Lost Dogs Found

Fido, Staffordshire bull terrier

2012-01-31T08:28:00.002-05:00

Bath resident finds dog 120 miles from home
Battersea Dogs & Cats Home
31 January 2012

The two year old Staffordshire Bull Terrier, named Fido, was taken to the world famous animal charity in London, over two hours away from the dog’s home in Bath, after he was found wandering the streets of Kensington by police. Like all dogs who arrive at the charity, Fido was scanned for a microchip – a tiny ID chip that sits under the animal’s skin – and staff were able to contact Mr Eyles to tell him they had his dog.

A dog from Bath who was missing for over eight months has been reunited with his family over 120 miles from home thanks to a microchip and Battersea.

Mr Eyles said: “I couldn’t believe it when I got the call from Battersea and travelled to London immediately to get Fido. I didn’t think I’d ever see my dog again, and it’s thanks to the microchip that we’ve been reunited. If it wasn’t for the microchip I’d never have found him – every dog owner should get it done. Fido is such a friendly boy and really popular where we live so I know lots of people in Bath will be pleased that he’s coming home.”

Last year Battersea took in almost 6000 dogs, of which only 28 per cent were microchipped. Tracey Maskell works in Battersea’s Lost Dogs & Cats Line team and helps reunite animals with their families.

She added: “Reuniting owners with their lost pets is the best part of the job and I was delighted to be the one to tell Fido’s owner that his dog was safe and sound. I couldn’t believe it when I found out how long he’d been missing and where he was from. This story just goes to show how important it is to make sure your pet has adequate identification. We encourage all dog and cat owners to have their pet microchipped and to wear a collar and tag.”

Source: http://www.battersea.org.uk/about_us/whats_new/bath_resident_finds.html

Tasha, black lab

2012-01-30T07:54:00.000-05:00

Dog lost after fatal car crash reunited with Weston family 6 days later
By Susannah Bryan, Sun Sentinel
January 3, 2012

WESTON— Elyssa Hausman remembers sitting in the median in a daze, peering at the Hyundai's shattered back window.

That's when it hit her. Where was Tasha?

The family's 11-year-old black Labrador had been in the back with the luggage.

And now she was nowhere to be found.

Worse news was to come. In the ambulance on the way to the hospital, Elyssa, 17, learned the woman she called mom had died in the crash.

The family of four was driving home on Christmas Eve after a 10-day vacation when another car drifted into their lane near Port Orange and sideswiped their Hyundai SUV.

Their vehicle careened into the grass median on southbound Interstate 95 and flipped before hitting a tree.

Chris Goss, 54, died at the scene. Her 18-year-old son Jeffery Goss, her longtime companion Steven Hausman and his daughter Elyssa made it out with scrapes and bruises.

Hausman and Goss met in 2003 and never married, but considered themselves a family, Elyssa said.

Griefstruck, the three survivors drove home to Weston on Christmas Day. They had funeral arrangements to make. And a dog to find.

Elyssa called animal shelters, the Volusia County pound, state highway officials, even the company that mows the median along I-95.

No luck. After six days, the family had almost given up hope of ever seeing Tasha again.

Then a call came in from an animal control officer in Volusia County.

On the day after Goss' funeral, Tasha had been found wandering near the crash site, hungry and thirsty and covered in ticks.

A veterinary technician drove Tasha home that same day. But first she needed surgery — 32 stitches on a seven-inch gash that stretched from the top of her head to her neck.

"I have no idea how she survived the crash," said Amanda Goss, 23, who came home from college after getting the news about her mom. "We think my mom had something to do with it. We believe my mom wanted to give us back the dog so we could have some kind of joy while we are grieving."

As soon as the car drove up in the driveway about 10:30 p.m., the family dashed out to greet Tasha.

"We all went running out the front door," Elyssa said. "That's the first time we'd smiled since Christmas Eve."

The dog was still groggy from surgery, but managed to lick off the peanut butter they'd smudged on their hands to greet her.

"It was like bringing home a piece of my mom when we found her," Amanda said. "It's a miracle she was thrown from the car and was missing for six days and she had no broken bones. None of it makes sense. Everyone in the crash … it's amazing that they all didn't die."

Elyssa thinks Goss watched over Tasha for those six days "to make sure she'd come home to us."

Source: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/broward/weston/fl-family-reunited-wth-dog-20120103,0,5760286.story
Video at: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/videogallery/67136791/News/family-reunited-with-dog-after-tragedy

Lucky, English bulldog

2012-01-27T07:52:00.000-05:00

The Incredible Tale of Lucky Collins
By Sam Strike
January 26, 2012

The dog, found nearly dead on the streets of Philadelphia, is back to stay with his family in Garrett Hill.

Lucky likes to snuggle under a blanket in his favorite spot in the house — the couch

To say that Lucy Collins is lucky would be an understatement.

Two weeks ago the seven-year-old Bulldog was found emaciated and near death on the streets of Philadelphia and was dropped off to the Ryan Veterinary Hospital (University of Pennsylvania) by an unknown Good Samaritan.

He was nearly all-bones and had multiple open wounds. Doctors found a BB pellet in his face and scars all over his body.

They could hardly find a body temperature. But they did find a microchip that led them to the Collins family of Garrett Hill.

When Nicole Collins got the phone call two weeks ago that Lucky had shown up at the hospital, “My stomach dropped,” she said.

The Collins family had given lucky away about four years prior to a former coworker of Nicole’s husband John. Lucky – the trusted family dog of four years – had lacerated their son’s eye after he jumped on the dog, and the parents felt they could no longer keep him if there were any risk of harm to their children.

After a few years, John Collins and the coworker who took Lucky lost their jobs and contact with each other.

So the phone call from the veterinary hospital — accompanied by a police check to make sure the Collinses were not Lucky’s abusers — shocked the family.

When they saw Lucky at the hospital that first night, “He was filthy with dirt, disgusting,” Nicole Collins said.

“We said, ‘Lucky, we’re here, we’re here’. And he opened his eyes and looked at me,” she said.

Collins said Lucky did not skip a beat coming back to his Garrett Hill home. He had lived with the family from when he was a few months old to when he was about four years old.

At first he was too weak to climb the stairs or climb on top of the kitchen chairs like he used to (to happily steal food). He needed to rest a lot but only eat a little because they were reintroducing food to his system.

Lucky was 33 pounds and should have been about twice that weight, doctors said.

In the two weeks that he has been back home he has gained four pounds. And the family says that despite whatever he experienced on the streets, he is still the same sweet, gentle Lucky.

He is still potty trained and he still hogs the Collins’ bed at night, Jennifer said.

“Dogs do remember. They don’t forget,” she said.

He is anemic and still has low red blood count and protein levels, so he has an uphill battle, Collins said. But they are taking him to the doctor weekly and giving him the food and medicine he requires.

Of course, that food and medicine costs a few hundred dollars a month. So Collins has set up a collection can at the Bryn Mawr 7-11 and at the National Penn Bank in the Strafford Shopping Center seeking donations towards his care.

Once he improves these costs will no longer be necessary, but for now, for example, his food costs $250 a month.

Collins said the family will never know exactly what happened to Lucky or how he found himself on the streets, but the family, including kids Victoria, 15, Amber, 13, and John, 11, are happy that he’s home.

After all, this is the dog who ate a pound of chocolate, a rubber snake toy and a bunch of tampons and survived them all.

“This dog has nine lives. We’re convinced of that,” said Mary Ann Schrader, Nicole Collins’ mother.

Source: http://radnor.patch.com/articles/the-incredible-tale-of-lucky-collins#photo-8969445

Grizzly Bear, German shepherd

2012-01-26T08:03:00.002-05:00

Missing Dog Returns After 2 Years
Micro Chip Helps Reunite Dog, Owner
Cris Ornelas - 23ABC South County Reporter
January 25, 2012

TAFT, Calif. -- A family in Taft is thrilled to have their dog back two years after it first went missing.

Grizzly Bear is content to be home

The German shepherd named Grizzly Bear was rescued from the Kern County animal shelter as a puppy, but just a few months after finding a home, he disappeared.

Ella Trainor adopted Grizzly from the animal shelter at 7-months-old. Then, three months later, Grizzly vanished from the family's yard.

"He disappeared out of my yard," Trainor said. "I’m sure he was stolen because none of the gates were open and he couldn't jump because he actually hurt his hip the night before."

Trainor searched everywhere for Grizzly but never found a thing.

"I put up fliers. I put ads in the paper. I kept looking for him," she said.

Even after two full years passed, Trainor said she never gave up hope she'd find Grizzly.

"The week before I got the call I had told both my daughters, ‘I know my dog is not dead. Grizzly is somewhere and I am going to find him,’ and lo and behold I get a phone call the next Sunday," Trainor said.

Thanks to a microchip under his skin, Grizzly was identified by animal control after he was found in southwest Bakersfield.

Bakersfield, Calif. is about 26 miles from Taft, Calif.

"What I was told is that Grizzly followed a little girl home from school and he kind of wandered the streets and the dad put him in the back yard and called animal control," Trainor said.

Animal control reunited Trainor and Grizzly the same day.

"I was kind of emotional. I was bawling," Trainor said.

But where Grizzly was and what he did for two full years is still a mystery.

“We wish dogs could talk and tell us what happened," Trainor said.

Trainior said she paid to have Grizzly micro chipped, but now, all dogs adopted from Kern County animal control are required to be chipped.

Source, with video: http://www.turnto23.com/south_county/30290804/detail.html

Tank, jack russell terrier

2012-01-25T08:17:00.000-05:00

Divine Intervention? Dog lost for nearly a year reunited with family
Written by Tammie Fields
4:10 PM, Jan 12, 2012

Tampa, Florida - A dog separated from his family for 10 months found his way home this week with the help of a Tampa church.

A few church members say they noticed a Jack Russell Terrier at Celebration Church at 16235 Lake Magdalene Boulevard in Tampa on Saturday.

Sunday during the church service, the dog was running back and forth outside the glass sanctuary doors as church members sang.

Donna Kenney says, "The dog was very friendly. The children fed him and hugged him. One child made a little scarf to put around his neck. It was really cute."

She says her son Mike took the dog home that day since the dog couldn't be left alone at the church. Mike says, "I figured if it was my dog, I would want someone to do the same for me."

Church members noticed the animal had a tag on him and so they called the Pasco County Animal Services department in hopes of tracking down the owner. It worked.

Donna Kenney called Barbara Korynas to deliver the good news. She says she was afraid the number might be an old number and she wouldn't be able to find her.

Barbara picked up the phone though and after she was reunited with the dog her family named "Tank," she explained how it all happened. She says Tank went missing while she was at work.

"As the days went on, we took different routes home, calling his name and he never showed up," she said.

Korynas says the family hung Tank's Christmas stocking this year hoping he would return.

Click HERE to read the latest blog entries from Pastor Deanna Shrodes about Tank's journey. It's still a mystery where Tank was for the 10 months he was missing.

Source: http://www.wtsp.com/news/article/231682/8/Divine-Intervention-Dog-lost-for-nearly-a-year-reunited-with-family

Remi, German short-haired pointer

2012-01-23T23:59:00.002-05:00

Minnesota dog reunited with owner after missing for 5 months
By Bob Shaw, Pioneer Press
Updated: 01/23/2012

Remi is reunited with his owner, Kali Barrett of Alexandria, Minn. on Saturday Jan. 21, 2012 at the Animal Humane Society in Woodbury.

Someone should make a movie about Remi, the toughest dog in America.

Over five months, the dog traveled 150 miles and survived wintry Minnesota weather. Covered with wounds and starved enough to lose one-quarter of his body weight, he is believed to have escaped from dog-nappers,

And like a celluloid hero, he came through it all with his tail wagging.

Remi, a German shorthair pointer, was reunited with his owner on Saturday at the Animal Humane Society facility in Woodbury.

"I couldn't believe it," said Kali Barrett, who lives in Alexandria, Minn.

She said she raised Remi on her farm. "He is my baby," Barrett said. "I sleep with him. He rides with me in the pickup, not in the bed of the pickup."

One day in August, she said, she was mowing her lawn when Remi started chasing something and ran off. A few days later, she found his dog tags at the end of her driveway, where she believes someone tossed them as a taunt.

She suspects a neighbor snatched the dog for pheasant-hunting.

Weeks turned into months and her hopes dimmed. She grew tired of all the false alarms, when well-meaning neighbors would call after spotting other dogs.

"I thought he was dead, hit by a car. Or someone had him who liked him," said Barrett.

Remi was recovered thanks to the persistence of Brittany Foley.

Foley, who works at the Humane Society facility in Woodbury, noticed the dog after he was picked up in Oakdale about two weeks ago.

The dog was horribly thin and had wounds on his legs, face and hips.
But he was friendly. "He wanted someone to be with him," said Foley. "We knew someone had loved him at some point."

The dog needed injections of water for four days. He had lost 14 pounds and could only eat about a quarter cup of food at a time.

Foley said she felt an instant connection. "He looked at you like he was trying to tell you something," she said.

The Humane Society kept the dog beyond the five-day legal minimum for strays, and Foley spent hours searching websites for information.

She finally found a missing-dog listing on Craigslist - but surely, she thought, this dog couldn't be the one. The Craigslist dog was lost in Alexandria in August and didn't look much like the scrawny, banged-up dog in her kennel.

Then she checked the markings on his sides. They matched the description. Then she checked the legs. Another match.

"It kept matching up and matching up," Foley said.

The wounds on Remi were not consistent with a dog that had lived outdoors for five months but the pressure wounds of a dog kept in a small box for weeks or more. "They were deep, round sores," Foley said.

This is consistent, she said, with the idea that the dog was dog-napped. "Hunters use boxes for transport, in the back of their pickups," said Foley.

Remi seems to be recovering from his nightmarish experience.

"When I got him home, he sniffed his La-Z-boy," said Barrett. "Then he just crawled in and slept."

Source: http://www.twincities.com/news/ci_19801365?source=rss

Arco, german shepherd

2012-01-20T08:20:00.000-05:00

Bomb-sniffing dog leads chase after escape in Michigan
By Elisha Anderson, Detroit Free Press
January 18, 2012

ROMULUS, Mich. – Arco — a retired bomb-sniffing dog who once patrolled hallways on Capitol Hill— spent Tuesday playing an elaborate game of hide-and-seek with his new owner, police and animal control officers.

The 5-year-old Belgian German shepherd escaped his collar during a bathroom break near Detroit Metro Airport, said Sherry Schumann, his new owner. He was on the run for more than 12 hours.

Schumann lives in Perrysburg, Ohio, and came to metro Detroit to meet her new pet for the first time Monday. But after he got away, she spent the night searching for Arco in the rain, with help from Romulus and airport police.

The group spotted the dog several times throughout the night, but he eluded them.

When two officers got close enough to try to catch Arco, the dog bit them both and kept running.

One Romulus officer needed stitches for a wound to his hand, while the other, an airport police officer, was bitten on his hand but didn't need stitches, officials said.

Romulus animal control officer Kim Matthews, armed with dog treats and hot dogs, joined the search Tuesday morning. She spotted Arco running along railroad tracks near I-94 and Vining, near the airport.

She called his name, and he recognized it. Animal control officers, police and staff from the Detroit Dog Rescue came to the scene, spending several hours playing with the dog and letting him get to know them.

One of the officers threw a stick, and Arco knew exactly what to do with it.

"The dog took off and wanted to play catch," Matthews said.

Matthews broke off pieces of hot dog and Arco ate the whole bag — along with most of a bag of dog treats. When he got close enough to Matthews, she looped a leash around his head, ending his time on the lam.

The dog is now at the Romulus Animal Shelter, where he will stay in quarantine for 10 days to make sure he doesn't have any diseases, such as rabies.

After that, animal control officers plan to release him to Schumann, who said he will become a tester at her business, Woofer's Delight in Toledo, Ohio, which bakes dog treats.

Schumann said she's overjoyed her dog was found safe, and she got to spend time with him Tuesday afternoon.

"I gave him a hug, and he gave me a kiss," she said

Source: http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/story/2012-01-18/michigan-dog-escape/52632368/1

Former Bomb-Sniffing Dog Found Safe after Escaping from Airport: MyFoxDETROIT.com

Video shot during the search:

Bomb-sniffing dog on the loose: wwlp.com

Molly, pug

2012-01-19T08:35:00.000-05:00

Crouch End couple reunited with stolen dog after Twitter storm
by Tim Lamden
Tuesday, January 10, 2012

A Crouch End couple are celebrating after a celebrity-backed Twitter campaign helped to reunite them with their stolen dog.

Catriona Fox, 27, admitted “falling apart” after her boyfriend Justin Liebenberg, 36, called her last Friday to tell her burglars had broken into their flat on Stapleton Hall Road and stolen their three-year-old pug Molly.

Family members and friends encouraged the couple to spread word of the missing dog online and within 24 hours there was a Facebook page and Twitter account dedicated to finding Molly.

News of the missing dog was quickly picked up by celebrity Twitter users, such as Jonathan Ross, Bianca Jagger and Joanna Page, who posted appeals on the social networking site and by Sunday evening Molly was reunited with her owners.

Speaking about the panicked 48 hours in which Molly was missing, Miss Fox said: “We haven’t slept, we haven’t eaten, we have been beside ourselves.”

Neighbours called the police last Friday after seeing two men leaving the couple’s basement flat holding a bag and the pet pug, having forced open the front window with a crowbar.

