 people and placed over 2,000 posters and fliers in the area Lilly was lost. We then arranged for three humane traps to be monitored by motion detected cameras and checked by incredible volunteers three times a days. We sent out 1,000 postcards to the neighbors through Pet Harbor, and three rounds of automated telephone messages through FindToto. Every animal control unit, veterinary clinic, police station, fire department, highway department, school, and church were notified. Thousands of emails went out to Yahoo message groups and local rescue groups. A “Help Us Find Lilly” blog and facebook page were created.

When all of that didn’t work, we flew her best dog friend, Cheyenne, from Vermont to DC with a volunteer Pilot through PilotsnPAWs to aid in the search. Thousand of dollars were spent and an entire community was looking for a black mutt that had once been dumped on the side of the road and shot at by an uncaring owner.

During the first month, we received multiple phone calls reporting sightings. But as time went on- fewer and fewer calls came in. Our last reliable sighting was September 9th, 2011. After that, things went dead for seven long, painful months. We kept trying different ideas to continue to reach out to the public, but none of our efforts yielded anything.

That all changed on March 7th, 2012. A lovely woman named Sylvia called and said, ““I think I may have been feeding your dog for the last six months.” Sylvia’s description of Lilly was impeccable- down to the speckled white spots on her feet. She said she had noticed a timid black dog who started coming to her property late September and eating the food she put out for the birds and squirrels. She said the dog would never allow her to approach, but had become quite comfortable lounging in her yard for hours on end. She had named the dog “Lucky” and noticed a sign at the grocery store with “Lucky’s" picture on it, but the sign called the dog Lilly.

We frantically ran to the property to put up cameras as Sylvia said that Lilly arrived every day between 7am-9am. The following morning, when this picture of Lilly appeared on my cell phone, I burst into tears. I had dreamed of the moment I would receive a new picture of Lilly- alive and safe. Shaking all over, I made phone calls to the volunteers who had spent well over 300 hours searching for her. Volunteers who had never even met Lilly and never even knew me prior to Lilly going missing. I called her previous foster Mom in Missouri who could not speak and sobbed with excitement.

Watch the video footage of Sylvia feeding Lilly HERE

Not willing to risk anything going wrong, we have hired Steve Hagey who owns “Detect a Pet USA” and has been trapping elusive animals for the last 10 years. Steve uses an elaborate “enclosure system” over the course of 2-4 days using 7ft high wiring camouflaged in the environment the dog came to on a day to day basis. He would place a piece of fencing and then judge the dog’s comfort level with the use surveillance and photos. As long as the dog was comfortable- he would continue to put up the enclosure piece by piece. When it was finally complete, he would monitor the enclosure from afar and use a remote control to close the small gate that led into the enclosure- effectively capturing the lost dog.

He began the project on Tuesday Lilly was not at all phased. By Wednesday, Steve sent a message saying that he believed Lilly would be captured late Thursday night or early Friday morning. The next 48 hours were some of the longest days of all of our lives. We agonized that something would go wrong. But Steve remained steadfast and quietly went about his job. On Thursday afternoon, Steve sent another message letting us know that the enclosure was complete and he was now on the property to monitor the trap until Lilly was captured. None of us slept that night and when Steve called me at 03:36am to say, “”Kelly, we have her. She’s safe!” I could hardly think straight.

So many things go through your head at once.. You think you must still be dreaming. You think that it is too good to be true. You think that maybe another dog must be caught… And then you find yourself operating in automatic pilot, “Oh my god Steve- thank you. I’ll be there in 20 minutes.”

The drive to Beltsville to get Lilly was a blur. 9 months of agony, the side stories, all the people that have helped you get to this moment- flash in a completely illogical sequence.

My heart was beating so hard when I arrived to Sylvia’s house. Lilly was in a humane trap wide-eyed, but calmer than I would have ever imagined her to be. Sylvia was speaking to her in the most gentle and soothing voice. We carried her trap to the garage where she was transferred into a crate and placed in the car.

