Cody, labradoodle

N. Massapequa family reunited with dog missing 13 days
By Tara Conry
Thursday February 27, 2014

A North Massapequa family had their hearts broken this Valentine’s Day when their dog, Cody, ran away. But after 13 days without their 8-year-old labradoodle, the Donovans were reunited Thursday with their furry companion.

“It was horrible, like losing a child,” Kerry Donovan, 52, told Oyster Bay Town Supervisor John Venditto as he picked up the dog from the town’s animal shelter in Syosset.

Kerry Donovan, 52, of North Massapequa, and his sons -- Michael, 14, and Matthew, 17, -- are reunited with their labradoodle, Cody, at the Oyster Bay Town Animal Shelter on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2014, 13 days after their dog went missing. 

Donovan’s youngest son, Michael, 14, said he was with with his mom, Mary, picking up Cody from a groomer in Massapequa on Feb. 14 when something spooked the dog and it wiggled out of its harness. Cody bolted down Broadway, heading northeast into the Massapequa Preserve.

“My heart was racing,” Michael said. “I walked through that whole preserve for about three hours by myself looking for him, but I didn’t see anything.”

The next day, Michael’s brother, Matthew, 17, spotted the dog inside the preserve, about 10 feet from where he was standing, and called out to it.

“His head popped up, so I knew it was him,” Matthew said.

But Matthew said as he walked toward Cody, the dog sprinted away and he couldn’t catch him.

The Donovans blanketed the communities with hundreds of flyers, created a Facebook page and continued to search for the dog every day, but they weren’t the only ones looking. A friend of the family had contacted the Town of Oyster Bay Animal Shelter, which deployed its staff to the area almost immediately to sniff out the dog.

Friends, neighbors and strangers also joined the search efforts, sharing Cody’s photo on social media, reporting sightings of the dog and scouting the area. On Sunday, Donovan said more than 100 volunteers fanned out throughout the preserve looking for Cody, but the dog eluded them.

Finally, on Thursday morning, Donovan received a call from shelter director Laurie Scarpa letting him know she had Cody. She said the dog had been caught by one of the two traps her staff had set up Wednesday behind homes bordering the preserve, where Cody had been spotted before. They had placed bacon donated from a local deli inside to lure him in.

“It was a long couple of weeks, we all are exhausted, but we wanted to find him,” Scarpa said.

Should he go missing again, the search shouldn’t be as exhausting thanks to a new microchip outfitted for Cody.

Aside from a roughly 15-pound weight loss and a possibly infected front paw, Donovan said Cody survived the ordeal relatively well. However, he did appear very tired.

“He’s overwhelmed by his experience, but I’m sure when he sees his mommy, my wife Mary, he’s going to go nuts,” he said. “It’s going to be a very happy night."

Source: http://www.newsday.com/long-island/towns/long-island-now-1.1732330/n-massapequa-family-reunited-with-dog-missing-13-days-1.7233276

Mika, Staffy

Family reunited with missing pregnant dog
By Chiara Giordano, Plymouth Herald
February 24, 2014

A FAMILY spoke of their relief to be reunited with their pregnant dog after she went missing.

Kirstie Logan and her daughter, Sammie-Lea Logan, were thrilled to have their Staffy, Mika, back safe and sound at home on Wednesday.

Sammie-Lea Logan and Kirstie Logan reunited with missing Mika

The Staffy went missing while six-weeks pregnant, on Saturday February 15, when Kirstie’s daughter, Leahonna Cora Skelton, was looking after her.

Owner Kirstie, from St Jude’s, said: “I’m relieved but not about her snoring waking me up at two o'clock every morning.”

Kirstie, 40, received a phone call on Wednesday afternoon from someone who had found Mika and the family dog returned home four days after her disappearance.

“I had four strangers phone me and four people inbox me as soon as it went up on the internet,” Kirstie said.

“I want to say a massive thank you to everyone who walked the streets and people who shared the post online.

“I think Mika is a very famous dog in Plymouth at the moment.”

Source: http://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/Family-reunited-missing-pregnant-dog/story-20690983-detail/story.html

Lakota, Australian shepherd

Couple reunited with lost service dog after five months
Susan Wyatt, NWCN.com
February 23, 2014

A Washington state couple has been reunited with their service dog – five months after she disappeared from their home.

The dog named Lakota disappeared from Ken and Barb Toczek's home on Oct. 9. Ken is a disabled diabetic.