Besides Molly, the intruders made off with two laptops and a PlayStation, having ransacked the entire flat.

Miss Fox said: “What we don’t understand is why they took [Molly], whether they were being utterly horrible or whether they thought they could sell her.”

The subsequent Facebook page and Twitter account set up in the hunt for Molly quickly attracted attention from hundreds of concerned well-wishers, including an array of high-profile celebrities, who issued their own appeals to thousands.

Molly was eventually returned home after she was found wandering in Enfield by a woman who then checked online to discover the internet appeal.

Miss Fox said: “We are overwhelmed and just so pleased to have her back. The interest in it has been amazing, it’s restored our faith in people.”

Source: http://www.tottenhamjournal.co.uk/news/crouch_end_couple_reunited_with_stolen_dog_after_twitter_storm_1_1173458
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Sadie, Newf/lab/springer spaniel mix

2012-01-18T00:21:00.001-05:00

Lost dog reunited with owner following news coverage of a house fire
Penny Eims, Dog News Examiner
January 11, 2012

Fruitport Township, MI - Call it what you will...fate, destiny, devine intervention...some things are just meant to be.

Sadie, 13, receives oxygen from Fruitport Township firefighter Chris Anderson after being removed from a house fire Monday. Fire department personnel responded to a house fire at 2584 E. Pontaluna shortly after 8:30 a.m. on Monday. Sara Puente and her daughter Gabrielle Puente were home at the time and escaped without injury, as did Sadie, another dog and two cats

Back in November, 13 yr-old Sadie wandered away from her home with the Tejchma family.

The senior dog is mostly blind, hard of hearing and doesn't get around quite the way that she used to, but somehow she managed to travel several miles away from her family's home.

The Tejchma family searched high and low for their missing dog, but their efforts weren't successful. As the days turned into weeks - their hope for finding Sadie alive faded.

Despite the family's failed attempts to locate their senior dog, she was alive and well.

A woman named Sara Puente had discovered the wayward dog just after Thanksgiving - she told WZZM news that the dog "looked miserable", so she took her home.

Since Sadie was not wearing any type of identification, Puente was unable to locate her true family.

Fast forward to this past Monday when the Puente family was on the news following a fire at their home.

As fate would have it, a member of the Tejchma family was watching the report about the Puente family's house fire and low and behold, Sadie herself was featured in the news clip.

Sadie's original family spotted the dog being administered oxygen on the news cast and they immediately recognized her as their own.

The Tejchma family contacted the fire department for help - letting them know that the dog who had been on television was their family pet - a dog who they had owned since Sadie was just six weeks of age.

The fire department reached out to the Puente family to let them know.

Sadie's guardian, Marie Tejchma, feared that Puente might not want to turn Sadie back over to her.

But Puente understood the bond between a dog and their person, and she was more than happy to reunite Sadie with the family who loved, and missed her.

Sadie created a bond between the two families who now consider each other friends.

In fact, Sadie's family may even take in the Puente's Dachshund temporarily while they search for a new place to live following the devasting fire.

It is one of those rare stories where everything just seems to work out the way that it is supposed to.

Source: http://www.examiner.com/dogs-in-national/lost-dog-reunited-with-owner-following-news-coverage-of-a-house-fire

Another version of the story is at: http://www.mlive.com/news/muskegon/index.ssf/2012/01/fruitport_township_fire_reunit.html

Bruno, Italian greyhound

2012-01-17T08:13:00.000-05:00

Lost Italian Greyhound in Kirkland FOUND!
by Robert Pregulman
January 15, 2012

Bruno, the red Italian Greyhound that escaped from his home in Kirkland earlier this week has been found and is safe at home!

His mom provided me with some of the details of what happened so other people can learn from her experience.

You should note a few things from her account of what happened:

1. When a dog runs away it tends to put as much distance as possible between itself and whatever startled it. This means the area you’ll need to search will be larger than you anticipate. Bruno was about a mile away from his house about 30 minutes after his escape, and by that night he was 2 miles away.

2. You can find many resources online to help you with your search. Many people have found posting lost dog notices on Craigslist is helpful. Findtoto.com alerts people in targeted areas about your dog and gives them a number to call if they see it.

And the website for Federal Way-based Missing Pet Partnership has tons of helpful information that can significantly increase the chances that you find your pet.

3. If you run up to a lost dog, even if it’s yours, it will most likely run away. The best thing to do is kneel down, hold out some food, and wait for it to come to you.

Here’s the account of how Bruno’s mom found him:

Bruno was accidentally let out of my house on Monday afternoon around 2:30 while we were not home. The search began around 3pm but he had already been seen almost a mile from home at that point based on later calls. Many of us searched the area we thought he would be in almost straight from 3pm to about 7:30.

My husband went back out from about 8-9 and my mom went out from about 10:30 to 12:30am. What is sad is that we were in the wrong spot! He had already made it a couple of miles from home in another neighborhood that we would have never expected.

Multiple people saw him and tried to catch him but he was too fast and scared. Based on other calls, he actually ended up in an entirely different neighborhood that same night. (Monday) (Crossing VERY busy streets in the process.)

Monday night I created an 8 x 11 colored flyer and we reached out to many online organizations to post including things like craigslist and a Pet Amber Alert.

Tuesday am around 4:15 I went out looking again and began hanging flyers all over my neighborhood including vets, major grocery stores in the general Kirkland area, coffee shops, etc. I looked all day as I would receive calls here and there from my flyers.

One supposed sighting in an area I wouldn’t have expected but I thought it was another dog I had seen with a woman earlier. I went home to be with my spouse, children, devastated to not have him back yet. After my kids went to bed I went out again in the neighborhood he was last seen to look and ran into my good friend who was looking. Nothing.

Tuesday night I contacted the Missing Pet Partnership who shared amazing advice for how to find him and what to do when I did.

Wednesday AM I set up a phone service through findtoto.com and within minutes started receiving phone calls. This was very stressful as people were saying they saw him but I was doubtful it was him as it was near a location I would have never thought he would go. (I live in N. Rose Hill, he was in S. Rose Hill, across 85th!) Around 12:30-12:45 I received a few phone calls telling me people saw him and that he had been hit. This was from findtoto.com calls.

I went to a location where two people told me they had just seen him around 1:30. I walked around a bit, spoke to myself a bit softly, asked everyone who I saw if they had seen him, including kids getting out of school at Rose Hill Elementary. I had walked away from a house that I went up to, where someone said they saw him, when kids across the street yelled that they saw him.

I ran over and he did see me but scurried off! They helped me barricade the area a bit as I didn’t want him to take off. I followed the advice from Missing Pet Partnership to be calm, not chase, kneel down, don’t look at him, and offered food (I threw some near him and smaller pieces to get him close.) I also called my other dogs name as they told me that would be familiar and less threatening to him and to not call his name. He slowly got close enough to eat pupperoni from my hand and get my scent and I gently picked him up.

I was so emotional at that moment I think the kids thought I was crazy. I thanked them profusely and anyone else who has called throughout the week. I have also tried to return calls from people and emails letting them know he was found. I am in the process of removing my flyers as well as the advice I saw was to do that if I find him so people can spend their energy looking for other lost animals.

Finally, I do think there is something about thinking/envisioning FINDING the animal vs. that it’s lost. I tried to say out loud and think it in my head over and over, “I will find you, I am looking for you.” I did this a lot even though it wasn’t easy.

Source: http://www.seattledogspot.com/2012/01/15/lost-italian-greyhound-in-kirkland-found/

Mickey

2012-01-16T11:19:00.001-05:00

Oklahoma Soldier Reunites With Lost Dog
By Jamie Oberg, News 9
Jan 14, 2012

When Crystal Tucker lost her dog before she had to deploy over sees with the National Guard, she was afraid she'd never see Mickey again. A chain of coincidences brought the pair back together Saturday.

OKLAHOMA CITY - One Oklahoma Air National Guard soldier thought her baby, "Mickey," was gone forever.

"Oh my God!" cried Senior Airman Crystal Tucker. "Baby, oh you're so excited! Oh my God," Crystal cried Saturday when she saw her dog come around the corner at the PetSmart at NW 63rd and May.

The tale of how this heartwarming reunion was even possible is pretty incredible.

"I got a knock at the door one night and a guy said I have this dog and he's been hit by a car and can you take him in and we said ‘ya'," Bella Foundation President, Eric McCune said.

Mickey was picked up in August without tags or a microchip and could have easily suffered a fate at the pound.

But for five months, he was in good hands. "She had no idea we had him," McCune said.

Lucky for Mickey, he ended up with The Bella Foundation just after they had just started a new program to provide veterinary care to animals whose owners were unable to pay.

"We put up signs, ads on craigslist, posts on Facebook," McCune said. "Nobody ever stepped forward."

Meanwhile, Tucker, who is with the 137th Air Medical Evacuation Squadron, had to deploy to Germany and leave her lost little Mickey behind.

"I had him for four years, and I wasn't ready to give up on him yet,"

Tucker said she never gave up hope. "It was very scary,"

Another dog lover, whose name also happens to be Kristel, took Mickey in and had been fostering the dog she called "Rudy" in hopes the dog's owner would one day be found.

When her deployment was nearing its end, Tucker went on-line from Germany to check before coming back home. Maybe, just maybe…

And she found him.

"They had him listed as Rudy and I was like ‘No! That is Mickey!"

Crystal Tucker made arrangements to meet Kristel Evans and bring Mickey back home.

"Thank you so much!" Tucker said to foster mom, Kristel Evans when they met.

"He's been such a good boy!" Evans replied. "It's been my pleasure."

A happy homecoming for the Air National Guard Soldier got even better just one day after arriving in the states.

"Just to see him come around the corner and just know he'd be back in my arms…It was great!" Tucker said.

There was one last thing Crystal made sure to get before leaving the store Saturday: new dog tags so Mickey will be safe and everyone will know just where he belongs.

"He was just meant to come back home."

The Bella Foundation waived the $150 adoption fee for the soldier; they hope this story also reminds people the importance of adoptions and more importantly, micro-chipping your pets.

Source: http://www.news9.com/story/16522322/oklahoma-soldier-reunites-with-lost-dog
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Another version of the story is at: http://www.kfor.com/news/local/kfor-airman-reunited-with-lost-dog-at-homecoming-20120115,0,44749.story

Calee, pitbull puppy

2012-01-15T00:05:00.000-05:00

Coincidence reunites lost puppy with owner
Penny Eims, Dog News Examiner
January 14, 2012

Orange County, CA - An amazing coincidence and a case of mistaken identity led to a long-overdue reunion between a Pit bull puppy named Calee and her guardian, Brittani Hemmingson.

Rewind to July 27, the day that Calee disappeared...

Three people were seen taking the puppy away and since that time, a desperate search has been underway for Calee's safe return.

A Facebook page was created with the hopes that more eyes could be on the lookout for the missing dog and the page worked in the way that it was intended.

Days ago, a Facebook follower posted a photo of a dog who was at the OC animal shelter that looked similar to Calee on the Facebook page.

Hemmingson was afraid to get her hopes up - too many times she has had her hopes dashed by false alarms.

A friend was able to go to the shelter to see if the dog was in fact, Calee. There was a tell-tale mark on the puppy's coat which would identify the missing dog - a "C" on her back.

Low and behold, the dog at the shelter had the mark that they were hoping for.

The friend sent a photo to Hemmingson - seeing the identifying mark brought the girl to tears - joyful tears of relief.

Just a day before, Hemmingon has posted on the Facebook page that she had to move back to Northern California. At the time that Calee was found, her guardian was already 5.5 hours north...

But the distance meant nothing to Calee's relieved guardian - she promptly got in the car with her boyfriend and made the trek back to Orange county.

Though months had passed, Calee remembered her family - and the reunion was wonderful.

Now for the strange twist to this story.

The dog who brought Hemmingson's friend to the shelter in the first place was not actually Calee.

Confused? The dog who the friend initially saw online was actually a nine month old Pit bull that has since been named Kalia.

Kalia looks almost identical to the missing puppy, Calee.

If not for Kalia being posted online, Calee would not have been found when the friend showed up in person.

And more to this story...Kalia, the dog who led to the happy reunion, does not have a family waiting for her.

In fact, she is at risk of being killed.

The page which was designed to help reunite Calee and her family is now being used as a platform to save Kalia.

The hundreds of followers on Calee's Facebook page have managed to drum up $500 in donations for Kalia, but as of yet, there is nobody to rescue and pull the puppy who still remains behind bars at the OC Animal shelter.

Calee's guardian refers to Kalia as her puppy's "Savior" - that puppy has until 5 pm on Sunday to be pulled, or she will be gone forever.

Click on Kalia's name to see her photo and information about the shelter that she is housed at.

And Calee - welcome home!

Source: http://www.examiner.com/dogs-in-national/coincidence-reunites-lost-puppy-with-owner

Emma, black lab

2012-01-14T23:30:00.000-05:00

Fire crews rescue man, dog from ravine over Occoquan River
By Kari Pugh
Published: December 23, 2011

Volunteer fire crews late Friday saved a man and his dog from a dark and steep ravine over the Occoquan River off Signal Hill Road.

The black Labrador retriever, Emma, had gone missing two days earlier, said Lake Jackson Volunteer Fire Chief Jim Bailey. On Friday evening, her owner found her huddled on a crevice more than 200 feet down the embankment, about 30 feet above the water.

He went down to get his dog, but lost his footing -- and his grip on his flashlight, which slipped down into the water. He fell about 200 feet down, stopping himself by hanging onto a tree.

It was too dark to climb his way back up, so the man called out for help. His wife called 911 about 8 p.m., and the dramatic rescue began.

Crews from the Buckhall, Lake Jackson, Occoquan-Woodbridge-Lorton, Stonewall and Dale City volunteer fire departments, along with the Manassas Rescue Squad, set up over the ravine.

A firefighter rappelled down with a safety harness, and the duo was hoisted up to safety, Bailey said.

Lake Jackson volunteers put a boat in the water and rescued the dog from below.

“It took some coaxing to get her to come to me,” Bailey said. “She was way down the hill, tucked into a crevice. If she had stepped back a foot, she would have fallen in the water.”

Dog and owner weren’t injured, Bailey said. But Emma was happy to be rescued.

“She was real excited when we reunited her with her family,” Bailey said.

Source: http://www2.insidenova.com/news/2011/dec/23/fire-crews-rescue-man-dog-ravine-over-occoquan-riv-ar-1565457/
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Lola, shepherd lab mix

2012-01-13T08:29:00.001-05:00

Owner reunited with missing service dog
Posted: 12/22/2011

MEDLEY, Fla. (WSVN) -- A dog owner has been reunited with his precious pooch after the canine went missing a few days ago.

On Tuesday afternoon, Rodrigo Gasteazoro took his service dog, a German Shepherd-Labrador mix named Lola, to the vet at the Trail Animal Hospital in West Miami. All of a sudden, something frightened Lola, and she suddenly took off.

Lola ran across a busy roadway, and Gasteazoro and his girlfriend, Nicole De Llamo, had been looking for Lola since then.

Gasteazoro suffers from a neuromuscular disorder called Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, which severely weakens his arms and legs. He is confined to a wheelchair and says Lola has been a big help to him. Just weeks ago, Gasteazoro got locked out of his home and Lola was able to open the door for him from inside the house.

A woman who lives near the animal hospital said she saw what she believed to be a stray dog in the area. The canine still had a leash attached to its collar. The woman said she called 311, which connected her to Animal Control Services.

Animal Control arrived at the scene and waved a wand over the dog's microchip. They discovered the dog was indeed Lola and contacted Gasteazoro.

Gasteazoro and De Llamo were reunited with their dog on Thursday afternoon, just two days after she went missing. "[I feel] relief, utter relief, utter relief," said Gasteazoro. "I can't thank everyone enough. I mean, as cheesy as it sounds, it's a testament to the system working. That microchip kind of saved the day, and then, people doing their part to report her and get her back to us."

Source and video: http://www.wsvn.com/news/articles/local/21006229256023/dog-owner-reunited-with-missing-service-dog/

Previous story at http://www.wsvn.com/news/articles/local/21006213487835/owner-searching-for-missing-service-dog/

Owner searching for missing service dog
12/22/2011

WEST MIAMI, Fla. (WSVN) -- A dog owner is looking for his lost service dog and is hoping the public can help him find the missing pooch.

Rodrigo Gasteazoro took his service dog, a German Shepherd-Labrador mix named Lola, to the vet at the Trail Animal Hospital in West Miami Tuesday afternoon, when something frightened Lola, and she suddenly took off. "When I went to hand her off, so as not to get tangled, something startled her. She got scared, and she pulled away. Before I knew it, she was going across the street," said Gasteazoro. "I was praying for traffic to stop all of a sudden."

Lola made it across the busy roadway, but Gasteazoro has not seen his dog since.

Gasteazoro suffers from a neuromuscular disorder called Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, which severely weakens his arms and legs. He is confined to a wheelchair and says Lola has helped him out tremendously this past year. "All of a sudden, there's an extra set of hands, or mouth, if you will, to help with just the little things," said Gasteazoro. "She picks things up for me on the floor, she can open doors for me."

"A couple of weeks ago, Rodrigo got locked out of the house, and Lola opened the door for him before I could ever get home," said Nicole De Llamo, Gasteazoro's girlfriend. "She's been a huge change to our lives."