And then, at 430 in the morning, five people who had never known each other prior to Lilly’s adventure cried, laughed, and uttered the phrase, “I don’t believe it” at least seven hundred times. Lilly looked on cautiously, and, when she got tired of the chatter- laid her head down in the crate and drifted off to sleep.

I’m sure many more details will come to mind as the days go on, but all that matters right now is that it is raining and Lilly is inside where she is nice and warm.

We invite you to follow Lilly as she transitions to a life back inside on her blog. Here you will find her first pancake breakfast, her reunion with Cheyenne, and photos of her sleeping comfortably on every dog bed in the house.

There are so many people to thank for this rescue but we would like to send an extra special thank you to Suzanne Arnold, Yvonne Curry, and Dana Amato for the hundreds of hours they put in looking for Lilly. Elly Rivera from Pork Chop’s Way for fostering and then adopting Cheyenne. Ted Ladd with the Beltsville News for his three stories about Lilly and WTOP for their radio spot about her. Thank you to the many people who came out looking, helped put up signs, scoured local pounds, called in sightings, and sent us encouraging emails. And of course, this rescue would never have been possible without the amazing Sylvia Walker who kept Lilly alive for the last seven months and the phenomenal Steve Hagey with Detect-a-Pet USA who is the man responsible for getting her home. We are overwhelmed by the level of community support and will forever be grateful to all of you…

Source & more photos: http://www.pawsnewengland.com/lilly-is-home-after-262-days-missing/

Scout, Shetland sheepdog

Grieving man's dog found
By Lisa O'donnell
March 16, 2012

Still grieving over his mother's death in a house fire, Steve Morris spent much of Wednesday and Thursday dealing with another heartbreak — the disappearance of his beloved dog, Scout.

The story ended on a happy note Thursday evening when Scout, a Shetland sheepdog, and Morris were reunited.

Scout had provided Morris some comfort during what had been a painful week. Morris' mother, Sue Morris, and her dog, Sarge, were killed in an apartment fire in Kernersville last week.

On Saturday, Morris and other family members scattered his mother's ashes from an overlook at Pilot Mountain.

"She was never specific about where she wanted her ashes scattered. She just told us, 'Take them somewhere pretty.' She liked Pilot Mountain. We used to take her there," Morris said.

Still on bereavement leave, Morris decided to return to Pilot Mountain with Scout on Wednesday to get some fresh air and enjoy a beautiful day.

"I've taken him backpacking and hiking quite a bit," said Morris, who has had Scout for three years. "We've been to Cold Mountain and other places in the Appalachians."

Traveling north on US 52 near the Liberty Street exit, Morris came to a halt because of traffic in the work zone. His car was hit from behind, pushing it into a concrete median, which caused it to flip over. Scout, who had been lying on a blanket in the back of Morris' car, scampered out of a broken window and bolted down US 52.

Morris, who sustained a few minor cuts but was not seriously injured, wanted to run after Scout but was stopped by police, who needed him to answer questions about the wreck.

After more than an hour with police, Morris scoured the area to no avail. Later, his wife and some of her friends joined the search. Some people in the area reported seeing Scout near the KFC on Liberty Street.

The driver of the other car, Ashley Payne of Winston-Salem, was charged with failure to reduce speed and driving with a revoked license, according to a report from Winston-Salem police.

Morris, the regional service director of the Boys & Girls Club of America, lives in Trinity. He was too sore from the wreck to help search for Scout on Thursday.

Wendy Rivers, his wife, was back in the area around 7 am with a group of friends, posting flyers and talking with business owners and residents.

Thursday afternoon, an employee with Brown's Car Wash on Patterson Avenue, flagged Rivers down, saying he had spotted Scout in a fenced-in area next to the business.

"It was an area where we had been looking. We must have looked there 10 times but he never came out. He must have been in hiding," Rivers said.

The fenced-in area was locked for the day. Rivers, with the help of a ladder, climbed over the fence, grabbed Scout, who weighs about 25 pounds and handed him to the car wash employee, who was waiting on a ladder on the other side.