A handler tracked the 4-year-old female Australian Shepard down a forest service road and determined she was picked up by a vehicle.

"We don't know who took her," Barb said. "It was hunting season at the time she disappeared. We speculate it was a hunter that came through."

The Toczeks hired an international K-9 search unit to look for the dog and posted a notice on Craigslist.

Then, on Thursday, they got a phone call from the Whatcom Humane Society: "We think we have your dog."

At first the Toczeks were skeptical because they had had a lot of leads, but sure enough it was Lakota.

"I never thought we'd see her again," Barb said.

Apparently Lakota had showed up in Bellingham, Wash. on Oct. 10, was put in a foster home, then adopted out to a man who had her until Thursday, when he brought her back to the shelter because Lakota wasn't good with the man's girlfriend's children.

Unfortunately, Lakota was without her collar and was not chipped.

"They went on Craigslist and found her picture," Barb says.

They used a pet locator phone app and sure enough, they found Lakota's family.

"So we drove up right away and picked her up," said Barb. "She's home and we're very happy, we're just ecstatic."

Source: http://www.news10.net/story/news/nation/2014/02/23/couple-reunited-with-lost-service-dog-after-five-months/5750425/

Heidi, golden retriever

Couple reunited with lost dog after burglary
Stranger takes golden retriever in on stormy night
By Jeffrey Field
Feb 21, 2014

KANSAS CITY, Mo. —A Kansas City couple came home to find their house burglarized and their beloved golden retriever missing.

"We come into the living room and the back door is wide open and the dogs are gone," said Jordan Sachoffstall.

He and Cassie Wiggs said they found their puppy, Nawla, within a few hours. But Heidi was nowhere to be found.

They searched everywhere and posted items on social media in hopes it would help get Heidi back.

They said everything seemed hopeless until they got a phone call from Wayside Waifs.

"They said that they had our baby," Wiggs said. "A good man had brought her in and he was taking care of her, letting her sleep in his bed, and that's all I wanted."

"We had to tell ourselves that somebody who loves dogs like we do is going to have her in their house and they are going to keep her warm and they are going to feed her and they are going to bring her home to us," Sachoffstall said

Matt McClain said he took pity on Heidi when he found her outside his house. He said he lives on the opposite side of Interstate 49 from Heidi's owners.

"Last night it was nasty and stormy out, and she was outside on my front porch howling, wanting someone to bring her in," he said.

He said he took her to Wayside Waifs.

"We walked in the front door and she's standing right there in the lobby waiting for us, crying. And she just ran to us," said Sachoffstall.

Heidi is now back home with her family.

Source: http://www.kmbc.com/news/couple-reunited-with-lost-dog-after-burglary/24589402

Prince Henry, schnauzer

Dog stolen 5 years ago to be reunited with owner
by Tim Wetzel / KHOU 11 News
Posted on February 20, 2014

HOUSTON — A dog stolen from his owner more than five years ago will finally get to go back home after a local couple found the animal.

“Pulling into the driveway, I saw him wandering in the road,” said Stephen Collins. “I assumed he’d been a stray for at least a little while.”



Collins and his wife, Allie, took the dog to a vet and found out he had a microchip. Turns out the little schnauzer was stolen from his owners who were visiting Houston from San Antonio.

“Supposedly someone just broke the window and took him out of the car,” said Collins. “It’s pretty sad.”

But this story has a happy ending. The couple was able to reach the dog’s new owner and they’re planning a reunion for Saturday morning.

“I can’t imagine what the last five years would’ve been like for him, to be stolen, who knows, it would be very interesting to hear what he had to say,” Allie Collins said.

David McCary, the dog’s owner, said his pet’s real name is “Prince Henry.”

“You can only imagine what it was like to get that call today,” said McCary. “This just really shows that there are great citizens out there.”

After missing for some five years, Prince Henry will finally make his way back home this weekend.

“It brought tears to your eyes and it’s just the most warm, heartfelt moment you can have,” McCary said.

Source: http://www.kens5.com/home/Dog-stolen-5-years-ago-to-be-reunited-with-owner-246446291.html

Benny, wheaten terrier

Firefighters, animal control rescue missing dog
Dog rescued safe and sound from backyard hole
Published Friday, February 21, 2014

A small dog missing since Tuesday found himself in a tight situation Friday afternoon.