Tuesday night, Gasteazoro and De Llamo searched the area for Lola but to no avail. They have also posted missing flyers in the neighborhood in hopes that someone will find Lola and return her to them. "She's quite possibly the sweetest dog I've ever encountered," Gasteazoro said.

De Llamo said, "She's my baby. She's definitely my baby."

Lola still has a red leash attached to her, and Gasteazoro said all of his contact information is on the dog's collar. If you see Lola, please call the number on her tag. Lola's owners are offering a reward for their dog's safe return.

Another version of the story, with video, is at: http://www.wsvn.com/news/articles/local/21006229256023/owner-reunited-with-missing-service-dog/

Harmony, pit mix

2012-01-12T08:42:00.001-05:00

Family: Stolen Dog 'Made to Fight'
By Nicole Mooradian
January 10, 2012

Harmony, a deaf boxer-American bulldog puppy, is back home; however, she's traumatized from her ordeal, her family tells Patch.

Patrick Thomasson kisses Harmony shortly after she returns home from her ordeal.

A deaf puppy who had been missing for about two weeks was reunited with her family Monday, Sheyla Thomasson confirmed to Patch in an email.

Harmony, who was stolen from a car in the Manhattan Village mall in Manhattan Beach on Dec. 27, was found in Lennox, Thomasson told Patch in a phone conversation Tuesday. A person called the phone number listed on one of the many "missing dog" fliers plastered all over the South Bay.

According to a news release from Manhattan Beach Police Department spokeswoman Officer Stephanie Martin, the caller said a family member discovered Harmony on Hawthorne Boulevard near 116th Street.

Erin Lovejoy—the director of the Lovejoy Foundation, which received the tip about Harmony's location—and Patrick Thomasson confirmed the puppy was Harmony and brought her home.

She was in bad shape, Sheyla Thomasson said. The veterinarian who examined her said it looked as though the dog had been dragged over concrete. Harmony also had cigarette burns on her body and a bloodied paw, among other injuries.

"We're trying to bring her back to health," Thomasson said, noting that the veterinarian said Harmony was "definitely made to fight."

Nevertheless, the prognosis is good. "It's sad. It's very, very sad, but she's doing a lot better today already," Thomasson said. "It's just going to be awhile until she's back to normal."

For the next few days, Harmony is staying with Lovejoy, who fostered the white boxer-American bulldog mix for six weeks before the Thomassons adopted her, and visiting her adopted family several times per day. On Friday, when the Thomasson's children will be out of the house, Harmony will come back for her first night at home, Thomasson said.

"We don't know what [Harmony is] capable of right now because she's been so abused," Thomasson said, noting that Lovejoy's house is a more familiar one for the dog. "Saturday, we'll see how she's doing with Bella [the Thomasson's other dog], and then Sunday, the kids will come back."

The reward, which had grown to more than $4,000 since the puppy's disappearance, will not be paid, Thomasson said.

The people who called about Harmony "didn't want a reward," she said, so all donations made to the fund will be returned.

The MBPD is still investigating, Martin said. The person who took Harmony also stole an iPad, a $25 Visa gift card and about $70 in cash.

When Harmony was stolen, the community rallied around the Thomasson family, who had adopted the dog just before Christmas, by canvassing neighborhoods, posting fliers and increasing the reward.

"The whole community came together tremendously," said Thomasson. "Everybody kept the faith."

Source: http://palosverdes.patch.com/articles/stolen-dog-reunited-with-family

Zeus, sheltie

2012-01-11T07:45:00.001-05:00

Owner Reunited With Dog After He Disappeared
Monday, December 26 2011, 11:54 PM EST

HUBER HEIGHTS -- It's a sound that has been missing from Tammy Shelton's home since Christmas, her dog Zeus barking.

"As you can see, he's like Mom's beside me, it's all right. and I'm like, Zeus is beside me, it's more than all right," said Shelton.

Sunday, some boys saw a person in a green van swoop Zeus out of the side lawn. We interviewed Tammy and she pleaded for the people to bring the dog back, no questions asked. The right person saw the report.

"Neighbors said, that lady was on the news... you better return that dog," said Shelton.

A woman showed up with Zeus, returning the dog but did not accept the reward.

"My son was here, so there was a knock at the door and she just informed him that, "here he is, he could have gotten run over." Well I really would have liked to thank her.... I still do. I don't really know, I don't know how the story goes but he's home, he's home," said Shelton.

Tammy says she'll be keeping a much closer eye on him, even if he's in the side yard. She's even considering installing a permanent microchip so she could always track him.

Source with video: http://abc.daytonsnewssource.com/shared/newsroom/top_stories/videos/wkef_vid_4468.shtml

Previous story and video at: http://abc.daytonsnewssource.com/shared/newsroom/top_stories/videos/wkef_vid_4459.shtml

HUBER HEIGHTS -- A local woman is extremely distraught and she is begging for thieves to return her best friend. Two kids saw someone steal her dog, and he's still missing.

"It's Christmas, just bring him back," said Tammy Shelton since a Grinch has taken all of Tammy Shelton's Christmas cheer. Her beloved dog, Zeus, was plucked from her yard, stolen in broad daylight on Christmas.

"We were delivering Christmas gifts to all my friends with this Santa outfit on," said Shelton.

She took the outfit off of Zeus around 2:30 and let him out in the side yard, as she always does.

"He goes and then he lays right on the cement," said Shelton.

When he wasn't there, she panicked and searched the whole neighborhood. Then neighborhood boys told her they saw people in a green van take zeus, even after they protested. She traveled to the humane society with no luck, so she called police.

"He took the police report he said I hate to tell you but this is the time of year. They want your money they want your reward. Even if someone had told them where that dog goes they want your money. But you know what they can ask me any amount of money, if they just bring him back... I would give it to them," said Shelton who says Zeus has a hard time moving around because of hip dysplasia. And with no teeth, can only eat certain foods. But mostly, he's only ever known one mom, Tammy. She's worried about what they would want with a 12 year old dog who's her best friend.

"Whatever you want, just bring him back," said Shelton.

She says if you know anything about the dog, she's urging you to contact her. No questions asked.

Stella, border collie mix

2012-01-10T08:09:00.000-05:00

Dog, missing after wreck, reunited with owner
Reporter: Laura Leslie
January 9th, 2012

Raleigh, N.C. — Emily Odom got her dog back.

Stella, a seven-year-old border collie mix, spent more than 10 days in the elements after she and her owner, Odom, were in a wreck on Interstate 95 Dec. 26.

On Monday, the two were reunited after Stella was spotted outside a Harnett County body shop.

Odom was rear-ended in a traffic jam on I-95 near Dunn, and the impact sent her truck flipping into the opposing lanes. She ended up upside-down, hanging from her seat belt and bleeding from her head.

Stella wasn't hurt, and when rescuers arrived, Odom let her out of the car.

But the frightened dog ran.

Odom, friends and volunteers mounted a campaign to find Stella, posting flyers throughout Harnett and Johnston counties and contacting WRAL News.

The search came to fruition when someone at the body shop recognized Stella and called Odom. When she arrived, the dog ran right into her arms.

Source: http://www.wral.com/news/news_briefs/story/10577717/

Video appeal for help in the search for Stella at: http://www.wral.com/news/local/video/10554001/#/vid10554001

Spike, mongrel

2012-01-09T07:31:00.000-05:00

Dog owner gets ‘best Christmas present’ after being reunited with lost pet
Kate Ferguson, Reporter
Saturday, January 7, 2012

A Christmas day stroll on Hampstead Heath nearly turned to tragedy for one dog owner after he was separated from his usually faithful mongrel Spike.

Oliver Woolnough was walking his dog Spike on Christmas day on the Hampstead Heath when Spike got lost. They were reunited the next day thanks to Battersea Dogs Home.

Oliver Woolnough of Rosebery Road, Muswell Hill, was on his way to his daughter’s Hampstead home for turkey and all the trimmings when he decided to take his 16 year-old pet for a walk on the Heath.

But, distracted by a lively Jack Russell pup which he was also taking for a stroll, Mr Woolnough lost sight of his beloved dog.

The 65 year-old combed the woods for two hours, but had to give up his search as night fell.

Luckily, two fellow Heath walkers spotted the lost dog and took the forlorn pet to Battersea Dogs Home, who used Spike’s microchip to reunite him with his owner the following day.

Mr Woolnough said: “He probably looked quite vulnerable.

“He used to be able to find his way across London. Once, he was waiting for me outside the Whittington hospital in Highgate and managed to find his way back to our home in Crouch End.

“But I was more worried this time because he was getting old.”

He added: “There are a lot of concerned dog owners on the Heath – they act like a real community.

“I am really grateful to the walkers for finding him, I was so relieved when I was reunited with Spike.”

Source:
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Vito, search & rescue dog

2012-01-08T20:26:00.000-05:00

Vito, missing search and rescue dog, has been found
By Michael S. Rosenwald
01/08/2012

Vito was found late Saturday.

Vito, the missing search and rescue dog, has been found.

His owner and handler Sonja Heritage got a call at 10:30 p.m. Saturday from a man who had seen media reports telling the story of how Vito went missing Thursday after getting spooked during a training exercise in Bowie.

“You’re missing a dog, right?”the man said. “I have your dog. I have him. He’s safe.”

Heritage, a member of the elite Fairfax Urban Search and Rescue Team, could barely contain her emotions.

“He was so sweet,” she said. “What an amazing man.”

His name is Omar. On the night of his 38th birthday, pushing midnight, he met up with Heritage and reunited Vito with her. He brought along his brother and father.

“We were all crying and Vito was jumping around and everyone was so happy,” Heritage said. “What an amazing ending.”

Omar is mechanic and Vito had been riding to work with him in his truck, enjoying a hard-working blue collar life. Heritage’s husband does similar work, so Vito was a natural for the role.

Heritage doesn’t know all the details of how and when Omar found Vito, but the dog’s rescuer works near Whitemarsh Park, which is where Vito went missing.

“This is an amazing man,” Heritage said. “He took such good care of him. He understood what a special dog Vito is.”

Omar turned down cash. All he asked was for the chance to visit Vito. “So now Vito has an uncle Omar,” Heritage said. “There is nothing but love coming from that man.”

Vito slept soundly last night, at home, in bed with his owners.

Source:

Ole, Welsh corgi

2012-01-07T16:31:00.000-05:00

Dog found alive 4 days after Montana avalanche
Friday, January 6, 2012

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) – A dog that was feared dead after he was swept away in a weekend avalanche that killed his owner showed up four days later at the Montana motel where his owners had stayed the night before going backcountry skiing.

Search and rescue team member Bill Whittle said he was "positive" that the Welsh corgi — named Ole — had been buried in Saturday's avalanche.

"The avalanche guys were up there on Monday investigating and they were looking for the dog too and never seen any signs," he said.

But on Wednesday, Ole showed up exhausted and hungry back at the motel, four miles from where the slide occurred, the Billings Gazette reported.

"When I first saw the dog, it was sitting in front of their room staring at the door," Cooke City Alpine Motel owner Robert Weinstein said in an email to The Associated Press on Thursday.

Dave Gaillard of Bozeman was skiing with his wife when the avalanche struck near Cooke City, an old mining town just outside Yellowstone National Park.

"His last words to me were, 'Retreat to the trees.' I think he saw what was coming from above, that I did not see," Kerry Corcoran Gaillard told the Bozeman Daily Chronicle.

Gaillard's daughter, 11-year-old Marguerite, was putting photos of Ole on poster board as a memorial Wednesday afternoon.

"She found out when she was halfway done with that that Ole was still alive," said Gaillard's step-daughter, Silver Brelsford.

Whittle drove the dog back to the family in Bozeman.

"He was tired," Brelsford told the AP. "He's doing really well now."

Sidney resident Jody Ray Verhasselt, 46, also died Saturday in another avalanche while snowmobiling north of Cooke City. The two New Year's Eve avalanche deaths have taken a toll on the small mountain community.

"We needed this," Whittle said of Ole's survival. "It kind of cheered everyone up."

Searchers recovered Gaillard's body earlier this week. Family members were preparing for his funeral on Friday.

Source: http://yourlife.usatoday.com/parenting-family/pets/story/2012-01-06/Dog-found-alive-4-days-after-Montana-avalanche/52410830/1

Lola, corgi mix

2012-01-06T21:05:00.000-05:00

Pompano Beach man reunited with dog lost at sea
By Juan Ortega, Sun Sentinel
Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2012

Lola, a Corgi mix, about 4 years old, who disappeared during a fishing trip off Hillsboro Beach on Friday was reunited with her owners on Tuesday.

A dog vanished during a fishing trip in the waters off Hillsboro Beach. And after a four-day search that led to Boca Raton, the 4-year-old Corgi mix and her owner were reunited Tuesday.

With the public's help, Mike Peters, 33, of Pompano Beach, tracked his dog to Ed Hubbard, a volunteer at Tri-County Humane Society in Boca Raton.

Hubbard had been tending to her after she appeared along the beach in Boca Raton, Hubbard said. "She looks great," Peters said. "She must have swam to shore and been in shock. I can't believe she was up in Boca Raton."

Peters and his girlfriend, Heather Wolfe, 42, of Fort Lauderdale, were searching for Lola since Friday afternoon, when the dog fell off their 22-foot boat near Hillsboro Inlet, Peters said.

The dog was between his legs as the boat approached the inlet, and in an instant, "she was gone," he said. He searched the waters to no avail, he said. He and his girlfriend began posting fliers about her disappearance in public places and on Facebook, he said.

Still, Peters was optimistic about the dog's survival. It was part of Lola's routine to swim across a lake near her home almost every day, Peters said. Additionally, the waters were calm Friday.

Though Lola normally wore a dog tag, it wasn't on during the trip. Peters figured a "horrible haircut" that Lola received from a groomer would help the public recognize Lola. She looked like a lion: Her body was shaved, with hair remaining only on her head and neck, he said.

Lola was found in the 900 block of Ocean Boulevard in Boca Raton. About 7 p.m. Saturday, police asked the Tri-County Humane Society to pick up Lola from a police facility, according to Hubbard, the volunteer. Hubbard responded and took Lola back to his home and tended to her, he said.

Tuesday, someone read an article on the Sun Sentinel's website about the search for Lola and put Peters in touch with Hubbard, Peters said. Hubbard said he was "tickled pink when somebody called."

What did Hubbard think of Lola's hairdo? "Strange" and "incomplete," he said.

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/pompano-beach-man-reunited-with-dog-lost-at-2078914.html

Dodger, collie mix

2012-01-04T07:22:00.002-05:00

Family, Dog Reunited After 4 Years Apart
Microchip Used To Find Owner, Police Say
January 3, 2012

SEVERNA PARK, Md. -- A North Carolina family got a late Christmas gift when Maryland police helped reunite them with a dog that had been missing for more than four years.

Dodger, a Collie mix, went missing from the Willey family's Owings Mills, MD home in 2007 while family members were away. The family conducted a search and contacted local shelters, but the dog wasn't found.

Police said a good Samaritan found an older Collie mix in Severna Park on Dec. 27 and took it to Anne Arundel County Animal Control. The dog was found on Honeysuckle Lane.

Dodger was reunited with family members in late December.

The dog was microchipped, and animal control workers contacted the microchip company for information about the dog's owners, police said.

The company was able to contact a member of the Willey family in Virginia, and that family member put the company in touch with the dog's owner, who now lives in Cedar Ridge.

The owner, William Douglas Willey, and his sons visited the police department Dec. 30 to be reunited with the dog.

Police said the dog had abrasions on his face and teeth missing and that it wasn't clear where the dog had been.

"Dodger’s return to his family underscores the importance of using microchips for tracking and also registering our pets."
- County Executive John Leopold

"Animal control staff are elated to reunite 'Dodger' with his family and wish them the best of luck in the future," the police department said in a news release.

Authorities and county officials are using the case as an example of why microchips are important for pet owners.

“Dodger’s return to his family underscores the importance of using microchips for tracking and also registering our pets," said County Executive John Leopold.

A microchip can be implanted by a veterinarian.

Source: http://www.wxii12.com/r/30125397/detail.html
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Mottel, pomeranian

2012-01-03T08:19:00.002-05:00

Yelp has arrived!
By Kevin Fasick and Aaron Feis
December 31, 2011

A cruel dognapper snatched Mottel a few days ago, but the 17-year-old Pomeranian is starting the new year on a happy bark — he was reunited with his best friend yesterday.

REUNION: Actress and teacher Lenore Harris clutches her prized Pomeranian, Mottel, yesterday after the dog was stolen from her cart in a drugstore.

“It’s a miracle,” said West Sider Lenore Harris, 59, who was grateful to a mother and daughter who rescued Mottel after they found him in a bag at an Upper East Side bus stop a day after he was snatched from her in a drugstore.

“It’s a great holiday New York story,” said Lenore’s sister, Rosalind Harris, an actress who played Tzeitel in the movie “Fiddler on the Roof.”

Lenore, herself an actress who played a public defender on “Law & Order,” said she took Mottel with her to a CVS drugstore at 93rd Street and Broadway Tuesday night.

She put Mottel’s carrier in her shopping cart. She turned to speak to the pharmacist and “it wasn’t even a minute. I turned around and the dog was gone.”

“I ran to the front of the store yelling, ‘Somebody stole my dog!’ ” she said. “The employees said they saw the man walk out very fast with the bag.”