"I knew I probably should have called the owners of the property to let us in but Scout was so excited to see me," Rivers said.

Scout has a slight limp but Morris expects the two will soon be back on the trail.

Source: http://www2.journalnow.com/news/2012/mar/15/2/grieving-man-hopes-to-find-missing-dog-ar-2048126/
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Velcro, Westie

Lost Dog Reunited With Owner Year Later
Microchip Credited With Happy Reunion
March 13, 2012


INDIANAPOLIS -- An Indianapolis woman who was heartsick for more than a year worrying about her missing dog now has reason to celebrate.

Eve Dahl had cared for Velcro, an 11-year-old westie, since she was a puppy.

"She kind of stuck to me as a pup. She was a pup that I kept," Dahl said.

But Velcro went missing early last year, leaving Dahl heartbroken.

"Someone had left the gate open and (she) took off," she said. "The thing that worried me was she might be used as bait in a dog fight, and that just worried me to no end."

Dahl put out hundreds of flyers, but Velcro was nowhere to be found.

Dahl lost hope until earlier this month, when she was holding her other dog and received a surprising call.

"A man called. He didn't say where he was from, and he said, 'Are you missing a dog?' And I said, 'No, he's sitting right here in my lap,'" Dahl said. "And then he said, 'Velcro,' and I just lost it."

The man, who was with Indianapolis Animal Care and Control, told Dahl that Velcro had been picked up as a stray and that a scan of her microchip revealed her owner's information.

Elizabeth Murphy, a veterinarian at the Broad Ripple Animal Clinic, said she's seen the simple procedure lead to countless happy reunions.

"It's not a lot different than the vaccines that we give. It's just a larger needle, and the microchip is implanted under the surface of the skin, usually over the shoulder blades," Murphy said.

The chip is permanent, so even a year later or longer, pets like Velcro can make it back home.

"It's just a good thing to be microchipped," Dahl said. "If she hadn't, like I said, I would have never seen her again."

Dahl said Velcro was healthy when she got her back, as though someone, at some point, had been caring for her.

Source: http://www.theindychannel.com/news/30672878/detail.html

Stolen yorkie puppy

Dog reunited | Stolen dog reunited with owner
Howard Portnoy, Pet News Examiner
March 9, 2012

In a story that sounds straight out of a spy novel, a stolen 7-week-old Yorkie puppy was reunited with his owner, according to the New York Post.

The dog, which requires special food and vitamins, was shoplifted from a Brooklyn pet store owned by David Dietz on February 16. The theft was orchestrated by two teenagers.

Even after police apprehended the suspects (who have been charged with grand larceny), the whereabouts of the pooch remained a mystery. Or at least that was the case until Wednesday, when Dietz’s partner, Merri Weinstein, took a phone call from an anonymous woman who claim she wanted to return the dog. The mystery caller said a second call would be placed to the store at noon of the following day.

In an audio recording of the conversation, the unidentified caller tells a nervous Dietz. “I don’t want any trouble. If you want the dog back, go to 87th and Farragut Road, there’s a note on the tree.” Shortly afterward, she hung up.

Dietz drove to the appointed location, and after a brief search found the clue. A note, fastened to a tree, read simply:

Sorry I don’t want any trouble. I am given [sic] dog back. Maybe for reward. Dog is at Flatbush Ave. triangle by new Walgreens store. Got this dog from boy. Don’t want any trouble so I put dog in box at food store.

Dietz drove next to the intersection described in the note. Noticing a man working outside a diner, he asked whether the man had seen anyone with a box.

Dietz was led inside the diner, where he found the panic-stricken puppy thrashing about in a cardboard box.



The pet store owner is elated to have his dog back and claims he is still willing to offer a reward to the person who returned the Yorkie.

Source: http://www.examiner.com/pet-news-in-national/stolen-dog-reunited-with-owner
Another version of the story here

Pocket, chihuahua

Family reunited with stolen pet chihuahua
Published on Friday 9 March 2012 15:51

A BELOVED pet dog has been reunited with its family in Old Leake – more than eight months after being stolen.