Firefighters were called to a house on Spears Street, in the St Clair Avenue and Weston Road area, to rescue a dog stuck 12 to 15 feet underground in what is believed to be an old septic tank or abandoned well.

Firefighters work to try and free a dog that fell into an abandoned septic tank in the Weston Road and Humber Boulevard North area.

Neighbours told CP24 they heard Benny, a four-year-old Wheaten Terrier, crying underneath a swimming pool.

Benny the dog with his owner Audrey immediately after being rescued from a 12 to 15 feet deep hole. (Photo courtesy of Toronto Fire Capt. Mike Strapko)

The home owner says that during a July storm, cement from the opening to the tank or well washed away.

Toronto Fire Capt. Brian Scriver said the rescue was made more difficult because of how long the dog had been down there.

“I think Benny was tired,” he told CP24 at the scene. “He had been missing since Tuesday.”

“We lowered a GoPro camera on one of our poles and we could see he was kind of relaxing in the corner out of our reach. I think he was just pooped out and didn’t want to make an appearance.”

After a few hours, and several attempts, animal control was finally able to lure Benny out in the open with food and pull him up using a rope.

Officials are unsure what kind of space Benny was stuck in.

“It looks like it may have been an old well, or an old septic tank perhaps. I’m thinking an old well,” Scriver said.

“It looks like someone had sealed it up years ago. But perhaps with the winter we had this year, erosion and the freezing has probably reopened this hole.”

The owner rushed the dog to the vet where he is expected to make a full recovery.

Source: http://www.cp24.com/news/firefighters-animal-control-rescue-missing-dog-1.1698134
Another version of the story available at http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2014/02/21/dog_reunited_with_owner_after_being_rescued_from_well.html

Nora, lost on vacation

Albany family reunited with dog lost on trip
By January Keato
Posted: Feb 20, 2014

ORLANDO, Fla. -- A dog that went missing during an Albany family's vacation in Florida has been found.

The family says they've taken the dog to the veterinarian to check her out and that she's going to be okay.

The response to the family's plight was tremendous and helped by social media. A Facebook page, "Finding Nora," was created and soon had over 2,000 likes. Images of Nora the missing dog were shared by hundreds of people.

From the Finding Nora Facebook page:

Let's see if I can put all the pieces together:

Ralph left the house early this morning to walk over to the Clubhouse to hit a bucket of golf balls. With everything going on, he needed a distraction to help relieve some stress. He wasn't gone maybe 5 minutes when he's back home. I think he's probably forgotten something and asked him what he forgot. He's crying and he says, "We're going to pick up Nora!" I screamed and asked how that was possible! He said he just a got a call on his cell phone from a man saying he had our dog. The man on the phone began to describe the dog, her collar, her pink harness, her ID tags. Now Ralph begins to believe this is for real! So they talk for a while and arrange to meet at a location in Celebration because his wife had an early appointment there. 

It seemed like it took an eternity to get to Celebration but we finally made it. No matter where you go around here, there's always tons of traffic and its usually backed up!!! We located the couple sitting on a park bench across from Starbucks...and there was Nora!!! I fell to my knees and wrapped myself around her! She was wet, smelly, full of burs, fleas, looking very tired and skinny. When I was able to compose myself, I hugged and hugged Marlene and Phil. Saying THANK YOU over and over again just didn't seem like enough. We offered them a reward but they refused to take it.

We learned that Nora had been wandering around their house for the past few days. They live in the neighborhood off Darlene Drive on the other side of Apopka-Vineland Road. This means that Nora had to cross that busy highway at some point, and the thought of that just scares me to pieces. Marlene said she heard snoring outside her bedroom window one night and when she went to investigate, found Nora sleeping under it. They started to leave food out for her and eventually Nora made her way into the backyard. Once she got in the backyard, they closed the gate so she couldn't escape. 

This morning, Phil tried to catch her but as she tried to run away, she fell in their pool! He was then able to grab her to pull her out of the pool and could read her ID tags. I had just had a new ID tag engraved with our name, home address, home phone number and Ralph's cell phone number on it. Phil called Ralph's cell phone number and the rest is history. The amazing part in all of this is that Marlene and Phil were not aware of Nora's FB page or any other news and info we had out there about Nora!!! 

