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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1 comment:
My aheltie went missing for 3 week's, hiding out in the wood's near the lake which was close to my home. It is so heartbreaking with worry for their safety. I am so happy to know you have found your furbaby safe and sound and you two are going to be OK.
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