“I know this sounds dramatic, but you want to commit suicide,” said Lenore, who teaches speech at the HB Studio acting school. “I wanted to kill myself.”

She and her two sisters spent $1,500 on fliers and posters and on drivers to take them around looking for him.

The story’s happy ending began Wednesday night when Sonya Thorpe, 43, and her 9-year-old daughter Naomi, saw a bag at the bus stop at 96th Street and First Avenue.

“Naomi picked up the bag. She thought it would be nice for school,” said Thorpe.

“I took it from her and I set the bag down and I heard a whimper.” she said. “I opened the bag and said, ‘Oh my God, he’s so cute.’ ”

Yesterday morning, Thorpe read the tag that indicated he had a microchip and where to call if he was lost.

American Veterinary Identification Devices quickly called Lenore, who went to the Thorpes to get the dog.

Today Lenore is taking Mottel for a special grooming and bath “so he enters the new year sparkling,” she said yesterday at the Westside Veterinary Center, where doctors said Mottel was fine.

Source: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/yelp_has_arrived_cULfzEMMVXgYLPNGYzl5eJ

Duke, rottweiler

2012-01-01T09:40:00.000-05:00

Lost, Injured Dog Reunited with Owner After FOX 17 Story Airs
Jonathan Seely, FOX 17 Web Producer
December 30, 2011

After airing a story last week about dogs in the Muskegon area with serious injuries as a result of dog fighting, a dog and owner have been reunited.

MUSKEGON, Mich— After airing a story last week about dogs in the Muskegon area with serious injuries as a result of dog fighting, a dog and owner have been reunited.

Earlier this month, Rotty the Rottweiler was lost and injured. He was turned over to Pound Buddies shelter in Muskegon Heights with a dislocated hip, scratches and bites, where he was treated.

Doctors think Rotty was a 'bait dog' used for training fighting dogs.

Despite the sad start, the story has a happy ending. It turns out Rotty’s real name is Duke and he belongs to a family in the Ravenna area.

A friend of the family saw FOX 17’s story and the pet and owner were reunited Thursday night.

Source, with video: http://www.fox17online.com/news/fox17-lost-injured-dog-owner-reunited-after-fox-17-story-airs-20111230,0,1779391.story

Taz, chihuahua

2011-12-30T08:38:00.001-05:00

Dog lost for five years found in Berkeley, returned to Central Valley
By JM Brown, Correspondent
Posted: 12/29/2011

A family in the Central Valley got the best -- and most delayed -- Christmas present this year, one that has really put them in the mood to ring in the new year.

Taz, a Chihuahua found running around outside the Berkeley Bowl on Dec. 23, is seen here in the arms of original owner Anne Magnussen on Christmas Day. Thanks to a microchip scan at the Berkeley Animal Care Services, the dog was returned to the family in the Central Valley more than five years after he was lost.

Ann and Craig Magnussen and their two teenage daughters were reunited two days before Christmas with a Chihuahua they lost five years ago. The little guy, named Taz, showed up in the parking lot of the Berkeley Bowl on Dec. 23, a bit dirty and disheveled.

A produce clerk asked longtime customers Dan and Katy McMullan, who have a Chihuahua of their own, to look after the dog. The couple took him within hours to the Berkeley Animal Care Services, where a microchip scan revealed his true owners and their phone number.

"My heart was beating so fast -- I couldn't believe it was happening," Ann Magnussen said, remembering the call she received from the animal shelter. "This is the absolutely the craziest thing I ever heard."

Magnussen called her daughters, who were just 11 and 13 when Taz went missing on Dec. 1, 2006.

"They just started screaming, they were so happy," she said.

She said husband Craig got in the car so fast to head to Berkeley, he forgot his wallet. Hours later, Taz was back at home with the family's two other Chihuahuas, Tyson, 11, and the most recent addition to the family, Zoey, 2.

"We're a Chihuahua factory over here," she said.

Magnussen said Taz responds to his name when called, even though he's been gone longer than he was with them.

Taz was just 2 when he and Tyson got out of the yard of a home the family was renting while building a new house.

The family canvassed the neighborhood looking for the two runaways, finding only Tyson. They put up posters and visited shelters and schools before eventually giving up hope. Just earlier this year, Ann Magnussen threw away Taz's identification papers because she assumed he was dead.

The owners may never know what happened to Taz or how many people have had him since 2006. Who knows whether he was stolen or just taken by a good-natured passer-by who didn't know to check for a microchip.

"He was fed well, a little bit dirty but had no fleas," Magnussen said. "I try to give them the benefit of the doubt."

She's thrilled the McMullan family knew the right thing to do. After a produce clerk at Berkeley Bowl asked the couple to keep Taz in case an owner came looking for him, the couple decided to take him to the shelter.

"What was really touching is, he had this really ingratiating smile," Dan McMullan said of Taz. "He was the sweetest little dog."

Taz even got along with the McMullans' own Chihuahua, Clarence, who is named for the angel in the Christmas movie "It's a Wonderful Life."

Marcie Burrell, a city animal control officer, said reunions after so many years are rare, maybe two or three per year. She is happy Taz was microchipped, in good health and had a good home to go back to.

"It was cool, of course," Burrell said. "One of the good stories."

Source: http://www.contracostatimes.com/breaking-news/ci_19639510

Leo, yorkie

2011-12-28T08:15:00.002-05:00

Stolen dog reunited with owner
December 27, 2011

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- A South Florida woman received her Christmas wish after a local law enforcement officer found her stolen Yorkie.

A Miami Beach Police officer found Leo, the stolen Yorkie, wandering on the beach late Saturday night.

Leo's owner, Anita MacLannan, received the phone call from the Fort Lauderdale Police Department that she had been wishing for. "When I saw him in the car, I knew it was him. I started running over, holding him, crying," said MacLannan.

The officer who found Leo recognized him after seeing the story on 7 News. "And the next phone call we got from her was we got baby Leo back!" said MacLannan's ex-boyfriend Nick Santagado.

Leo was possibly taken moments after burglars ransacked MacLannan's home along Northeast Third Street and 12th Avenue in Fort Lauderdale, Friday. The thieves took her TV and jewelry, as well as her precious pet Leo.

On Saturday, MacLannan hired a pet detective and his K9 to sniff out the scent, in hopes of finding Leo. The search led nowhere. "It's more than likely someone stopped and picked him up in a car and scooped him up," said hired private investigator Andrew Novatak.

Anita is grateful for everyone who helped search for Leo. "Thank you to everybody. The police department, Miami, the Fort Lauderdale Police Department, and everybody look for him, the news," said MacLannan. "Best Christmas present ever. Just in time for Christmas. I held him at 12 o'clock."

The thieves that broke into and stole items from Anita's house are still at large.

Source: http://www1.whdh.com/news/articles/national/12006263758462/stolen-dog-reunited-with-owner/

Cruz, pitbull

2011-12-27T08:40:00.000-05:00

Bryan Family Returns Missing Dog to Oklahoma City Family In Time For Christmas
Bryan City Council Member Ann Horton and her family returned "Cruz" the dog to Oklahoma City after he somehow found his way to Bryan.
Reporter: Clay Falls
Posted: 9:38 PM Dec 23, 2011

After traveling--somehow--to Bryan, Texas, an Oklahoma City dog is reunited with his family just in time for Christmas. Watch a video here

Two days before Christmas and one family is getting their wish a little early as an Oklahoma City family has a reunion they'll never forget.

Their dog disappeared from their home and was found four days later right here in Bryan.

Now "Cruz" the dog, is making it home for the holidays.

He's an energetic pit bull terrier that loves people, that's also deaf.

"He has a sweet disposition. We're looking forward to the trip," said Bryan City Council Member Ann Horton.

Cruz, like many of us has had some travels this month. A few days back he disappeared from his family's yard, in Oklahoma City.

Somehow, someway he wound up at the Bryan Animal Center, after he was picked up in town.

"They had just rescued him from a shelter in Oklahoma City. They put him out in the backyard, and he disappeared and found his way to Bryan so we feel like Santa Claus," Horton added.

Bryan City Council Member Ann Horton, her husband and daughter were planning on going to Oklahoma City to see family and wanted to help.

While they don't know exactly how Cruz got down here to Bryan, the Horton Family is making sure he's back in Oklahoma in time for Christmas.

They left Thursday morning on the homeward bound journey of more than 350 miles back to the Sooner State.

"I had left him in my backyard for like ten minutes... I go back and check on him and he is gone," said Cynthia Rodriguez, an Oklahoma City resident.

Rodriguez looked for Cruz for two hours after he disappeared with no luck.

A few days later she got a phone call.

"I said where are you so I can pick him up and she said, 'Well I'm in Texas,' and I was like wow how did he get over there,?" she recalled.

Since she, her 4-year-old daughter Kimberly and husband couldn't come down to Texas, the Hortons came to her.

"I think it's one of those warm fuzzy Christmas stories and we're just happy that we get to be a part of it," said Ann Horton.

"Yeah he's back thank God he's so happy to be back with us. It's going to be a nice Christmas for us this year," said Cynthia Rodriguez.

A Christmas with Cruz.

Cruz is said to be recovering safe and sound at home Friday night.

A rabies vaccination tag led officials in Bryan to the family in Oklahoma City.

Source: http://www.kbtx.com/local/headlines/Bryan_Family_Returns_Missing_Dog_to_Oklahoma_City_Family_In_Time_For_Christmas_136173093.html

See another version of the story at: http://www.theeagle.com/local/Pup-made-trek-from-Oklahoma--6859926

Stevie Oedipus Wonder, terrier

2011-12-26T09:35:00.000-05:00

A happy ending to the tale of blind pup
Return of missing dog is owner's ‘Christmas miracle.'
By Jason Buch
Saturday, December 24, 2011

Belinda Gutierrez was reunited with her dog Stevie Oedipus Wonder after ACS volunteers found a listing for him on Craigslist.

Stevie Oedipus Wonder is lucky to be home for the holidays.

The cairn terrier mix pup disappeared from his home on the far West Side at the end of November, was reported dead and had almost overstayed his welcome at Animal Care Services this week when his owner found him.

“This is my Christmas miracle,” said Belinda Gutierrez, who thinks Stevie is about a year old. “I actually thought I was going to have a sad end of the year and a sad Christmas.”

But thanks to Craigslist, an animal-loving schoolteacher and efforts by ACS to find Stevie a place to spend the holidays, Gutierrez picked him up from the shelter Thursday.

And to make this heartwarming story of a puppy making it home in time for Christmas with his family even more so, Stevie's not just any puppy. A veterinarian told Gutierrez her dog was born without eyes, she said, and he showed signs of abuse when her daughter found him wandering around a duck pond at Marbach Road and Ellison Drive early this year.

Gutierrez, 49, said she's a cat person, but when her daughter called her crying — at first they thought his permanently closed eyes were a sign of abuse — she told her daughter to bring over the puppy.

“He wouldn't go up to anyone if it wasn't my voice or my daughter's voice,” she said. “He didn't like men's voices. He would bark.”

But Gutierrez said his friendly attitude won her over. He became a big part of her life, dragging her out of the house to get exercise that she needed as much as he did. So she was very upset when Stevie escaped Nov. 29 and days later, when her landlord told her he was dead.

“We thought, ‘OK, he's gone and he'll have to just wait for us at the rainbow bridge,'” said Gutierrez, a health care provider.

Stevie came to ACS on Dec. 11, said Jeanne Saadi, the agency's live release coordinator. Because he had a collar and a tag, the shelter would hold him for five days before he was euthanized, Saadi said. But the contact information on his tag was out of date and the shelter could not reach his owner.

Luckily for Stevie, Brooke Orr, an English as a second language teacher at Highlands High School and a co-sponsor of the school's Voices for Animals Club, was moved when she saw a post online from ACS trying to find a home for him.

Orr said she asked the shelter to put a Save a Life hold on him, thinking she'd take care of him over the holidays. Also luckily for Stevie, Gutierrez's daughter had placed an ad on Craigslist in an effort to find him.

“I saw the posting of the little dog and I saw that he had a collar and a tag on,” Orr said. “And I thought that he must belong to someone. So I went to Craigslist and went to lost and found and I put in ‘blind dog,' and there he was.”

So she contacted Gutierrez and let her know Stevie was safe.

When she went to the shelter to pick him up, Gutierrez said she was concerned Stevie would be unable to recognize her.

“All he had to do was hear my voice,” she said. “And I stood at the entrance of the kennel building and called out, ‘Stevie, Stevie.' And he started barking all over the place.”

She was so unhappy with her landlord letting Stevie escape, Gutierrez said, that she left the mobile home and moved into an apartment.

On Friday, Stevie was playing with a dog friend in the living room and jumping up to greet visitors of both genders. In the kitchen, Gutierrez had stocking stuffers for him. A couple of the items seemed like the standard gifts Santa Claus would bring for a puppy that made it home for the holidays: doggy treats and rawhide chew toys. But there was an unusual addition to Stevie's Christmas gifts.

“He loves carrots,” Gutierrez said. “We always say he's trying to get his eyesight to improve.”

Source: http://www.chron.com/news/local_news/article/A-happy-ending-to-the-tale-of-blind-pup-2423074.php
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Bella, doberman pinscher

2011-12-24T09:43:00.000-05:00

Missing therapy dog returns home to baby who needs her
Posted: Dec 21, 2011

SAN DIEGO (CBS 8) - There's a heartwarming follow-up to a story that upset many News 8 viewers. Bella the seizure dog is safe and sound, and back with her Point Loma family.

The Doberman pinscher was missing for 12 days. Now police are going to look into the possibility it was an inside job.

The lost dog signs were posted all over San Diego. Brian Margarita needed his beloved Bella home because when the seizure dog barks at night, she wakes up the single father so he can rush to the aid of his nine-month-old daughter Reece, who suffers from epilepsy.

"There is material stuff, and then there is stuff that matters, and this is stuff that matters," Brian said.

Brian knew Bella had been stolen. How else did she get out behind two locked gates?

"This dog has never run away, she is very attached to me and the family and Reece," he said.

Using Facebook, Brian reached out to people across the country.

"I have had some crazy calls. I've had five or six 'Dog Whisperers,' I've had people telling me everything," Brian said.

But finally the winning tip came in and Brian says his bitter ex-girlfriend asked a friend of hers to take the dog to a Lakeside home out of spite. That's where Brian says he and sheriff's deputies found Bella.

"When the story first broke, I had three or four friends tell me that they thought maybe that's what could have happened, and I thought, no way, no way could anybody do that," he said.

Even though Brian calls the plot evil, Bella's disappearance has unveiled the good in the world as well.

"I had a stranger in Orange County PayPal me $1,000 to double the reward," he said.

Even the girl who called Brian with Bella's whereabouts has no interest in the reward.

"You know it's nice to see people do the right thing, because it's the right thing," Brian said.

The happy homecoming was a relief for Brian's nanny as well, who thought maybe she had left a gate open. Now the family is back together, and Bella's the best holiday gift of all.

"I think this is what Christmas is about. There is nothing I want on my wish list -- this was it," Brian said.

Brian says police will investigate the alleged dog-napping, and charges could follow.

Source: http://www.cbs8.com/story/16374189/missing-therapy-dog-returns-home-to-baby-who-needs-her

Kapone, pitbull

2011-12-23T13:21:00.000-05:00

Kapone coming home: Missing Memphis dog found alive in Mississippi
By Sara Patterson
December 20, 2011

Two happy children opened their arms Tuesday and welcomed into the van their old friend, a male dog with a white face and reddish fur who was a bit thinner and much dirtier than when they'd seen him last.

Six months after he was picked up by Memphis Animal Services and then disappeared, the 11-year-old pit bull named Kapone finally headed home.

"He peed in the car!" 4-year-old Aidan Shoup yelled while his father, Darrell, gave a statement to police outside a home on Peachtree Drive in Senatobia, Miss., about 50 miles south of Kapone's Cordova home.

Kapone, Memphis' most publicized missing pup of 2011, was found after an anonymous tipster pointed searchers in the direction of a home with inflatable Christmas decorations in the front yard.

"Unbelievable," Cindy Sanders of Community Action for Animals muttered under her breath when she saw the dog reunited with his family. "And they said we didn't need the billboard."

Sanders and animal advocate Beverly King headed much of the search for Kapone, plastering the area with banners, erecting a billboard on Interstate 240 at Perkins and fielding tips called in to the Seniors-B-Safe hotline number for Crime Stoppers of Memphis and Shelby County.

"I never gave up hope," said King. "Whenever I got a tip, I'd go to investigate. I looked at dead bodies, decapitated heads ...

"I'm glad we found one that's alive."

A reward for Kapone gathered from local and national dog lovers had climbed to $8,000, but King said the anonymous tipster who led to the dog's discovery didn't ask for a reward.

"I've got the commitments, but the informant didn't want the reward money," she said.

Kapone first escaped from the Shoups' Cordova backyard with the family's 3-year-old pit bull, Jersey, on June 24. Records show that he was picked up by Demetria Hogan, an animal shelter employee who was subsequently fired and now faces a misdemeanor charge of animal cruelty.

Brooke Shoup alerted media when she found only one of her dogs at the shelter, less than 24 hours after they'd been picked up. The family feared Kapone, too old to fight, would become bait on the dogfighting circuit.

Darrell Shoup said he hadn't thought they'd see Kapone again.

"I'm just overwhelmed," he said before he brought Kapone to the Senatobia shelter.

From there, he drove to the police station and waited a few hours to get the "OK" to take Kapone home.