We immediately took Nora to the Polo Park Animal Hospital to get checked out. They were able to take her right away and Dr. Jones was fabulous!!! He gave her a thorough examination, had some blood work done, gave her subcutaneous fluids, gave her some antibiotics and flea killer. Dr. Jones said that Nora was in remarkably good shape considering her ordeal! She was dehydrated and had lost 5 lbs. She was full of burs and fleas and was favoring one of her hind legs. We will be taking her back to Dr. Jones tomorrow for follow up blood work because one of her kidney levels was abnormal but he thinks it's just because she's so dehydrated. Her blood work tomorrow should be closer to normal levels. Her hind leg just seems to be sore and we'll keep a close eye on it. 

Nora is sleeping right now, curled up on her bed! She is obviously exhausted. It will take time but we're confident she'll be back to normal in no time. She is a fighter and a survivor!

NEWS10 ABC: Albany, New York News, Weather, Sports
Source: http://www.news10.com/story/24776536/albany-family-reunited-with-dog

Cleveland, chihuahua

Lost Therapy Dog Reunited With Owner
Written By: Maureen Wurtz
Posted: Feb 12, 2014, Updated: Feb 18, 2014

OMAHA (KPTM)- It's the kind of reunion that can melt any heart.

"He's my best friend, I don't want to cry," said Yolanda Kynard.

On Wednesday, Kynard was anxiously waiting at the Nebraska Humane Society.

She has a couple of things to be nervous about; her daughter, Paula Hunt, is a contestant on American Idol and she lost her 2-year-old therapy dog Tuesday.

"It was just like he disappeared," said Kynard.

Kynard has multiple sclerosis, or MS. She said her Chihuahua Cleveland has been her constant companion.

"We're thick as thieves-we're inseparable. And I think after this, we're going to be a lot more inseparable," said Kynard.

She said she was coming home from Lincoln Tuesday when Cleveland may have gotten out of her car. She said she had stopped to pick someone up, and he may have left to go to the bathroom.

"We were hysterical," said Kynard.

She said they found him after her family member checked the lost-and-found section under the Nebraska Humane Society.

"I can't wait to see those little teeny little paws," said Kynard.

When Cleveland made his appearance, Kynard couldn't stop from smiling and crying.

"You're so beautiful, I missed you!" said Kynard.

Officials at the humane society said when you lose a pet make sure to first file a report online or in person.

FOX 42: Omaha News

Also, make sure to check the lost-and-found web site because every stray that is found is photographed.

Source: http://www.kptm.com/story/24707349/lost-therapy-dog-reunited-with-owner

Ollie, westiepoo

Ollie the lost puppy is home safe in Gainsborough after search
3 December 2013

A puppy missing for two days after being in a car crash is back at home after about 100 people joined a search for it.

Ollie the Westiepoo ran from the scene of the crash in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, on Friday.

Ollie the Westiepoo is less than a year old

Members of the public, firefighters using heat-seeking equipment and a specialist dog tracker were involved in the search.

Ollie was found unharmed on Sunday, about four miles from the crash scene.

Owner Dana Kilburn said she was "absolutely overwhelmed by the community spirit and everybody pulling together".

Volunteers came forward after Miss Kilburn and her boyfriend, Craig Barnes, appealed for help on Twitter and Facebook.

"I was absolutely devastated and heartbroken," she said.

"I think the only thing that actually kept my hopes going was seeing all these people messaging and commenting and tweeting."

The crash involved two cars and happened at about 17:30 GMT on Friday.

The female driver of one car was cut free and Mr Barnes, who was driving the other car, was taken to hospital.

Neither was seriously hurt.

Miss Kilburn, who was not involved in the crash, said her first priority after her boyfriend left hospital was to look for Ollie.

"I went into a panic and didn't know what to do," she said.

'Been on adventure'
They were particularly worried because Ollie is less than a year old, small, and "not very streetwise".

A specialist dog tracker helped with the search by examining different types of dog waste, and a library printed out missing dog cards for free.

The search culminated on Sunday, when about 50 people met at a pub so they could search for Ollie together. He was found shortly after midday.

"To be quite honest he doesn't even look like he has been on an adventure," said Miss Kilburn.

"He has kept himself really well groomed and he's got no marks or cuts on him, he's just got a bit of mud on his tummy.

"So he actually looks like he has been having a really nice time."

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lincolnshire-25496938

Princessa, chihuahua/rat terrier

Princessa’s Story – A Small Lost Dog Survives Four Months During a Brutal Wisconsin Winter
Posted by LostDogsofAmerica
November 15, 2013

Once upon a time there was a small 8 lb chihuahua/rat terrier cross named Princessa who was the princess of the house. She sat on the back of the couch and probably ate bon-bons.