Pocket the Chihuahua was taken while on a shopping trip to Skegness with her owner on July 2 last year.

The incident was captured on CCTV with images showing an unknown man taking the dog from outside a shop in Lumley Road where she was tethered.

Owner Jodie Carr, and her three children, aged 13, nine and three, of Station Road, were left ‘devastated’ and ‘crying themselves to sleep’ following the incident.

After eight long months, it seemed all hope was lost – but thanks to publicity in The Standard and police appeals spreading to social networking sites – Pocket’s notoriety meant she had become ‘hot property’.

“I didn’t believe it when I heard they had found her and just thought it was probably a different dog,” said Jodie, 32.

“We are so relieved to get her back, and it is like she has never been away.”

The fawn-coloured chihuahua was discovered last month tied to a lamp post in the Lincoln area.

She was picked up by a dog warden who scanned her microchip which contained the information about her true owners.

“We wouldn’t have got her back if it wasn’t for the microchip,” said Jodie.

She added: “I would recommend anyone who loves their pet gets it micro-chipped.”

Police believe the tiny dog was abandoned after the thief became concerned about all the attention her disappearance was generating.

Pcso Dave Bunker, of Skegness Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “Everyone is delighted to hear that Pocket has been safely reunited with her family.”

He added: “We are very grateful to the websites and media who covered the story and to all the social media users who re-tweeted our appeals and helped spread the word about the theft.”

Source: http://www.bostonstandard.co.uk/news/crime/family-reunited-with-stolen-pet-chihuahua-1-3610038

Maxx, maltese

Dog stolen from yard returned
Posted: 03/05/12

SOUTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, Fla. (WSVN) -- A South Florida family has been reunited with their pet dog after the woman who took the dog returned him.

Barbara Ferran and her three children now have their 7-pound Maltese mix "Maxx" back after their surveillance video caught a woman stealing the dog.

7News aired the story on Sunday and shortly after the woman walked back up to the house with Maxx. "Not even 10 minutes ago she started knocking on the door," said Ferran. "Because of your broadcast, we got our dog back and we got him so quickly, that's the good thing, right baby?."

Thursday afternoon, Ferran's children came home and opened their front gate. Home surveillance video shows the family's two dogs, Maxx included, sprint into the front yard.

The children left Maxx and their other dog outside to play like they always do. "I think the Jack Russell came back in but I don't remember seeing my dog, Maxx, come back in a second time," said Bianca Benitez.

Several minutes later, the same surveillance video shows a white sport utility vehicle pull into the family's driveway. A neighbor then walks over to talk to the female driver inside the SUV. The female driver gets out of her vehicle and appears to play with both dogs. "They we're both loose in the front, which implies that she didn't care about whether they were safe or not," said Barbara Ferran. "If she was concerned about that, she would have come to the door or perhaps put them behind the gate."

Then it looks like a woman is specifically trying to get Maxx' attention. When she does, the video shows the woman scooping Maxx up, walking back to the car and driving away with the dog. "He would always just bark really loud if he felt something was strange coming towards him or happening," said Lazaro Benitez.

The family is grateful Maxx is now back where he belongs. "She handed me the dog and she said, ‘Take better care of the dog. I almost ran him over,’” said Bianca Benitez. "I'm honestly happy that I got my dog back but I mean, the way that woman came, she was so furious."

The woman who took Maxx denied any wrongdoing to the family. "And I said, 'You're the woman that stole our dog.' And she say, 'I didn't steal your dog.' And I say, 'Of course you stole my dog!'" said Ferran.

With no apology and no explanation, the woman left the same way she came- without regard for the family. "She came here like a pit bull arguing. I mean she screamed at my daughter when she answered the door," said Ferran.

Ferran followed the woman to her vehicle, took down the license plate number and intends on giving it to police.