Because there isn't an animal control officer in Senatobia, according to assistant shelter director Alecia Burns, police handle cases such as these.

Senatobia Police Chief Steve Holts said that because the case began with Kapone's apparent abduction in Memphis, further investigation into the matter will be conducted by Memphis police. The Senatobia homeowners in question didn't answer a reporter's knocks on the door Tuesday afternoon after Kapone was removed from the property. Police interviewed two people before they took the dog away, but no arrests had been made.

"There are numerous questions that must be answered before any investigative unit can move forward," said Karen Rudolph, Memphis police spokeswoman.

Crime Stoppers director Buddy Chapman said he had received two or three tips a week since Kapone's disappearance and has become interested in the larger implications of the dog's situation.

"There have been rumors for years that pits don't make it to the shelter," he said. "It will be fascinating to work this case back and see ...

"How did Kapone wind up in Senatobia?"

Source: http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2011/dec/20/kapone-comes-home-missing-dog-found-alive-mississi/
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Another version of the story is at: http://www.wreg.com/news/wreg-kapone-found,0,7184594.story

Missing Dog Kapone Found in Senatobia: MyFoxMEMPHIS.com

Family Fears Memphis Animal Shelter Lost Their Dog: MyFoxMEMPHIS.com

Freddie, border terrier

2011-12-22T08:30:00.000-05:00

Dog rescued from under shed
Wednesday 29th November 2006

A Shropshire pooch who was trapped under a pile of logs for four days was today recovering at home with his relieved owners.

Freddie the dog vanished after a walk on Friday from his home in Bayston Hill.

The small border terrier had got himself wedged underneath a neighbour’s shed which was full of logs. As well as hunting for their pet, the family also put a notice in the lost and found notices of today’s Shropshire Star.

Firefighters yesterday had to remove all the logs to get to the black and tan coloured dog through the floor boards.

Owner Martin Parrish, of Lower Pulley Lane, Bayston Hill, said Freddie was shaking and suffering from dehydration and toxic shock when he was pulled out.

Freddie, 18 months, had gone missing during a walk on Friday when he had run off with their other dog Pikey. Freddie, who is microchipped, was not rescued until 2.20pm yesterday.

Mr Parrish said it was unlike Freddie to disappear for more than five minutes and added he and his wife Andrea, 36, had searched all the fields around.

They even called out the Fell and Moorland Working Terrier Club based in Cheshire to look for the missing pup on Sunday.

Mr Parrish, who is a director for St Kenelm Properties, said: “They walked all the fields and looked in every rabbit hole and badger set.

“They put down listening devices and if they had heard him down there, they would have applied to Defra for special permission to dig as badger setts are protected.”

But Freddie failed to appear and the couple placed a missing advert for him on www.doglost.co.uk They received more than 203 hits.

People in Bayston Hill even printed out posters from the site to display Freddie’s picture around the village. Mr Parrish said: “When he still didn’t turn up, we thought he may have been stolen. We were absolutely heart broken.”

But then the couple had a phone call yesterday from a neighbour at Pulley Hall who said he had heard a noise under his shed.

Mr Parrish, 53, said: “My wife and I dug as much as we could but it was quite dangerous because the ground could have collapsed so we called the fire brigade who were fantastic.

“They had to cut through the shed floor and they got him out. He was filthy and dehydrated and he was shaking. He hadn’t had anything to eat or drink for four days.”

Source: http://www.shropshirestar.com/latest/2006/11/29/dog-rescued-from-under-shed/

Addison, dachshund

2011-12-21T08:33:00.000-05:00

Wayward dachshund reunited with Olathe teen at KCI
By Donald Bradley, The Kansas City Star
Posted on Tue, Dec. 20, 2011

Holiday travel can be a hassle, but Addison flew in style Monday.

Abby Mason, 14, of Olathe was reunited with her dog, Addison, on Monday afternoon at Kansas City International Airport.

No complaints. Plenty of leg room. Of course, coach would have given that to the 7-year-old dachshund, but Addison got to fly first class on Delta from Tampa, Fla., to be reunited with her owner, an Olathe teen, just in time for Christmas. And greeted with a hunk of Cracker Barrel ham on arrival at Kansas City International Airport.

A bit much for a dog, you think? Well, wonder what she would say about humans.

First off, she was perfectly happy in Arizona. Great place for sunning the belly. But then they decided they didn’t want to live there anymore so they loaded her up and took her to Florida. Somehow — she declined comment Monday — she got loose down there and wandered the streets of Tampa. People can be so rude. She was almost relieved to get picked up and put in lockup.

The whole thing started when Abby Mason, 14, who got Addison as a puppy, left the dog with family members in Arizona while she went to visit her father in Olathe for the summer. At summer’s end, Abby decided she wanted to stay here and go to school.

Meanwhile, her Arizona family had moved to Florida.

“I didn’t know for a long time that Addison was lost down there,” Abby, a freshman at Shawnee Mission West, said Monday.

When she found out, she started calling and emailing every animal shelter she could find in Florida. Finally, workers at Hillsborough Animal Services in Tampa traced a microchip back to the uncle who had taken Addison to Florida.

The decision was made to somehow reunite Addison to Abby.

By then, a woman named Crista Banks, a dachshund owner and volunteer, had seen emails from Abby and decided to help. She had some frequent flyer miles going to waste so she offered to use them to fly Addison to Kansas City.

Hey, it’s Christmas, she’d just come along, too.

And when Banks bought tickets, they got an upgrade to first class.

“I really wanted to get this dog back to Abby,” Banks said.

And when she saw the reunion at the airport, she knew those miles couldn’t have flown anywhere better.

“Just in time for the holidays. These two belong together.”

Banks was soon on a plane headed back home.

Abby called the stranger, “My lovely friend Crista.”

“I didn’t know if I would ever see Addison again,” Abby said. “This means the world to me.”

Source: http://www.kansascity.com/2011/12/19/3328836/wayward-dachshund-reunited-with.html
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Molly, Boston terrier

2011-12-20T07:38:00.000-05:00

Dog returned after ransom money given to thief suspect
By Christina Boyle, Daily News Staff Writer
Saturday, October 27 2007

Stacey Grant is happily reunited with beloved pooch Molly.

The Boston Terrier snatched outside a Brooklyn laundry is back home - after the dog's owners shelled out $2,500 to men they suspect stole her in the first place.

The day after the Daily News highlighted Molly's disappearance and fears that scammers are swiping pets to make a quick buck, the beloved pooch was returned in exchange for the cash reward.

Owners Stacey Grant and her boyfriend, Nick Hallam, received a call from a man who said he found Molly walking on the BQE, just yards from the spot where she vanished in Williamsburg last Friday.

"We almost ran over her with our car. We took her back to our father's in Long Island," the stranger explained. "I need to buy a car, my brother's got attached to the dog and I really want this money to buy a car."

The couple became even more suspicious when the man made basic errors describing their dog, and gave a wrong number to contact him.

"He kept calling Molly 'he' and said she had a black lead when it's burgundy," Grant said.

"He gave us a fake number. We called and it was the museum of New York. We thought it was a scam."

The man was persistent and after offering to do the swap near his Harlem home, Grant and Hallam insisted they meet on neutral turf - opting for a well-lit parking lot outside MacDonald's on W. 34th St.

They notified cops but were warned it could be a trap and to meet "at their own risk," Grant said.

"We got a cab and as we drove by there was a guy holding Molly," she said.

"I saw her and started crying and ran toward her. She recognized me immediately and was licking me all over."

Despite their suspicions, Grant and Hallam handed over an envelope with $2,500 cash to the two men with Molly.

One of the men even matched a description given by a witness who saw Molly being snatched.

"I was just really happy to see my dog. I was thanking them for bringing her back. Meanwhile they were getting our money," Grant said.

"I think the story in the paper made them feel pressure because people were going to recognize Molly. Thank God for that."

Despite some blisters on her paws and an odor of marijuana, Molly is unscathed.

"She was really subdued and spooked, a bit freaked out but will be okay," Grant said. "It makes me feel violated. Who takes your dog from you and holds them for ransom?"

Source: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/dog-returned-ransom-money-thief-suspect-article-1.229529
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Gizmo, pug

2011-12-18T10:41:00.001-05:00

Lost dog reunited with his family in time for the holidays
By mvlife on December 14, 2011

A lost dog was rescued, nursed back to health and reunited with his family for the holidays thanks to the efforts of a Good Samaritan, a nonprofit group and caring City staff.

A Good Samaritan found Gizmo and brought him to the Mission Viejo Animal Services Center on November 22. The dog was scared, cold and had no identification. DAWG, the nonprofit fundraising group of the Animal Services Center, paid for emergency bladder stone surgery and the removal of several teeth that were causing Gizmo severe problems.

While volunteers and staff nursed the friendly dog back to health, J.R. Stewart, an Animal Services Officer, began searching for Gizmo’s owner. The fruits of his detective work paid off when he found the dog’s family. They had moved from Huntington Beach to Colorado and then to Aliso Viejo. Gizmo had been missing for more than a month.

His family was overwhelmed with gratitude to DAWG and all involved. DAWG agreed to accept a small payment toward the $2,000 spent on Gizmo’s medical care, since the family could not afford to pay for all the medical bills. On December 6, Gizmo was happily reunited with his family and showed his affection and joy by “kissing” the family’s young son.

“Now Gizmo can spend the holidays with his family thanks to the Good Samaritan, the generous DAWG group, caring staff and one very persistent Animal Control Officer,” said Gail DeYoung, Animal Services Manager. “The Mission Viejo Animal Services Center is extremely grateful to have so many caring community members and staff that work throughout the year to save and care for our animals.”

Source: http://missionviejolife.org/2011/12/14/lost-dog-reunited-with-family-for-holidays/

Commented on December 15, 2011 at 5:53 pm: This was a Christmas story to be sure. I was lucky enough to be part of arranging for critical care for Gizmo. It was thrilling to see this normally quiet dog get so excited at finding his family. The reunion was one of pure joy. Little Gizmo made those happy dog noises and danced around repeatedly jumping up and kissing his family. This very nice family had been looking for their dog for over a month but because they were new to the area, they did not know that our shelter serves Aliso Viejo. What a great feeling to see this family reunited.

Canyon

2011-12-16T20:53:00.001-05:00

Iowa Dog Reunited With Family After 3 Years, 70 Miles
12/15/11

For more than half his life, a 5 year-old dog named Canyon has been without his owners.

That all changed when Carrie Lentner and Justin Ellyson, Canyon's owners, got a call from the Mercer County Animal Control Department, in Aledo, Ill., three years after Canyon went missing from their West Branch, Iowa home.

"It was March 1, 2008 and we'd only had him for about six months. And we left him outside to do his business like we always did," Lentner told WQAD.com.

The couple says they had given up on getting their dog back, hoping it had been adopted by another loving family. They received the surprising call from the animal control department -- 70 miles from their home -- because the microchip in Canyon's back listed their phone number.

"She says, 'Well, it's a black one,' and I just started crying. I was like, 'It's Canyon! They have Canyon! We gotta go get him!'" Lentner told the new source.

Now, the three are just happy to have each other back.

"We probably would have driven any amount of miles to get him," Ellyson told WQAD.com.

Source and video: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/15/dog-reunited-with-family-_n_1149281.html

Emmie, pitbull puppy

2011-12-15T18:41:00.000-05:00

11 week-old stolen puppy reunited with owner
by Rebecca White and Brian Heap, KWCH 12 Eyewitness News
December 13, 2011

(WICHITA, Kan.)— A picture on Facebook leads a stolen puppy back to its owner. After Eyewitness News posted the picture of 11-month-old "Emmie" on our Facebook page, a woman called and said she thought she had the dog.

The dog was stolen from owner Josh Duttarer during a burglary Monday afternoon. Thieves also got away with valuable electronics from Duttarer's mobile home on South Seneca.

Duttarer suffers from Spina Bifida and uses a wheelchair to get around. He said "Emmie" was in training to become a service dog to help him with household tasks.

"I don't care about the TVs. I don't care about the PS3. I just want my dog back," he said.

While Eyewitness News was conducting an interview with Duttarer, Summer Hicks called the station to say she believed "Emmie" was the dog she had picked up as a stray Monday night.

After confirming the dog's identity using microchip technology, Hicks personally returned the dog to Duttarer Monday afternoon.

"It's just like having a family member home. I couldn't imagine," Hicks said of the reunion.

Duttarer's other valuables are still missing. However, Wichita Police say they have some leads in the case and are investigating.

Source and video: http://www.kwch.com/news/kwch-rew-11-weekold-puppy-stolen-owner-asking-to-have-her-returned-20111213,0,6204632.story

Charlee, Queensland heeler

2011-12-14T19:40:00.000-05:00

Missing dog reunited with Elk Grove family after month-long search
10:03 AM, Dec 12, 2011

ELK GROVE, CA - About a month ago, dog owner John Robinson, lost his 8-year-old Queensland Heeler, Charlee, in the Sierras. For the following four weeks, John shared the search for Charlee on Supertopo.com, an online rock climbing forum.

John had written on the site that he had last seen his dog at "2 p.m. at the base of the Great Wall of China, Owens River Gorge." He let the forum know the collar she was wearing had her name and his contact information. A week went by and no word or sign of Charlee. John wrote on November 22, 2011, "Still no Charlee. Don't want to give up hope but it's been over a week now." Any pet owner can relate to his post and feel the angst of searching for a lost companion.

Then the unbelievable happened; Charlee was found and he immediately shared it to the forum.

Dec 9: "Unbelievable but true. Charlee has been found. She was found yesterday by Ben Logan, found near where we last saw her near China Wall in the Owens River Gorge. She is in a hospital in Mammoth and the doctor thinks she will be okay.

She lost 11 pounds, is dehydrated, has a fever and congested. Ben had to carry her out. She is on IV and antibiotics. We are leaving now to pick her up. Ben called me from where he lives in Mammoth and said he saw a dog that looked like Charlee lying near the river, out of view, and when he got up the trail to the parking area he saw my sign and figured that might be my dog.When he called I had him look at the picture here in Supertopo, and he said the pic looked just like the dog he saw. Even though it was getting late, Ben Logan drove all the way back to Owens and hiked down to the bottom of the gorge and found her and brought her back to his house and called me with news. He then took her to the vet where she was admitted. Ben is a great guy. .. more later."

A flood of supporters posted to the forum, giving out their congratulations and good thoughts to Charlee's recovery.

And on that same day, Ben posted to the forum.

Dec 9: "I wish Charlee a speedy recovery. Credit for her rescue is also due to Will Tarantino, my house mate and climbing partner yesterday when I spotted her. Will carried her most of the way out of the Gorge over his shoulders in the dark. Let me know how she gets on."

Charlee is still at the Alpen Veterinary Hospital and recovering. Her status is considered "guarded" meaning she has some big problems to overcome, mainly due to the cold weather which has given her high sodium levels, high kidney values and infections. John continues to post regular updates on the status of Charlee and he receives lots of encouraging posts on Supertopo.com.

Source: http://www.news10.net/news/article/167587/2/Missing-dog-reunited-with-family-after-month-long-search

Supertopo message thread starts at: http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.php?topic_id=1669177&tn=0

Rusty, red heeler

2011-12-13T20:33:00.000-05:00

Rusty home after desert ordeal
Conor Byrne
December 12th, 2011

Ned Johnson, 7, and brother Merv, 5, of Humpty Doo with Rusty.

A pet dog who disappeared off the back of a truck 1000km from home has survived seven months in the Territory Outback before being reunited with his owners.

Five-year-old Merv Johnson from Humpty Doo thought his beloved Rusty, 4, had died when he was suddenly gone.

The red heeler had unclipped his leash and jumped off the tray of the family truck near Ti Tree on the Stuart Hwy - 1088km from home - during the trip back from hunting in Alice Springs last Easter.

Unaware, the Johnson family continued their journey home.

Rusty survived the harsh conditions under a demountable at an unmanned power station just outside Ti Tree.

Power and Water worker Bill Blain from Alice Springs found Rusty at the start of November and took him to the dog ranger, who identified his address.
Merv's dad, Matthew, 35, couldn't believe his ears when he got a phone call to say Rusty was alive.

"We had written him off," the carpenter said.

Merv's grandparents in Tennant Creek drove down to collect Rusty when they heard the news and Merv was in for a surprise reunion when he thought he was just going to visit the relatives.

"As soon as Rusty was out of the shed he ran straight up to Merv," Mr Johnson said.

"Merv was blown away, at first he couldn't talk. It definitely pays to microchip."

Mr Johnson said Rusty may have jumped off the tray to chase another dog.

"He'll get out of any knot you can tie," he said.

Source: http://www.ntnews.com.au/article/2011/12/12/277831_ntnews.html
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Capone, pitbull

2011-12-11T08:42:00.000-05:00

Lost Dogs of Wisconsin help reunite dog missing for 10 months
Cindi Ashbeck, Milwaukee Animal Welfare Examiner
December 7, 2011

Capone, a dog that went missing from his Milwaukee home 10 months ago, is on his way home today thanks to Lost Dogs of Wisconsin volunteer, Cindy Vassel!

Capone is home today, after being lost 10 months

While matching lost and found pets with those listed online as she usually does, Cindy noticed a possible match for Capone. Cindy quickly relayed a picture of the potential match to Capone’s desperate owner who immediately headed to Milwaukee Area Domestic Animal Control Commission…and, sure enough, the distraught owner was reunited with Capone at long last!