Then one day on November 6, 2010 while on a big trip to a semi-rural Super Walmart in Pewaukee, Wisconsin she managed to slip out of the car and she was off! She had a collar and tags, and was a friendly little girl, but that big parking lot and all those cars must have been scary; even for a Princess, because she ran into a residential subdivision, and vanished.

The owner contacted Lost Dogs of Wisconsin, we posted her, and she was reported missing to all the correct places. But still nothing. Nobody had seen her and the worst was feared.

But what we have learned is that the worst seldom happens. Coyotes are not lurking behind every bush; dog fighters are not waiting to scoop up lost dogs and use them for bait dogs; and lost dogs are usually way too resourceful to starve or freeze to death.

We have learned that many owners give up far too early and because of this our shelters are overcrowded with “strays” which are in reality – lost pets.  Helping educate owners on effective methods to recover their lost pets is a large part of the No Kill Equation. Why try to find a new home for that “stray” when it has a perfectly good home already? There are far needier animals in need of shelter space and new homes.

So back to Princessa’s story. We still had nothing to go on. Until one day early in December, we had a call that a small brown dog was hanging out behind the Thunder Bay Grille just off of I-94, a great restaurant with a fine menu. It was only about 3 miles from the Walmart, so we knew it was possible for it to be Princessa.  We took a live trap over thinking this was going to be an easy catch.

Well, it was not. Why eat rotisserie chicken in the trap when you can have prime rib at the dumpster?  Some nights she almost went in, reaching with her long beautiful Princess neck just over the trip plate. Some nights she snubbed us completely – “You expect me to eat that?”  We offered her everything we could think of – delicious concoctions provided by our volunteers. The Christmas season came and along with it all the holiday parties at the restaurant, with large trays of lovely offerings – lots of which missed the dumpster and became a doggy smorgasbord.

On bitterly cold nights we had to close the trap for fear that she would be caught too long and freeze. But no worries there – she wasn’t going in. We tried big traps, small traps, covered traps, cozy traps, traps fit for a Princess. Christmas and New Year’s came and went.

The Thunder Bay Princess became the Thunder Bay Devil Dog in my mind. I’d lie awake at nights and dream up ways to catch her. My husband, an engineer, tinkered with the traps and came up with a double catch method. Other Lost Dogs members and myself would spend hours on the phone or over coffee scheming. I think we were getting crazed looks in our eyes – kind of like Bill Murray in Caddyshack trying to catch the gopher.

She lived in a hole under the porch at the restaurant, but was seldom seen. Only her tiny footprints in the snow showed us her daily whereabouts.

Then one day in mid January -  she was gone again. A worrisome couple of weeks. Why would she give up the restaurant food? Was she concerned about her waistline and her high fat/low fiber diet? Looking for a new kingdom to conquer? Luckily a phone call from a neighboring condominium subdivision came in – just when we were beginning to think we’d completely lost track of her and were back to square one. The caller said a fat brown, sausagey looking dog with short legs was seen running across the patio.

Late January. More blizzards, bitterly cold weather and very deep snow. A sighting here, a sighting there. She was now the Princess of Avondale and Stillwater, two very nice, spacious condo subdivisions with a lot of green space, plenty of birdseed, and endless decks and sunrooms to crawl under for shelter. An upscale neighborhood with a regular garbage day – what more could a Princess want? So here a trap, there a trap, everywhere a trap, trap. But only an angry possum. Never a Princess in a trap.

February came and went. The snow started to melt.  Princessa was a busy girl. One day I saw her – her coat glistening in the sun. I made a note to add more sunflower seeds to my diet. Sometime in February she lost her collar.

The residents were wonderful. They called with every sighting. They helped man the feeding station and the trap. One resident that was helping us took this picture, as she warmed herself by a vent on the side of a condo.
She was now very comfortable in this quiet neighborhood and would be seen five or ten times a day. Our phones were busy, but our trap was not.

March arrives. The snow starts to melt and the Princess is enjoying rolling on bare patches of grass in the sunshine. And suddenly a bunch of us had the same idea at the same time. Maybe we just needed a bigger trap! The snow had melted away from the gates of the tennis court. The wonderful Avondale property manager opened it up for us and offered to keep her food bowl filled. He moved it progressively into the tennis court – a little bit at a time, so she didn’t get suspicious of our plan. I was envisioning tennis players in August having to jump a small, fat dog as they dove for the ball.