Source: http://www.wsvn.com/news/articles/local/21006861601031/dog-stolen-from-yard-returned/
Original video here

Loki, boxer/pit bull mix

Lost for a Month, Loki Gets Happy Ending
By Sandy Quadros Bowles
March 5, 2012

Missing dog is happily reunited with his Shrewsbury family; owner works in Framingham

Like all good love stories, this one ended with a kiss.

But it began in a far less romantic setting: A utility pole on Millbury Street in Grafton.

That was where, alerted by a friend active in collie rescue, I saw a poster about a month ago about a lost boxer/pit bull mix named Loki.

Loki lives in Shrewsbury with his family. He had escaped from a doggie day care place in Northbridge and had been sighted in Grafton.

His family, as animal lovers out there can understand, missed him desperately. And with each day, they worried more about Loki’s chances,

I posted a story about Loki on Grafton Patch. I know how much people care about animals and was certain readers would do what they could to help. I understood. Animals are one of the few things I love more than writing.

One of my favorite events of the year allows me to combine the two. The annual pet expo, sponsored by Osborne/Jenks, took place in Providence this weekend.

I always go. I check out the animal products, add to my overflowing pet-related T-shirt collection and maybe even get a story idea or two,

I was about halfway there, on Route 146 South near Uxbridge, when I spotted what at first glance looked like a small deer.

At second glance, I realized this was not a deer but a dog. Strange, a dog walking along Route 146….Then it hit me: I knew this dog.

This was Loki.

I called Loki’s owner, Anthony Kent, who works in Framingham. To my surprise, he wasn't shocked.

He had heard reports that Loki was hanging around the area I had seen him. Someone reported seeing him eating trash in the area. But as soon as the person even drove by him, Loki bolted.

More than once, Anthony and his other dog, Hunter, tracked Loki for hours but came up empty.

Now I had seen him in the same area. But like the others who had spotted him, even though I crouched to appear less threatening and spoke softly, Loki fled toward nearby woods.

Anthony drove down with Hunter and began yet another search, trudging through snow into adjacent woods and neighborhoods.

But this time, Loki would get his happy ending,

About an hour later, I watched as Anthony headed into the woods with Hunter, and out with Hunter and Loki.

Loki was frighteningly thin, and I immediately thought that another day or two in the cold might have been more than he could have taken.

But he was still bouncy and clearly happy to be with his family. He posed happily for a photo and gave me the best reward: A sloppy kiss

Now he is happily home, resting and recuperating from an ordeal that took him throughout the Blackstone Valley.

Anthony, too, could use the rest: He spent hours tracking Loki, on foot and through social media, while living his life and working at Bernardi Auto Group in Framingham.

I can’t wait to see Loki again in a few days, after he has regained his strength. And when I do, I will share the story.

And happily.

Because I have covered way too much sad endings.

But I have also been blessed, as a community journalist, to write more than my share of stories about people - not celebrities, not famous politicians, but ordinary people - taking small steps that can add up to big changes in their town and in the world.

They do it by keeping their eyes, ears and curious minds open to all possibilities.

Because when you do, you never know what - or who - you might find.

Source: http://framingham.patch.com/articles/lost-for-a-month-loki-gets-happy-ending?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Daisy, English springer spaniel

Dog missing for five years is reunited with Toton owners .
Tuesday, March 06, 2012 Nottingham Post

A TOTON couple have been reunited with their dog – almost five years after she went missing.

Daisy, an English springer spaniel, and her brother Flynn disappeared from their local park in April 2007.

But while owners Margaret and Colin Froggatt found Flynn soon after, Daisy was never recovered.

The couple received a phone call out of the blue a few weeks ago, saying Daisy had turned up around 40 miles away in Doncaster.

Mrs Froggatt said: "We searched everywhere after she went missing. We made up posters, did a door-to-door hunt, went online and even asked the local radio station to ask if anyone had seen her.

"We thought we would never see her again and just hoped that someone kind had got her and was looking after her."

The couple, however, received a phone call from dog wardens in Doncaster saying Daisy had turned up.

She had been found as a stray in Doncaster by two women, and after scanning a microchip in Daisy, the wardens were able to reunite her with the Froggatts.