MADACC generously waived Capone’s reclaim fee, but did ensure that Capone was microchipped before releasing him into his owner’s custody.

“This is not the first time a dog has been found this way,” states Lost Dogs of Wisconsin director, Kathie Dowe. “We are continually encouraging shelters to do their own lost and found matching as upwards of 70% of dogs in shelters are lost dogs, also known as strays.”

Lost Dogs of Wisconsin is the first organization of its kind in the nation. It offers free services and is staffed exclusively by volunteers.

While Lost Dogs of Wisconsin relies heavily on social media to reunite dogs with their owners, the group recognizes that consulting social media outlets alone will not bring all lost dogs home. The Lost Dogs of Wisconsin’s Facebook page, recommends additional search methods that can be used to help return lost pets to their families.

Source: http://www.examiner.com/animal-welfare-in-milwaukee/lost-dogs-of-wisconsin-helps-reunite-capone-missing-for-10-months

Attaboy, sheltie

2011-12-10T01:15:00.000-05:00

Pet 'detectives' find lost Attaboy in Forest Hills
By Linda Wilson Fuoco, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
First published on May 2, 2007 at 3:46 pm

The face of a little dog named Attaboy adorned at least 500 "lost" posters displayed throughout Forest Hills, North Versailles and other suburbs in eastern Allegheny County. The posters started going up March 13, when he ran away from his new home. The posters started coming down Monday night.

Deb Jugan spent about four hours taking the posters down. Her progress was slowed because some people stopped their cars to talk to her and others left their houses to talk to her.

All had the same question: "Why are you taking down the posters?"

Some asked if people had stopped looking for the tricolored Shetland sheepdog. Others feared the dog was dead.

Ms. Jugan was thrilled to report that Attaboy had been found Monday morning after a seven-week search.

The dog hunt included dozens of volunteer "pet detectives," who mounted search parties and spent countless hours tramping through heavy woods behind the Forest Hills recreation center on Barclay Avenue. Uncounted animal lovers dutifully phoned and e-mailed reports when they sighted the skittish dog.

Ms. Jugan is the founder of TrackAPet-Pittsburgh, an e-mail list on www.yahoogroups.com that works to reunite lost pets and owners. The 57 members on the list sent hundreds of e-mails, giving everyone permission to forward the messages to other animal lovers who could help look for Attaboy.

Retired schoolteacher Peggy Buckley, of Brookline, joined in the searches and e-mailed prayer chains to everyone in her voluminous Internet address book.

There's really no way to count how many people were out looking for this dog.

In the end, a humane trap was set up in the woods. Volunteers staked it out for several days, for hours on end. Ms. Jugan checked the trap at 7 a.m. Monday on her way to the Allegheny County courthouse, where she works as an assistant district attorney. She cleaned up the mess that had been made by a marauding raccoon and reset the trap. Sandy Reech, one of the more dedicated TrackAPet regulars, found Attaboy an hour later, sitting calmly in the trap.

This is a nice enough story in its own right. But the Attaboy search took many twists and turns. Before they found Attaboy, pet detectives trapped quite a few raccoons and a few stray cats. Before they found Attaboy, they found two other Shetland sheepdogs.

Who knew that many tricolored Shetland sheepdogs could be lost at the same time?

Ms. Jugan and Ms. Reech thought they had trapped Attaboy in North Versailles on April 10, but it was a different Sheltie that happened to be wearing a collar with an ID tag. That one was Shaggy, whose family had been searching for him since Aug. 7 when he bolted from his fenced yard during a thunderstorm.

Shaggy's family was thrilled to have him back, and they've continually sent updates and pictures to TrackAPet. Type the name Shaggy into the search box at post-gazette.com and you can read that story, topped by the headline, "Wrong lost dog is found."

But now back to Attaboy. The pet detectives continued to get reports of sightings, and continued to follow up.

"I was just crying when I saw him in the trap," Ms. Reech said. "He was calm when I talked to him." When she got him to her home in Level Green, it didn't take long for Attaboy to come around.

Ms. Reech said Attaboy was quickly settling in, playing with her and her husband, Jim, who was one of the search volunteers.

"He's very dirty and he lost so much weight you can see all his ribs," Ms. Reech said.

Attaboy weighed 39 pounds when he ran away and now weighs about 20 pounds.

Attaboy's short-term future includes rest and recuperation at the Reech residence, where he will be well fed and well petted. His long term future is a bit up in the air.

His legal owner is the Animal Protectors shelter in New Kensington, where he was taken after an animal control agent found him in a vacant house. He had been left behind when his prior owners moved. The shelter adopted him out to a Forest Hills family seven weeks ago, and he bolted out a door two days after they took him in.

Though the new owners reported that he was lost, they never helped looked for him and never called or e-mailed for search updates, so he's not going back to that family, a shelter spokesman said.

And the third lost-and-found Sheltie? Several days after Shaggy was found, a woman waiting at a bus stop saw a tricolored dog wandering in Munhall. While she was using her cell phone to leave a message with TrackAPet, neighbors told her the dog lived nearby. The woman personally escorted that Sheltie to its home and gently admonished owners to keep closer tabs on the canine.

Source: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07123/782766-62.stm

Shaggy, sheltie

2011-12-09T07:55:00.000-05:00

Wrong lost dog is found
Track-A-Pet members return Shaggy to his family, continue search for Attaboy
By Linda Wilson Fuoco, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Thursday, April 12, 2007

Shaggy, a 5-year-old Shetland sheepdog missing since August, sits on owner Jacci Ford's lap, as her husband Kenny Lindauer and one of their twins, Kristina Lindauer, 7, look on. The sheltie was found less than a mile from their North Versailles home with the collar and tag he was wearing when he went missing still around his neck.

A monthlong search for a scared Shetland sheepdog named Attaboy ended with cheers and tears Tuesday when a skinny little dog stepped into a humane box trap baited with roast beef and cheese.

But when one of his rescuers looked at the "lost" poster that had been widely distributed in North Versailles and surrounding suburbs, she said, "I don't think this is Attaboy."

The tricolored sheltie in the trap, it turned out, was a dog named Shaggy who had bolted out of his yard on Aug. 7, when the storm that spooked him blew open the gate. Around the neck of the dirty, bedraggled dog was a tattered collar with a bone-shaped tag bearing the name and telephone number of his owners.

Allegheny County Assistant District Attorney Deborah Jugan called Shaggy's owners while Sandy Reech, secretary for the Forest Hills Police Department, drove the dog to his North Versailles home.

Meanwhile, Attaboy is still missing. He ran away from his new home March 13.

He had been adopted from a New Kensington shelter, and had lived in his new home only two days when he ran out the back door and never came back.

Before he was rescued by Animal Protectors, Attaboy had been living alone in a boarded up house for as long as two years. His former owners left him there when they moved away, and relatives supposedly had been dropping in to feed him, shelter workers said. He had become very shy and distrustful of people.

Both dogs are tricolored Shetland sheepdogs -- white with black and tan spots. Both are 5 years old. Pictures of both dogs show they are remarkably similar, but Attaboy has more white fur than Shaggy does.

Attaboy weighed 38 pounds when he was adopted last month.

Though Shaggy's family had never stopped missing him and had never stopped looking for him, "after eight months we never thought we would see him again," Jacci Ford said yesterday.

Shaggy was welcomed home Tuesday night by Ms. Ford, her son Thomy Ford, 23, her husband, Kenny Lindauer, and the couple's 7-year-old twins, Kenny and Kristina Lindauer.

Shaggy, who was a very overweight 65 pounds when he ran into the storm, now weighs only 25 pounds. Aside from that, he is in amazingly good shape, said the veterinarian who checked him out yesterday.

A good weight for him would be about 35 pounds, he told the family.

Shaggy does have a prescription medication to clear up a skin condition that the vet said was probably caused by fleas he picked up while living in a wooded area off Irishtown Road in North Versailles.

"Shaggy has always been such a good dog who got fat because everyone gave him treats," Ms. Ford said. "He's very sweet and affectionate with all of us, like he's never been away. We can't believe he wouldn't go to people who tried to feed him and help him."

Ms. Ford also can't believe that the dog was found less than a mile from his home.

Shaggy was found by a network of animal lovers who sometimes jokingly call themselves "pet detectives."

Ms. Jugan, who is known as "doggie DA" because she prosecutes many animal cruelty cases, owns an e-mail list called Track-A-Pet. Approximately 40 list members, including Ms. Reech, have made it their mission to reunite lost pets and their owners.

They post fliers and forward e-mails asking friends, co-workers and neighbors to look for lost dogs and cats. They call police departments, shelters and animal control agencies. Sometimes they organize dog or cat hunts and spend hours in cars and on foot looking for lost animals.

No one keeps records, but they frequently find their targets and get them home.

"It's amazing that Shaggy survived and it's a blessing that he's back with us," Ms. Ford said. "My family just cannot thank those people enough."

The Attaboy search party included Peggy Buckley of Brookline, a retired teacher and member of Track-A-Pet. On Tuesday night, Ms. Buckley sent out an e-mail prayer chain, asking people to pray for the safe return of Attaboy. Less than an hour later, Shaggy stepped into the trap.

Source: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07102/777312-56.stm#

Fenway, boxer puppy

2011-12-08T08:08:00.000-05:00

Military Family Reunited With Stolen Puppy
By: Nadia Bashir
August 13, 2011

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- A military family has been reunited with its stolen boxer puppy taken just weeks before one member is set to deploy overseas.

"It's an awesome feeling knowing our family has been put back together," said Erika Beatty.

Beatty's boyfriend, Craig Derifield, is a medic with the National Guard and is set to deploy in September.

His Westerville home was burglarized last month.

The couple was horrified when they learned not only had the thieves taken taken thousands of dollars in electronics but had also grabbed their boxer puppy, Fenway.

Last Thursday, detectives with Columbus police contacted Derifield while he was in Texas on military training to say they had found the pooch.

Detectives have arrested people in connection with the home invasion at Derifield's home.

Derifield says police told him the suspected burglar's girlfriend told police where the puppy had been sold.

According to his owners, Fenway is valued around $1,100. Detectives say the pooch was sold for a fraction, at $100.

Derifield bought Fenway for Erika as a birthday present in hopes the dog would help ease his absence.

Erika described the moment police brought Fenway to her: "He ran to me. He knew who I was. He came right to me. He knew who I was, and it was so exciting just to see him again."

Source: http://www2.nbc4i.com/news/2011/aug/13/6/military-family-reunited-lost-puppy-ar-685016/
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Doudou, pekingese

2011-12-07T08:25:00.002-05:00

Blind pet rescued from well
By Zhou Wenting (China Daily)
2011-11-28

A blind dog that became trapped in an uncovered well has been reunited with its owner more than two months after going missing.

Meng Shasha emerges from a sewer drain in Qingdao on Nov 10 with her pet dog, Doudou, who had been missing for two months. The animal had been trapped underground for almost 20 days

Doudou, a 2-year-old Pekingese, had survived on food scraps thrown down to him by people living and working nearby who heard his barking.

"Although born with severe sight problems, Doudou always made it home after going for walks alone," said Meng Shasha, who adopted the dog from a friend in 2009. "Sometimes I'd find him at the door when I got back from work."

The 26-year-old finance worker was on a business trip when the animal went missing in October. She had left her pet with a friend.

"I searched for him in the streets and posted messages on the Internet," Meng said. "I burst into tears whenever I saw his picture. I thought it was hopeless."

A short while later, Wang Bin, a Peninsula City News reporter, received a call from a reader about a dog trapped in a well for almost 20 days.

"We went to the site with a veterinarian. We tried to hook him with a rope and a box, but it didn't work," said the journalist, whose story about the dog was published the next day and attracted comments from more than 200 readers.

Meng saw the report on Nov 9 and called Wang the next morning. He gave her the address of the well, which was outside a gas station and not far from Meng's home in Qingdao, a coastal city of Shandong province.

"Doudou started barking as soon as he heard my voice," Meng said. "He was excited and wanted to jump up."

The well was one of more than 10 in close proximity. Each was 2 meters deep and interconnected by pipes about 20 cm in diameter. None of the wells had covers.

Meng climbed down, causing the animal to initially flee. "Maybe he was scared by the loud voices of the people circling above ground," she said. "In the end, I just reached out my hand for him to sniff. He instantly recognized me and licked my hand."

After being pulled from the well, Doudou was given a quick health check and a shower, and was back home the same day.

"He's very active these days and follows me everywhere," Meng said. "Before he went missing, Doudou wasn't allowed in my bedroom. Now I have a mattress next to my bed for him to sleep in."

Source: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/m/qingdao/2011-11/28/content_14176853.htm

Lexy, German shepherd

2011-12-06T07:43:00.000-05:00

Lexy's Story
Alex F, told to LostMyDoggie
Date Lost: 12/20/2009

Lexy, a 10yr old german shepherd with moderate hip dysplasia went out her dog door the night of December 19th, 2009 sometime after 11pm. She was missing for two weeks. She was found on January 2nd, 2010 wandering around within 1/8 of a mile of my house by a snow plowman.

When we got to the location of the calls, about a dozen cars, a plow truck and a cop car were all stopped and people were out of their cars trying to coral Lexy from going into traffic and from going back into the woods.

It was a great community moment where complete strangers came together and helped to reunite a lost and frightened dog with its parents/owners.

In summarizing this incredible experience, I learned that once dogs are forced into survival mode they can survive even in the harshest conditions imaginable. Lexy survived two weeks which began with a blizzard that dropped two plus feet of snow. She had little or no food to eat. The temperatures at night were at or below 0°F, periods of high winds, rain, snow drifts up to four feet, isolation, fear and she probably had to deal with coyotes.

For two weeks I searched and put up 70 posters, & 700 fliers and searched many of my neighbors properties (with permission).

The day before she was found I had hired somebody to come out with tracking dogs to see if we could pick up her trail. We were able to pick up a direction and a specific location in which we thought she had gone, but could not find any signs of her.

Our only guess as to how she came to be in the street the morning after we searched the immediate woods the previous afternoon was that somehow she was able to pick up either my wife’s scent or mine and follow it back out to the road.

There are many hills in that area where you cannot see or hear traffic or houses and the chances that just hours after we searched the immediate woods she turned up we felt were more than just a coincidence.

Thank you for your immediate and quick response to my request for help. You and your service were helpful to get out the information and in getting people to be on the lookout for my Lexy.

Alex

Lexy's photo is on Lost My Doggie

Piper

2011-12-05T07:43:00.000-05:00

Woman reunited with stolen dog linked to 'rescue' centre
By: Bethany Lindsay, ctvbc.ca
Date: Friday Dec. 2, 2011 6:02 PM PT

Allison Coyle is reunited with her dog Piper 10 months after the pet was taken from her apartment.

A woman whose dog was allegedly stolen by the operator of a B.C. "rescue" centre and then put up for adoption has been reunited with her beloved pet 10 months later.

Allison Coyle's dog Piper disappeared from her apartment in February while she was at work, and she was told that he had escaped while her roommate was moving out.

Coyle began a desperate search and soon discovered a Kijiji ad from A Better Life Dog Rescue indicating that Piper was up for sale.

"[I was] absolutely shocked and right away I called the RCMP," she told CTV News.

This week, A Better Life founder Janet Olson and her co-director Louise Reid were charged with break and enter and theft for allegedly snatching dogs out of people's yards in Surrey and Coquitlam this year.

When the news broke, police received a tip about another dog that had been adopted by a couple in Chilliwack through A Better Life. That dog turned out to be Piper.

Late Friday afternoon, Coyle and Piper were brought back together again in a tearful reunion.

"Piper is my everything. I'm just really excited and happy and it's just been crazy," Coyle said. "I just don't want to let him go now."

Olson admitted to CTV News that she posted the Kijiji ad, but said there was a mix-up and the post was supposed to be for a lost dog at the request of Coyle's former roommate.

"We did not steal that dog -- of course not. That dog was living inside a house. Why would we steal a dog living inside a house? That would make no sense at all," Olson said.

Surrey RCMP Cpl. Drew Grainger says that investigators are recommending further charges against Olson in relation to the theft of Piper.

Allegations date back years and across U.S. border

There's a long history of police complaints against Olson, an Air Canada pilot. Four years ago, a pet owner in Washington State called police to report that her dogs had been stolen and A Better Life might be involved.

Two dogs named Lady and Lucky were spirited away from Anne Gardiners's unlocked garage in Redmond on Nov. 25, 2007.

"It was really upsetting to me," Gardiner told ctvbc.ca. "My daughter had a very hard time, for a very long time, grieving over those dogs."

Gardiner said that it took a "monumental effort" for her to track the dogs to their new owners, but she located them in White Rock and learned they'd been adopted through A Better Life.

She got in touch with the new owners, but soon learned they had returned the dogs to A Better Life. Gardiner hasn't heard anything about Lady or Lucky since.

The dogs had only been with their new owners in B.C. for two weeks when police called, the family told ctvbc.ca. But the theft allegations left them stuck between a rock and a hard place -- Olson had told them Lady and Lucky were abused by their former owners and in need of rescue.

The family made the tough choice to return the dogs to A Better Life, but say the decision has "haunted" them ever since.

"I thought we were making a really responsible decision by adopting through a rescue centre," said the wife, who asked not to be named.

"I would never adopt a dog from a rescue operation again."