But – thankfully, it didn’t take that long. On March 10th we got the call. A lady walking by had seen her in the tennis courts eating from her bowl and had snuck up and shut the gate.
And so the story of the Pewaukee Princess came to an extremely happy ending. No frostbite, no medical problems. An 8 lb dog that lived outside for four months through a brutally cold Wisconsin winter. She spent a few days in rehabilitation with one of our Lost Dogs of Wisconsin volunteers, Kathie D; but then came right back around to being a Couch and Lap Princess. Princessa gave us memories to last a lifetime plus another success story to encourage owners of lost dogs to Never, Ever Give Up.

A huge thank you to the residents and management of the Avondale and Stillwater condominium subdivisions, the staff and management at the Thunder Bay Grille, the Mobil station, the Machine Shed restaurant and the Radisson hotel; the staff at the AT&T building; BREW Midwest for the loan of a trap; Mark H at HAWS; and to the wonderful members of Lost Dogs of Wisconsin – Carlene and Becca H, Kathie D, Larry D, Susan T and Carol S, and my husband, all of whom manned the trap, delivered flyers, concocted wild schemes, and commiserated with me during the entire process.

Source: http://lostdogsofamerica.org/princessas-story-a-small-lost-dog-survives-four-months-during-a-brutal-wisconsin-winter/

Nigel, pug mix

Bridgewater pet owner reunited with lost dog found in Readington
By Frank Mustac / Independent Press
January 03, 2012 at 11:50 AM

READINGTON TWP. — Happy is the owner who finds a lost pet, and such was the case of Darryn Urszulak and her little dog Nigel.

A small pug-mix dog named Nigel was reunited recently with its owner Darryn Urszulak of Bridgewater (holding dog) after Readington Township building and grounds employees (from left) Tony Madeano, Ben Przewozny and Eric Santo found the lost animal at the Eversole-Hall House museum near the Municipal Building. Nigel had been missing for 18 days, having trekked more that 10 miles from Bridgewater to Readington via Bedminster.

Urszulak had rescued the brown pug mix from being euthanized at an animal shelter in Connecticut and only had the dog for one day before Nigel slipped out of a harness during a walk near Urszulak’s Bridgewater home on Dec. 3 and ran away. After posting fliers in the neighborhood and information online about her missing dog, which she described as “shy and scared of people,” Urszulak received several calls that Nigel was seen in nearby Bedminster, then in Readington.

On Dec. 21, a full 18 days after going missing, three Readington Township building and grounds employees found Nigel hiding in a flowerbed at the Eversole-Hall House museum. The museum, which is about 10 miles from where Urszulak lives on Red Lion Way in Bridgewater, is small blue building on Route 523 near the Readington Municipal Building.

The employees, Eric Santo, Tony Madeano and Ben Przewozny, recognized the dog from the photo on a flier posted around the township. When they found him, Nigel was shaking and his right front paw was badly hurt.

“It’s funny, we had just been talking about the dog,” said Madeano, recounting a conversation he had with his co-workers about 20 minutes before the find.

The three men walked carefully toward the animal, then one of them gently picked him up and took the dog to the nearby Municipal Building.

“You could tell he was scared,” Madeano said. “But he didn’t resist at all.”

Finding the dog “was being at the right place at the right time and being lucky,” Santo said.

The trio brought Nigel to Lorraine Petzinger, the township’s Board of Health secretary who handles dog licensing for the municipality. Petzinger got veterinary care for Nigel by contacting animal control, which transported the dog to nearby Hunterdon Hills Animal Hospital. She also got in touch with Urszulak, who had offered a $1,000 reward.

“We didn’t want to take the reward,” said Santo.

Payment enough, he said, is just knowing the dog was returned to its rightful owner. “It made our day,” Santo said.

Meando said he and his co-workers turned down the money because “all of us are dog owners. My dog that I have now is a rescue also. And it’s Christmas. We all wanted to do the right thing.’

Urszulak said that Nigel is now home in Bridgewater “doing great” and enjoying snuggling on the bed and getting his ears scratched. “He’s my Christmas miracle,” she said.

During her search for her missing dog, Urszulak said she initially received phone calls from people who saw Nigel at a farm in Bedminster along Burnt Mills Road. When she went to the area, she saw Nigel, but was unable to catch him.

