By: Penny Eims
August 9, 2012
A service dog named Tia was nearly killed in a California animal control facility last week.
Her story is amazing, miraculous - almost unbelievable in fact. Readers of this column unwittingly followed portions of her story - as did I, the author of the stories.
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| Tia, before she went missing |
Back to the beginning...
Eight months ago, Tia disappeared from her home in Prince Edward County, Va. The dog, who served as a service dog to her disabled veteran owner, Karren Cooper, had bounded into the woods and disappeared.
The initial story about Tia's disappearance, found below, dates back to January 5, 2012.
Fast forward to a story which I published on August 2 - just seven days ago.
In that story, an alert had been issued for a young, German shepherd housed in a Southern Los Angeles animal control facility; the dog had just 3 days to live.
Unbeknownst to me, this dog was in fact, Tia, the missing service dog from Virginia.
According to ABC 6 News, Tia was rescued by a Missouri dog trainer who somehow connected the dots after finding a post on Facebook. That trainer contacted Cooper, who was able to finally, after eight months, be reunited with her missing dog.
Cooper speculates that her dog was stolen.
What a journey this dog has had.
Sadly, Tia was never microchipped; had she been, it is highly unlikely that she would have been at risk of death at the California animal control facility.
An incredible reunion - a miracle save.
Source: http://www.examiner.com/article/an-unbelievable-reunion-for-lost-service-dog-who-was-nearly-killed-a-shelter
Original story at http://www.examiner.com/article/veteran-s-service-dog-missing
Veteran's service dog missing
By: Penny Eims
January 5, 2012
Prince Edward County, VA - Tia is a 4 yr-old German shepherd who functions as a service dog for a disabled veteran named Karren Cooper.
Tia is a friend, companion and lifeline for Cooper who suffered a disabling brain injury during Desert Storm.
But right now Tia is missing and Cooper is beside herself with worry.
On New Years Eve, Tia disappeared after bolting into dense woods off of Meherrin Road.
Since that time, Cooper has been scouring the woods with the help of local hunters - calling for the missing dog to no avail.
Earlier today, a possible sighting was reported in the Quail Reed subdivision in Cumberland County.
A woman spotted a dog who looked like Tia, but that dog bolted away.
Cooper spent the afteroon in the area, once again, walking and calling out for her dog.
Cooper thinks that someone may have picked Tia up and dropped her in Cumberland County after seeing a local news story about the missing dog.
When Tia disappeared, she was wearing an orange collar and tags (which may have fallen off during her travels). At the time, her owner's phone number was written on the collar in permanent ink as well.
Tia is not microchipped.
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