Mrs Froggatt said: "It was a very emotional reunion. We took her home feeling as if we had won the lottery.

"We have no real idea about her life up to the time she was found.

"She is truly part of the family once more. Flynn realised that the boss was back but, despite a few moments early on, they get on well now."

Source: http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/Dog-missing-years-reunited-Toton-owners/story-15410637-detail/story.html
Another story and more pics here

Coco, chocolate lab

Alabama Man and Dog Have Tearful Reunion After Devastating Tornado
by Amanda Kelly
Published March 5, 2012

Americans in parts of the Midwest and the South have been engaging in a fierce battle with Mother Nature—and Mother Nature is winning. With a series of devastating tornadoes ravaging the area, dozens have been killed and many more displaced as their homes, and essentially their way of life, has been destroyed.

Still in spite of the myriad of news articles relaying the devastation and destruction, there is one story that illustrates the light at the end of a very dark tunnel for one Alabama man, Greg Cook, whose home was destroyed when the tornado came through Limestone County.

Only Cook’s beloved dog Coco was at home when the Category 5 tornado ripped through his house. Cook rushed home after the forceful winds had subsided, only to see that his house, along with 50 others, had been destroyed.

Yet, Cook was not worried about losing his house or any of his personal belongings to the storm—he was worried about losing his beloved Chocolate Lab.

After sifting through the broken remnants of his home, Cook spotted Coco sopping wet and shivering in what was left of his hallway.

It was a tearful reunion for Cook and Coco. “It was just such a relief, I was happy to see him,” Cook said upon finding Coco. “I love my dog, he’s my best friend and I was just so happy to see him.”

Source: http://www.petside.com/article/alabama-man-and-dog-have-tearful-reunion-after-devastating-tornado

Dooley, sheltie

Dog who survived 53 DAYS lost in the wild after car crash is reunited with his owner
By Associated Press
Last updated at 10:24 PM on 4th March 2012

Barbara Bagley says she never gave up hope that her dog would be found alive in the Nevada desert after the animal bolted from the scene of a crash that critically injured her and killed her husband.

But the Salt Lake City woman endured plenty of frustration until her beloved 4-year-old Shetland sheepdog, Dooley, was tracked down February 18 after surviving 53 days in the wild on roadkill and scattered ranch water sources.

'I would think about Dooley constantly,' she said. 'There were TV commercials with dogs that made me think about him and cry. He's just the sweetest dog.'

The December 27 single-vehicle accident on Interstate 80 near Battle Mountain, about 225 miles east of Reno, sent Bagley and her 55-year-old husband, Brad Vom Baur, to the hospital in critical condition.
Their other sheltie, Delaney, was killed in the wreck. Dooley ran away and vanished.

Ms Bagley, 48, suffered a concussion, broken ribs, a shattered wrist and two punctured lungs. As soon as she mustered up enough strength, she turned her attention to a search for her dog in the sprawling sage-covered plains and hills of northeastern Nevada.
Realizing what Dooley could mean for her recovery, dozens of Nevada volunteers responded to a Facebook plea for help in looking for him.

But the search was cancelled before it began after the January 6 discovery of what appeared to be the dog's remains along the interstate. The same day, her husband died.

'It was a horrible day for me,' Ms Bagley recalled. 'But something inside me told me Dooley was still alive out there. I wasn't 100 per cent sure, but I didn't grieve for Dooley like I did for my husband and our other dog.'

Reunion: Ms Bagley says she never gave up hope that her beloved dog Dooley would be found safe
More than three weeks later, Ms Bagley's spirits were buoyed after a woman reported spotting 'a Lassie-type' dog near the accident scene.

A subsequent search joined by Ms Bagley turned up nothing, but a railroad crew spotted a dog matching the same description in mid-February in the same area about 15 miles east of Battle Mountain.

Further searches netted a positive identification of Dooley but frustration as well because the skittish dog kept fleeing from Ms Bagley and other searchers.