Several days later, she received a call from a veterinary office in Whitehouse Station. Nigel was seen there along Route 523. Urszulak doubted that her small dog could have traveled all the way to Readington, but she posted more fliers there anyway.

“I started to get phone calls,” she said. “People in Readington and Bridgewater were fantastic with helping me find him. I really appreciate the amount of time and effort that so many people put in.”

From the information she received, Urszulak was able to determine that Nigel had settled in the area of Mountain Road in Readington. A family that lives on Route 523 there saw Nigel eating cat food in their garage.

“They tried several times to get him, but he’s very shy and skittish of people,” she said. “Then on December 21, I got a call from Lorraine of Readington dog licensing. Lorraine said, ‘We found your dog. We have your dog.’”

“I couldn’t believe it,” said Urszulak, noting, unfortunately, that Nigel had been hit by a car only a day or two before being found and the vet says he may eventually may lose the limb. “I’m doing alternative therapy at the moment,” said Urszulak.

The reward money, she said, is being donated to Starfish, a community-based volunteer organization that helps local families in need, and to the Friends of the Dog Park in Readington, which maintains the dog park in the township.

“The checks will be going out to those two charities in honor of the three men who helped save Nigel,” said Urszulak, who also expressed thanks for all the support she received in her search for her lost dog. “I needed it and Nigel needed it.”


Source: http://www.nj.com/messenger-gazette/index.ssf/2012/01/bridgewater_pet_owner_reunited_with_lost_dog_found_in_readington.html

Madley, yellow lab

Social networking helped find beautiful dog stolen in front of her owner
Elisa Black-Taylor, Greenville Dog Examiner
January 28, 2014

Thanks to social media, a dog kidnapped in front of her owner is back with her family. Bark Dog Rescue reported the reunion between Jason and his white lab, Madly, on January 26.

Jason and madly were reunited January 26

This Examiner article covered the story of a beautiful white lab who was snatched in front of her owner outside the home where Jason was visiting his in-laws. The scum who abducted Madly pulled over and literally scooped Madly up as she used the bathroom, then sped off in a truck.

Thanks to Facebook, word got around. Thousands shared Madly's story with others-and then it happened. Lisa Butler Holland and her husband were at the right place at the right time.

Madly was spotted at a house, where she was playing in the yard with other dogs. Lisa, who recognized Madly by the truck description, called to the dog. Madly came right over when she heard her name, and was soon on her way back to Jason.

The police are involved in this case, especially since there were other dogs at the residence with Madly. A detective has already visited the home of the suspected dog napper, and hopefully enough evidence can be gathered to file charges.

Jason learned a lot from this ordeal. Not only did he learn the powerful networking influence available in finding missing pets. He also learned this type of crime happens more often than people realize.

It's not safe to leave a dog, even in a back yard fence, if you're going to be away from home. Many dogs are stolen with their owners inside, unaware until it's too late.

Please keep a close eye on your dogs, especially if they live outside. There are cruel people out there, who are either evil or just looking to make a few dollars. Thankfully Madly was rescued by a dog lover.

Thank you Lisa, for the care you and your husband gave Madly until she could be returned to her owner.

Source: http://www.examiner.com/article/social-networking-helped-find-beautiful-dog-stolen-front-of-her-owner

Daphne

Dog Missing For 3 Years Reunited With Owner
January 30, 2014

ST. LOUIS, MO. – After having gone missing over three years ago from his St. Louis backyard, Griffin Walker is now looking forward to a reunion with his dog, Daphne.

Daphne was recently brought to the Humane Society of Missouri (HSMO). The information in Daphne’s microchip led staff to Walker, the son of St. Louis Director of Health Pamela Walker.

“I was shocked when I got the phone call and heard that she was found,” said Walker. “Even though you always hold on to some small piece of hope, three years is a long time for a pet to be missing.”

“This happy day may never have happened without Daphne having been microchipped. We hope every pet owner will take the importance of microchipping to heart and have their pets microchipped as soon as possible,” said Kathy Warnick, president, Humane Society of Missouri.

Daphne is currently receiving veterinary care, and it is suspected that she has developed a tumor in her ear, but is healthy overall.

All pets adopted from the Humane Society of Missouri and other shelters in the city are microchipped before they go home.

Source: http://stlouis.cbslocal.com/2014/01/30/dog-missing-for-3-years-reunited-with-owner/