A Facebook group called No Better Life collects stories from pet owners who claim that their dogs were stolen by Olson. The missing pets include Hunter, an Airedale cut from its chain in a family yard in 2008 and then allegedly put up for adoption through A Better Life.

In an interview with CTV News this week, Olson said that she doesn't steal dogs, but rather rescues them from cruel owners.

"These are sentient creatures. They deserve to have their rights protected by society," she said.

But Gardiner adamantly denies that her dogs were mistreated. She said she went to "great Lengths" to make sure the animals were cared for, and spent about $3,000 to train them.

In the most recent theft cases, Mounties say they caught Olson and Reid, wearing uniforms reading "Animal Welfare," lifting a bulldog named Samson from a property in Coquitlam on Nov. 21.

Olson claims the dog was "at risk of freezing to death," and needed rescuing.

The BC SPCA says that it has heard similar allegations against A Better Life over the years. Marcie Moriarty, general manager of cruelty investigations, calls the claims "disturbing."

She says that animal rescues should be left to SPCA constables, who can confirm cases of animal cruelty and obtain warrants to seize the animals.

"It's important to deal with these issues legally," she said. "We can save animals' lives that way."

The SPCA works with more than 60 animal rescue organizations in B.C., but does not associate with A Better Life, according to Moriarty.

"They do not fit our standards," she said. "We work with lawful rescues who follow the law."

Surrey RCMP say they are looking into historical theft allegations against A Better Life, and are asking anyone whose pets have gone missing under suspicious circumstances to call police. Gardiner says she has been in touch with Mounties since Olson and Reid's arrest.

Olson and Reid are scheduled to make their next appearance in Surrey provincial court on Dec. 15.

Source: http://www.ctvbc.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20111202/bc_a_better_life_dog_theft_111202/20111202/?hub=BritishColumbiaHome

Morgan, pitbull

2011-12-04T09:38:00.000-05:00

Owner reunited with stolen dog
Rebecca Clark
2011-12-02 18:25:35

SHELBY — Adrian Lovelace crouched down on the concrete floor and, when the kennel door had been sprung open, he called out “Morgan, Morgan.”

The black and white pit bull immediately made a beeline for Lovelace, jumping up on his chest and licking his face.

He didn’t think he would ever see his dog again.

The pit bull had been last year’s Christmas gift for his fiancée and had become a beloved family pet.

Several weeks ago, the dog disappeared.

An indoor pet for the most part, Morgan would be let out in the morning to go the bathroom and would often relax on an old loveseat on the front porch of the home on Dekalb Street.

“She would jump up and lounge,” Lovelace said.

The day she disappeared, Lovelace said Morgan had been outside while he made a quick run to the store with his son-in-law.

When they returned to the house, Morgan was gone.

At first, Lovelace thought she might have wandered off, but when she didn’t turn up after a thorough search of the neighborhood and a trip to the Cleveland County Animal Shelter, he began to lose hope of her return.

“We figured somebody put her in the car and she’s gone,” Lovelace said.

A couple of weeks after Morgan’s disappearance, two men were arrested in Shelby after animal control officers discovered that they were using pit bulls for dog fighting.

Patrick Tyler Philbeck, 21, and Daniel Blakely Bridges, 20, were arrested and charged with felony dog fighting.

A total of five dogs were seized and taken to the animal shelter.

Sam Lockridge, county health services coordinator, said he will petition the courts to have the owners cover the cost of feeding and housing the dogs. If the owners cannot pay or choose not to pay, the animals will then be turned over to the shelter to either be adopted or euthanized.

When the story appeared on the front page of The Star recently, a black and white pit bull was pictured with the story.

She is shown sitting in a kennel, ears back, her brown eyes sad and beseeching.

That dog was Morgan.

Mary Johnson, Lovelace’s fiancée, said shortly after the story ran, her sister called her and told her she had to see a photo on The Star’s website.

“I knew it was her as soon as I saw,” Johnson said.

“If her picture hadn’t have been on the front page, we never would have found her,” Lovelace said. “We got lucky. Everything came together.”

After proving that Morgan was their dog through vaccination records, Lovelace was able to take her home.

The pet was seized from Philbeck and Bridges just in time.

Lockridge said in a video police had obtained, the dog was seen pulling a sled up and down the street with a tire on top in an attempt to build up muscle.

“It’s terrible,” he said. “No reason for it.”

Lovelace said Morgan has never even been in a fight before.

“She’s very family oriented,” he said.

He said he is planning to have a microchip installed for easier identification to ensure Morgan never goes missing again.

Source: http://www.shelbystar.com/articles/stolen-60472-dog-owner.html
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Petunia, American Staffordshire Terrier

2011-12-03T22:24:00.001-05:00

Long Lost Fredricksburg Dog Found in California
Written by Kathy Blumenstock
Dec 2, 2011

Petunia, an American Staffordshire terrier, will reunite with her family after being lost for eight years.

MARYSVILLE, Ca. (WUSA) - A Virginia family may have their missing dog home for the holidays, thanks to a good Samaritan and a little high-tech help.

Petunia, an American Staffordshire terrier, had been missing from Kristen Pruitt's home near Fredricksburg since 2003.

But on Wednesday, Meg Ogden of Oregon, was working with her own dogs in the Spenceville Wildlife area when she found what appeared to be a stray American Staffordshire terrier. Eden took the dog in for the night, then drove her to the Yuba County Animal Care Services Shelter the next day.

ACS personnel performed the usual intake process which includes vaccinations, physical examination and scanning for a microchip. A microchip was detected and information showed the chip came back to the Chancellor Veterinarian Clinic in Virginia. ACS personnel phoned the clinic and learned that the chip was indeed registered to an American Staffordshire terrier.

After 8 Years, Cross Country Journey; Dog and Owners Reunite

The clinic contacted Kristen Pruitt, who immediately called the Yuba County ACS. She said that Petunia, then three years old, went missing from the family farm around Thanksgiving 2003. The family conducted a large search for Petunia, but never located her.

ACS personnel sent Pruitt a photo of the dog and she was positive the dog was Petunia. Now Yuba County ACS will assist Pruitt in getting Petunia back to her Virginia home.

Source: http://www.wusa9.com/news/virginia/article/177758/188/Long-Lost-Virginia-Dog-Found-In-California
Video at: http://www.news10.net/video/default.aspx?bctid=1307110111001&odyssey=mod|tvideo|article

Chispita, chihuahua

2011-12-02T08:38:00.002-05:00

Woman Who Stood On Corner In Bikini Reunited With Missing Dog
Arlene Corona Stood On La Jolla Street Corner In A Bikini To Find Missing Chihuahua Chispita
December 1, 2011

SAN DIEGO -- A local woman who stood at a La Jolla street corner in a bikini in an effort to bring attention to her missing dog was reunited with the Chihuahua on Tuesday.

Inside Edition was there when Arlene Corona was reunited with her Chihuahua, Chispita.
"Those were the worst two weeks of my life," Corona told 10News.

Corona said she had been sick with guilt since the moment she let Chispita slip away after taking the dog outside to relieve itself on the Nov. 16. She said she believes Chispita may have been taken in by someone in her neighborhood.

"That's when I started knocking door-to-door," Corona explained. "I did the pet Amber Alert and then I even called in a pet psychic, and she couldn't help me but all she could say was, 'Stay positive, a girl has her, appeal to her emotions.'"

For six days last week, Corona donned high heels and a bikini at the corner of La Jolla Village Drive and Genesee Avenue, waving signs and hoping someone would recognize and return her dog.

"I was just like it's a win-win situation because the girl would probably see me on her way to wherever she was going," Corona said. "And then I'll get news coverage to raise awareness."

Corona's stunt received national attention and it just might have worked.

Corona told 10News a school nurse had the dog.

"Students were telling her, 'That girl is still outside, you need to bring the dog back' because everybody knew she had her because she was taking her to school."

Then, a student's mom called Corona's mom, which lead to the reunion.

Corona said she didn't realize how dangerous her bold attempt might be.

"This one guy in particular just wouldn't leave me alone and he kept trying to meet with me," Corona said.

According to Corona, the man told her she had to let him perform sexual acts on her if she wanted to see her dog again.

"He was just saying disgusting things and then sent me a picture of his private parts," Corona said.

She cut off communication immediately, only to start receiving text messages from another number, which said her dog was in danger, so she should rush over.

"He was saying that my dog was getting beat, and he was sure it was my dog. I called back and it was the same voicemail from the first guy that was harassing me," said Corona.

Since the man did not break any laws, authorities can't arrest him and she can't file a restraining order since she doesn't know who it is.

Despite the dangers, Corona she said it was worth it to get her best friend back in her arms.

"It's amazing to have her back. I just will never let this happen again," Corona told 10News.

She hopes her dog's new microchip is one more way to be sure of it.

Source: http://www.10news.com/news/29898530/detail.html

Domino, pitbull

2011-12-01T13:14:00.001-05:00

Man, dog back together after legal adventure
Some luck, Good Samaritans help Domino find way home
By Scott Orr, Contributing Reporter
11/30/2011

Kalani Kalaikai and his dog Domino are back together just in time for the holidays, thanks to a little luck and Good Samaritans.

CHINO VALLEY - Domino is back, and Kalani Kalaikai could not be more thankful.

On Sept. 30, someone took Domino from his yard, and the next day, dumped him in Cottonwood. Kalaikai, 64, away on a trip for 10 days, was devastated when he found out. Domino had been his companion for a decade, ever since he rescued the eight-week-old pit bull from a breeder who wanted to put the dog down because he was too small to be a good fighting dog.

The friend who had been watching Domino posted notices and offered a reward, but no one responded.

When Kalaikai returned home, he heard from another friend that a dog that looked like Domino was at Cottonwood's Adopt for Life Center animal shelter.

Domino had, indeed, been there, but due to a mix-up, the shelter did not find his tracking microchip, and let someone else adopt him.

On Nov. 4, Kalaikai received an email from the Central California Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (CCSPCA) shelter in Fresno saying they were holding a dog with a microchip registered to him. Domino's new owner, they said, had been arrested in California and the dog was being held at the CCSPCA shelter.

Kalaikai thought it would be a simple matter to get Domino back, since the microchip clearly showed he was the owner. But that wasn't the case. The new owner refused to release Domino. It would be up to a judge to decide, Kalaikai was told.

"I was at wit's end," Kalaikai said.

Sierra Neblina, executive director of the Adopt for Life shelter made some calls. At first, she wasn't able to do much better.

"We felt horrible about the situation," she said on Nov. 18. "CCSPCA has been not responsive, and was not returning my phone calls. They have stonewalled me."

Neblina said she finally managed to contact the adoptive owner personally. "He just wanted to know the original owner was a responsible dog owner," and once reassured, he agreed to turn over Domino.

Kalaikai's next hurdle was getting to Fresno to pick up Domino. The disabled veteran, living on a fixed income, didn't have the money to make the trip.

But another Vietnam vet, Larry Gresser, stepped up after seeing Domino's story in the Daily Courier in Prescott. Gresser supplied Kalaikai with the funds to rent a vehicle, fill it with gas, and pay for lodging for the 12-hour drive each way, as well as meals.

"I am very thankful to him," Kalaikai said, noting that several others also offered their help.

When Kalaikai got to Fresno on Monday, Nov. 20, he right went to the CCSPCA facility. "At first they gave me the run-around," he said, "but when I said, 'I'm the guy from Arizona, here to get Domino," they started getting it together."

He was escorted into an isolation area, and started calling to Domino. "I heard a familiar bark," he said, "and there he was, shaking," in a dirty kennel.

Dog and owner reunited, Kalaikai got him home as quickly as possible.

Domino is not out of the woods yet, Kalaikai said.

Domino has been sickly and weak, and he's lost weight. "Before they (Adopt for Life) could adopt him, they had to vaccinate him." Then, (CCSPCA) "turned around and vaccinated him again."

"I talked to a doctor who said he could have died," Kalaikai said. "Too much medication could kill a dog."

Domino is doing better, now, although he is fairly still, instead of the active dog he was before. But Kalaikai believes he will be back to normal soon.

"If he could talk, he would have a story to tell," Kalaikai said, smiling.

Source: http://verdenews.com/Main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=45046

Mikayla, huskey

2011-11-30T21:36:00.000-05:00

Dog reunited with family two years after being stolen
By Todd Dunn, Video Journalist
Nov 30, 2011

LAFAYETTE, Tenn. - A Mid-State family was reunited with their family dog two years after it was stolen from their backyard thanks to the help of a Good Samaritan and a microchip.

"She was in a cage, in a big kennel and someone cut the lock and cut off her collar and she was just gone," recalled Alison Murphy.

Charlie Murphy added, "You don't know what to think, you think, ‘Why would someone take someone else's dog?' It is like kidnapping a kid almost, you know."

The family told Nashville's News 2 they purchased their white husky, Mikayla while living in Tampa, Florida and soon had their four-legged family member microchipped.

After Mikayla was stolen the family said they searched everywhere imaginable in an effort to locate their pet.

"We drove miles [and] many, many miles. [We] had friends help us driving and every time someone would see a husky they would stop and go back," Alison said.

After six months of searching the Murphy's gave up hope on finding Mikayla, however, on Wednesday the family received a phone call from the Macon County Hospital saying that a man had found the dog.

The man who found Mikayla said she was thin and underfed when he found her.

"He had her for six weeks and said yesterday he had a dream that he thought she might have a chip in her and [he] took her to the vet," Charlie said, adding, "He finally had time and they scanned her and sure enough that's when the hunt began."

The Murphys' said despite having Mikayla microchipped they had not updated the information when they moved to Tennessee.

The Macon County Hospital was able to contact the family since they had information on their other family pet.

"I actually called them and the gentleman answered the phone and said, ‘Oh my gosh. That is our dog,'" Cassie Dyer said.

The family said they are thrilled to be reconnected with their beloved dog.

"When we first saw her she came right over and was licking on us and laid down to rub her belly," Alison Murphy said.

Veterinarian officials remind pet owners of the importance of maintaining current information with microchip companies after moving or changing contact information.

Source: http://www.wkrn.com/story/16159537/dog-reunited-with-family-two-years-after-being-stolen
Video at: http://www.wkrn.com/story/16159537/dog-reunited-with-family-two-years-after-being-stolen?autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=6503582

T-bone, staffordshire terrier

2011-11-29T06:30:00.003-05:00

It's a doggone miracle: Family's shock as pet pooch stolen five years ago is found... riding a No.37 bus
Staffie T-Bone was found on the Birmingham City Centre to Solihull route; microchip scan enabled him to be returned to his long-lost owner
By Andy Dolan
29th November 2011

When Pat Oates's dog vanished from the driveway five years ago she soon gave up hope of seeing the pet again.

As the days went by without any sighting of seven-year-old T-Bone, Miss Oates concluded the Staffordshire bull terrier had been stolen.

So she was astonished and overjoyed to be told last week that the dog had been found five years on – riding on her local bus.

Rover's return: Pat Oates (pictured with relatives) was stunned when she received a call saying her beloved Staffordshire bull terrier, T-Bone, had been found riding the Birmingham City Centre to Solihull route

The bus driver took the animal to a local veterinary surgery, where staff were able to reunite Miss Oates with her long-lost pet, now aged 12, after scanning his microchip.

Yesterday Miss Oates, 48, a delivery driver, said: 'We couldn't believe it when we got the phone call. I thought the vet was winding me up. I broke down crying. I wanted to get there as soon as I could.

'He vanished from the driveway in 2006. We put up posters and made some appeals in the press, but didn't have any luck.

'T-Bone is like one of our children. When he went missing, I couldn't sleep - it was a nightmare. The whole family was upset.

'We're over the moon to have him back, we thought he was gone for good.'

The mother-of-three, who lives with partner Tony Wellington, 50, near Solihull, West Midlands, said it was a mystery how the dog came to be travelling on the number 37 bus, operated by Travel West Midlands. The bus travels between Birmingham City Centre and Solihull.

But she said it was no surprise he had been found on a bus, as the dog always enjoyed going on car journeys with the family.

She added: 'No one saw who T-Bone was with. We will try to see if there's CCTV on the bus, but the trouble is the person could claim they'd only just picked him up.'

Home again: Pat Oates, from Solihull, West Midlands is delighted to have T-Bone back. Right, she holds the poster after her pet went missing in 2006 - when she feared T-Bone had been stolen to order by a callous gang looking to use him as a ferocious weapon

Miss Oates said T-Bone had been neglected and was suffering with a cyst on his leg and hearing trouble.

'The vet said to let him settle in first, but he will need treatment in future. It's a small price to pay, we are just glad to have him back,' she said.

Miss Oates, who has daughter Kelly, 28, and sons Elliot, 18 and Matthew, 25, from a previous relationship, says she plans to spoil T-Bone rotten this year.

'We have bought him a collar, as he didn't have one. He likes squeaky toys and balls. He likes pigs trotters, so we will get him some for this year.'

After five years without a dog, the family were reunited with T-Bone just a month after Miss Oates bought Mr Wellington a new puppy, Wrinkle, also a Staffordshire bull terrier, as a 50th birthday present.

Leigh Fisher, of 608 Vets, in Birmingham, where the dog was taken by the bus driver, said the case illustrated how important it was for owners to get pets microchipped.

'It also highlights the importance of taking any stray animal to a vet to have them scanned before choosing to adopt them,' she said.

'There may be a worried owner out there somewhere praying for their pet's safe return.'

