Tanzie, goldendoodle

Whitby family reunites with lost dog
Tanzie had been living in Camp Samac for four months
Kristen Calis
Dec 06, 2012

I'm a big fan of happy endings, so I thought I'd share this local story that ended happily last week.

Whitby resident Catherine Kennedy was happy to share this heart-warming tale with me.

It all started when the Kennedys adopted a goldendoodle, Tanzie, when she was three years old. They got her from a breeder they believe was abusing and neglecting her, making for a very timid pooch.

After four months of Tanzie, centre, being lost in Oshawa, the pooch was reunited with Catherine Kennedy and her family. Also pictured is the family's other dog, Tucker.

"Tanzie is not your normal dog, but she's the biggest sweetheart," said Catherine.

In July, Tanzie escaped from a friend's backyard in Oshawa and the family and friends did all they could to find her -- they put up posters, and called Oshawa Animal Services and shelters. The friend, who felt terrible about Tanzie's escape, kept the gate open to her backyard in case the dog decided to return.

"You want to maintain that little bit of hope, but knowing how scared she was to begin with, we thought it probably wouldn't happen," said Catherine.

Meanwhile, a Bowmanville woman named Paula Bund had learned of a missing dog (she was told a poodle) that was spotted numerous times in the Camp Samac area of Oshawa, and she wanted to help find her. Paula, who rescues dogs through Standard Poodle Rescue, called Oshawa Animal Services for Catherine's contact information. The City wouldn't give it to her due to privacy protocol, but they said they'd call her instead.

Meanwhile, Paula -- who called the dog 'Samac' -- continued to look for her every day and waited for Catherine to call. She even enlisted help from locals -- then strangers -- who allowed Paula to put treats and food in their yards. One couple, Edward and Lillian Steel, let the rescue group set up a dog house and wait for Tanzie in their backyard. The Steels had noticed Tanzie spending a lot of time in their yard but could never catch her.

Other than getting this help, Paula kept quiet about the stakeout for Tanzie because she feels too many people can scare a dog off.

When Catherine finally learned about Paula, she immediately met with her at the post. But they didn't reunite so quickly. It took multiple tries over one week but finally, Catherine and her family spotted Tanzie from the Steel's backyard.

"I called her and she just came running up the hill," said Catherine. "It was a scene from a movie. It was unreal."

Tanzie was a bit scruffy and thinner, but Catherine and her husband, their kids and their other dog Tucker were thrilled to have her back.

"Tucker's just been ballistic," Catherine said.

Sometimes the kindness of strangers can make a big difference in someone's world.

"Without that effort to go and get her, I don't think Tanzie would have been reunited with Catherine and that's just sad," said Paula.

Catherine was amazed by the community support.

"There are so many good people out there," she said. "That was really nice to see."

Source: http://www.durhamregion.com/community/petsanimals/article/1549592--whitby-family-reunites-with-lost-dog