Finally, Shannon Sustacha of Lamoille, who was on horseback, and a Bagley friend driving a Jeep cornered Dooley only five miles from the crash scene.

The friend managed to nab the sheltie and put him in the Jeep.

An ecstatic, tearful Ms Bagley arrived at the scene a short time later.

'Barbara got next to us and said three times, 'You think he'll remember me?'' Ms Sustacha said.

'When Barbara opened the door and looked at him, she said, 'My beautiful boy, my beautiful boy, you're home.' Oh, boy, all of us cried. I knew his adventure in Nevada was over. I also knew he and Barbara could start healing together.'

A short time later, an exhausted Dooley sat on his owner's lap in the Jeep and fell asleep. He later began following Ms Bagley around.

'I was overjoyed that I was going to have him back in my life. I think he felt the same about me,' she said.
During his ordeal, Dooley's weight dropped from 44 pounds to 20 pounds. He was once spotted devouring a dead coyote along the roadway.

A long bird bone was pulled from his throat by a veterinarian.
Since then, the dog has gradually put on weight and resumed regular walks with his owner.

While Ms Bagley is still going through the grieving process over her husband's death and recovering from her injuries, Dooley's presence has picked up her spirits immensely.

'He's the physical and mental affection that I need to recover,' she said.

'I owe him so much for the hope I have now and the renewed faith I have in prayer. Dogs are so great because of their unconditional love.'

Ms Bagley, a phlebotomy supervisor at LDS Hospital in Salt Lake City, also thinks her husband had something to do with Dooley's safe return home.


'It's a message from my husband who was looking out for him,' Bagley said. 'It was a miracle that we got Dooley. He couldn't have survived much longer out there.'

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2110211/Barbara-Bagley-reunited-lost-Shetland-sheepdog-Dooley-survived-53-DAYS-lost-wild-car-crash.html

Video at http://news.yahoo.com/dog-survives-53-days-wild-reunited-owner-213444488.html

Sabrina, sharpei

Lost dog found on Birmingham train tracks reunited with owner
by Jasbir Authi, Birmingham Mail
Mar 2 2012

A LOST dog who spent six days wandering Birmingham’s rail tracks has been reunited with her owner – after surviving being hit by a train.

See the video at: http://www.birminghammail.net/_services/ajax/ajax_controller.cfm?event=kyteURL&t=video&u=channels/407148/1615716

Sabrina, a traditional Shar-Pei, vanished into a train tunnel at New Street Station on February 20 after slipping her collar.

Owner Kate Mulleady, 55, had popped into a shop at the station to buy milk and had handed her dog’s lead to a staff member.

But Sabrina, who was brought to Britain from Bolivia just two months ago, suddenly panicked and bolted.

Teacher Kate, who lives in the city centre, said: “Sabrina raced back into New Street Station, found her way on to the tracks and went into the tunnel.”

The three-year-old dog was spotted ten hours later by rail workers who failed to catch her – and then saw her running down the tracks towards Smethwick.

Kate got a call nearly a week later saying badly-injured Sabrina had been found lying at the side of the tracks in Dudley Road, Winson Green.

She had been hit by a train and was missing part of her back leg. Two council dog wardens took her to a Moseley vet where she had her left hind leg amputated.

“She was in a dreadful state, she must have been close to death,” Kate said.

“We were reunited and the vet operated on her straight away.”

Despite her nightmare ordeal, Sabrina’s tail is now wagging again and she is getting her appetite back at home.

Kate said: “Sabrina will be fine. She is originally from Bolivia. My daughter works for the World Bank there and is returning in April. She brought Sabrina here in December so she could settle down.

‘‘I will now be keeping my eye on her 100 per cent!’’

Vikki Allwood, senior animal health and welfare officer for Birmingham City Council, said: “It was a lucky escape for the dog.

‘‘It could have been killed or, if the rail track staff hadn’t noticed, it could have died a slow death at the side of the track.”

Source: http://www.birminghammail.net/news/top-stories/2012/03/02/lost-dog-found-on-birmingham-train-tracks-reunited-with-owner-97319-30442189/