Pat Oates and T-Bone after being reunited. Pat still had the dog's leash, five years later

According to the Dogs Trust, since microchipping was first introduced in 1989, more than four million dogs and cats have been fitted with a device.

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2067132/Dog-miracle-Familys-shock-pet-pooch-stolen-years-ago--37-bus.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

Lilly, yellow lab

2011-11-27T10:02:00.000-05:00

Missing Vermilion dog reunited with owners
By Megan Rozsa, Morning Journal
Published: Tuesday, June 16, 2009

VERMILION — A yellow Labrador that had been missing since Friday was finally home yesterday with her rightful owners.

The 3-year-old dog, Lilly, was in the back of Greg Butchko's truck when he made a quick stop at Quaker Steak & Lube in Vermilion on Friday night. He was in the restaurant for 10 minutes and came out to find his dog missing.

The Butchko family made fliers and hung them around town, offering a $250 reward for her return. Butchko said companies in Lorain County raised the award gradually, making the total $1,000.

"The Lorain County residents came to bat completely," he said. "Everyone offered to add money toward the reward. The people were just so unbelievable."

Butchko said he finally got a call Sunday from Jim Riddell, a North Ridgeville city worker. Riddell said he was at Quaker Steak that night with some off-duty Lorain police officers. He saw Lilly in the truck, and he and the officers petted her.

Riddell told Butchko he saw a couple with a child waiting to pet the dog also. When Riddell saw the family's flier for the missing Lilly at an ice cream shop, he knew he remembered the family.

"I knew the girl from high school," Riddell said. "I did some research and drove out to her house to see if I could see the dog, but I couldn't."

Riddell called Butchko and gave him the location of the house.

"I drove to there around 8 a.m. (Monday) morning," Butchko said. "They were sitting in their garage. I introduced myself and said I was looking for a dog."

The couple acted like they didn't know what dog Butchko wanted, which struck him as funny since the announcement was all over the news, Butchko said.

"I told them that Quaker Steak had security video of them with the dog and they said, 'Oh, that dog!'" Butchko said. "They told me that she was walking around the parking lot without a collar on. He said they didn't even think to ask whose dog it was, they just put it in their car and left."

The couple went into the house to retrieve the dog, which was in the basement.

"She came running up those basement stairs and buried her head right in my chest," Butchko said. "My wife was standing there crying. Lilly knew it was us."

Butchko said he thanked the couple for taking care of her and took her home. He then called Riddell and thanked him for his help in finding Lilly.

"I thanked him up and down, and he refused to take a reward, but he said he would take a perch fishing trip," Butchko said laughing. Lilly's "with me all the time, she's with me now at work. She doesn't even like if I go in the bathroom. She sits outside the door."

Riddell said he didn't want the money because he thought he was just doing the right thing.

"I didn't know what kind of reward there was," he said. "I told him I didn't want any money, I just wanted to meet him and the dog. Money doesn't mean anything to me. I was just doing a good deed, and I thank God he got his dog back."

Source: http://www.morningjournal.com/articles/2009/06/16/news/mj1195460.txt?viewmode=fullstory

Marley, yorkie

2011-11-26T10:00:00.001-05:00

Dog reunites with owner after mysterious journey
By Jennifer Musa, FOX 5 San Diego Reporter
May 7, 2010

SAN DIEGO— A San Diego dog that somehow ended up over 330 miles away from home in Fresno has been reunited with his owner, thanks to his microchip.

On April 1, 2010, Brianne Thom noticed that Marley had gone missing and did everything she could to find him.

"I put up signs everywhere. Nobody called. He had his collar on, so I knew if somebody good found him they would call," said Brianne Thom. "No one called. Weeks went by, I kept putting up fliers and they kept getting taken down."

A woman found Marley roaming around an apartment complex. The dog was taken to the Valley Animal Center in Fresno.

"She brings him in, and she says, 'I'm going to keep it if nobody claims it,'" said Bertha Rubi, a worker at Valley Animal Center. "I said, 'Well, let's scan it to see if it has a microchip.'"

The sweet tempered Yorkie mix had a chip, and Thom was contacted immediately. A month after Marley disappeared, Thom hopped in the car and drove six hours to Fresno to reclaim the dog she thought she'd never see again.

"Somebody sold him I guess," said Thom. "I don't know what else could have happened. I know he wouldn't walk. He's too small."

Thom adopted Marley six years ago from her aunt in Florida, and now that they are reunited they will be inseparable.

Source: http://www.fox5sandiego.com/news/kswb-dog-reunion,0,7749077.story

Reuben, lurcher

2011-11-25T11:51:00.001-05:00

Back from the brink of death: The recovery of starved Reuben...
the thinnest dog the RSPCA staff had ever seen
By Neil Sears
24th November 2011

When he was found dumped by a roadside, his bones breaking through his skin, he was the thinnest dog appalled RSPCA staff had ever seen.

Starving lurcher weighed less than 17lbs – under half his natural weight – and lost patches of fur.

The starving lurcher, named Reuben by those who nursed him back from the brink of death, had weighed less than 17lbs – under half his natural weight – and lost a number of patches of fur.

A hunt is now on for whoever so cruelly neglected him, but the good news is that it has emerged that he was stolen two months ago, and his original owner has been found.

He is now back in his home and being looked after under the supervision of experts. It is hoped he will make a full recovery.

Reuben was found in the village of Hartley, near Sevenoaks in Kent, just under two weeks ago, and rushed to the RSPCA centre nearby at Leybourne. In that short time he has already put on 7lbs, though is still poorly.

RSPCA manager Christine Dooley said: ‘This is the thinnest dog I’ve ever seen. After two days in our care he weighed just 17.5lbs.

‘The vet has told us that it will cost around £1,000 to treat him.’

RSPCA inspector Jo Barber said: ‘This poor dog was simply abandoned in this dreadful state.

‘We would like to hear from anyone who knows who he belonged to and who dumped him.’

Last night an RSPCA spokeswoman said the original owner of Reuben had been traced, after it emerged he had reported the dog stolen in September.

‘Reuben has been reunited with his owner,’ said the spokeswoman.

‘He has gone back home with him, and though he’s still in a quite a poor condition the owner is going to be getting him veterinary care, and we’re going to be doing a follow-up visit.

‘The weight loss occurred during the two months he was missing.’

Lurchers were traditionally used for hunting – often by poachers – but enthusiasts say they can make excellent family pets.

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2065841/Back-brink-death-The-recovery-starved-Reuben--thinnest-dog-RSPCA-staff-seen.html

Murphy, Australian shepherd

2011-11-24T22:25:00.000-05:00

Stolen service dog reunited with owner
Posted: 11/21/11 at 6:50 am EST

Share BOCA RATON, Fla. (WSVN) -- A woman has been reunited with her service dog after someone stole the animal companion from her backyard.

Cindy Stabinsky and Murphy, her Australian Shepherd service dog, are now back together after Murphy was taken Friday night.

"There is no way this dog would have left me willingly," said Stabinsky.

Stabinsky hit the streets with fliers in hopes of finding her dog. Then the Tri-County Human Society informed Stabinsky that they had a dog matching Murphy's description. "They said a young man dropped him at the shelter late yesterday afternoon," said Stabinsky.

Murphy is more than just a friend for Stabinsky, who is a diabetic and double amputee. The trained dog helps her shop and shower and is even trained to call 911.

Although Murphy is worth more than $10,000, he is a priceless pet for Stabinsky. "He is my mobility. Having no legs, he does many, many things for me."

Murphy is now safe and sound at home, where he belongs.

Stabinsky says she will not press charges if police catch the person who stole Murphy.

Source: http://www.wsvn.com/news/articles/local/21005954351786/stolen-service-dog-reunited-with-owner/

Watson, maltese

2011-11-23T17:25:00.000-05:00

Lost dog reunited with owner thanks to microchip
By Doug Kolk, Reporter
Posted: Nov 22, 2011

SAN DIEGO (CNS) - A Maltese dog missing for 10 months was reunited with its owner in North Park, thanks to an identifying microchip, animal services officials said Tuesday.

When Watson vanished, owner Jamee Lynn Smith became convinced that the Maltese had been stolen. She filed a police report, called Councilman Todd Gloria's office and searched her North Park neighborhood constantly, according to the county Animal Services Department.

A week ago Tuesday, San Diego police picked up a man in Linda Vista for a psychiatric evaluation and took from him a little white dog that turned out to be Watson, identified by county employs who scanned him and notified Smith.

"I got the call last Tuesday; it was breathtaking -- I didn't think I'd ever see him again," Smith said. "A microchip is really the best present you could ever get your pet."

Dawn Danielson, the Animal Services director, said "stories like these prove that a microchip can truly be your pet's ticket home."

A pit bull brought in last month was identified as belonging to Dawn Dowling of Baton Rouge, La., who drove to San Diego to pickup her dog.

Source: http://www.cbs8.com/story/16104507/lost-dog-reunited-with-owner-thanks-to-microchip

Duke, chocolate lab

2011-11-21T07:30:00.000-05:00

Lost Dog Reunited With Family After A Month Long Adventure
Chocolate Lab Goes Missing From Backyard
Posted on Sunday, November 20, 2011

Now that Duke is sleeping on 8 year old Jackson Bakken’s bed each night, everyone in the Bakken house is sleeping a little easier. Duke took quite a journey to get there.

Jackson Bakken holds his dog Duke sitting next to his father, Dale Bakken

Jackson’s father, Dale Bakken, had given up hope of ever seeing the Chocolate Lab again.

Bakken came home early on Oct. 14, to find Duke missing from his kennel in the backyard. How he got out of the chain link kennel was a mystery. Duke was hit by a car as a puppy, as a result has a limp and can’t run far.

Bakken searched the neighborhood and surrounding area, but turning up nothing he alerted neighbors and called the shelters around town.

Over the next few days, Bakken filed a missing dog report with Animal Control and posted multiple Craigslist ads. Weeks passed. Still nothing. He was angry with himself for neglecting to get a tracking chip and new identification tags for Duke.

Jackson Was Always On The Look Out For Duke

Delivered by Santa Claus on Christmas, Duke, the pick of the litter came to live with Jackson and Dale five years ago.

The Chocolate Lab is quick to give kisses even to strangers. He loves crawling on laps and is easy going to a fault.

“If somebody breaks in, he’d probably help them,” said Bakken.

When Duke went missing, Jackson lost a wrestling and tennis ball-fetching buddy. Bakken lost a loyal and talented birding partner.

Jackson was always on the look out for Duke, hoping he’d come home soon.

But Bakken admits that after a while he gave up hope that they would ever see him again. He canceled his bird hunting trips — it just wasn’t worth it without Duke.

“There was a lot of heartache and headaches not knowing where he was for a month,” Bakken said. “To not hear anything from anybody, I was a little disappointed in humanity.”

A phone call from a stranger, Stephanie Lewis changed all that.

Duke’s Adventures Away From Home

For five days of the month long absence, only Duke will ever know where he went. On Oct. 19, Duke was taken in at the Parker and Pets Rescue shelter after someone in Charlo called and said they’d had found a stray Chocolate Lab.

Duke was at the shelter for about a month until the PetSmart adoption event led him to Stephanie and Sonny Lewis’ Corvallis home, where he turned out to be a good fit with the Lewises five other dogs, one of which is a 14-year-old Lab near the end of its life.

Duke would come to a whistle, but always seemed to be heading off somewhere. Stephanie Lewis was convinced he was looking for something.

“We adopted him and brought him home, he was such a good dog. His manners were so good, you knew someone was missing him. If he was my dog, I would be out looking for him,” Lewis said.

On a hunch, she contacted two other chocolate Lab owners who listed lost dog postings on Craigslist. Both were a dead end. She decided to make one final call to Bakken.

An Emotional Reunion

Bakken was stopped dead in his tracks by Lewis’ call. They connected by phone Monday afternoon and reunited with Duke that night.

“I sat down and he just sat on my legs and put his head on my shoulder. I felt a little silly I got emotional in front of somebody I hardly knew,” Bakken said.

Bakken is still baffled about how Duke got from Missoula to Polson to Corvallis and back again.

He can’t say enough about the Lewises’ and what their kindness means to him.

“The big thing I got out of this is there are good people out there that do the right thing for no reason other than it’s the right thing,” Bakken said.

Lewis said she was happy to help and hopes someone would do the same for her.

“Never stop looking for your dog. Somebody knows something and there has to be somebody out there who will return it,” she said.

Bakken reimbursed the Lewises’ adoption fee and took Duke home, where he is happier than ever.

Before his trip, Duke slept outside. Now, “I give him most of the bed,” Jackson said.

Source: http://www.aplacetolovedogs.com/2011/11/dog-reunited-with-family-after-a-month-long-adventure/1486624852/

Mandy, French bulldog

2011-11-20T12:49:00.001-05:00

Mandy's Find Toto Success Story
Illinois
Lost and Found: 11/04/2011

My French Bulldog Mandy escaped from my back yard and was gone almost an hour before my wife discovered she was gone. I was frantic when she called me with the bad news. I work 65 miles away from home and I felt so helpless.

My wife combed the local neighborhoods for three hours with little luck. Out of sheer desperation I Googled "lost dog" and I found the link for findtoto.com.

I entered my information and chose the recommended package (package B) almost four hours after she went missing.

I was a bit skeptical but I noticed that I received the recorded call on my home phone which I hadn’t shared with findtoto (I gave them my cell number).

Twenty minutes later I received my first call from a neighbor who had seen her on her street.

For the next hour I continued to receive calls from concerned neighbors who all had seen my lost dog and each of them gave me a location and a time that allowed me to “track” her as she strayed farther from home.

One of my coworkers even said “Gee Eric, do you have an Amber Alert out on your dog?" to which I said “Yes I do!”

Finally on the tenth call a very nice gentleman told me that he had seen Mandy three minutes ago! He got the recorded message when he was home for lunch and when one of his coworkers asked him if he knew if anyone was missing a dog matching Mandy’s description he said “Yes.”

I called my wife to meet up with the nice fellow and Mandy was finally reunited with her family.

I have no doubt that findtoto.com was responsible for Mandy’s safe return six hours after she wandered off. Thank you so much for you service. I’ve told everyone I know about findtoto.com and I will definitely recommend your service to anyone I know who has a missing pet.

Source: http://www.findtoto.com/?action=success_stories_detail&id=6751

Allie, terrier

2011-11-18T21:30:00.000-05:00

Dog believed to have been stolen from St. Matthews is reunited with owner
WHAS11.com
Posted on November 17, 2011 at 3:19 PM

Louisville, Ky. (WHAS11) - WHAS11 has an update to a dog-napping story. The dog has been found in Mount Washington.

Allie - a 13-year-old terrier - disappeared after the owner tied the dog to a bench so he could talk to someone.

She was taken Sunday at a small gated community called the springs in Saint Matthews.

The owner says she was found in Mount Washington. He believes she escaped her kidnappers.

She is safe and back at home with her owner

Source: http://www.whas11.com/news/local/Dog-believed-to-have-been-kidnapped-from-St-Matthews-is-found-safe-134059423.html

Original story at: http://www.whas11.com/home/Man-says-his-dog-was-kinapped-from-his-yard-and-it-was-caught-on-video-133992768.html

Family dog kidnapped from St Matthews neighborhood with owner not far away
by Bryan Baker, WHAS11.com
Posted on November 16, 2011

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WHAS11) -- It’s a plea from a family who just wants their beloved terrier Allie back at their St. Matthews home.

"13-year-old dog that we all raised and loved,” Jack Dulworth, Allie’s owner, said. “She's like a child to us. I know what people are going through now that have children go missing. It's just very distressful."

The terrier's picture is complete with the offer of a $1,000 reward welcomes people to The Springs, a small, gated community. She disappeared from there during a meeting Jack had at the neighborhood’s guardhouse last Sunday evening.

"I'm always concerned about traffic,” he said. “We have a nice park-like setting in the middle of our neighborhood that has a fountain. I tied her up to one of the stone benches. I've done this on numerous occasions. Fifteen minutes later I came back, and she was gone."

Less than 10 minutes after Dulworth walked toward the guardhouse video cameras captured a black van leaving.

“It was in the neighborhood for 11 minutes,” Jim Pettit, Dulworth’s neighbor and a former LMPD detective, said. “During that time they stopped, picked up Allie, and left."

Pettit says people have never seen the van. A neighbor told them the people inside it saw the dog tied to the bench and asked if it belonged to anyone. Those neighbors told those people they weren't sure. The witness never saw the dog taken.

"A very brazen theft of a loved pet," Pettit added.

According to animal experts, small pets like Allie are sometimes sold as bait dogs for training in dog fighting rings. Others are sold to laboratories at universities across the country for testing.

For Jack it's no questions asked for whoever took Allie. He just wants to see her come home.

"I pray that the person who took her did so in a loving way, because they're concerned about her, wants her to come back,” Dulworth said.

Those animal activists warn you to protect your pet, because it can happen to you. Never leave a pet unattended and consider a tracking device like a microchip.

Jack's family hopes you will help them find Allie. There's a $1,000 reward. They're looking for any information on that black van, which they say looks like a late model Dodge Caravan with Indiana plates.

Baby Lady, Schnauzer

2011-11-16T20:02:00.006-05:00

Dog Missing for 11 Months Reunited with Owner
Wednesday, 16 Nov 2011

GLENDALE - When your dog has been missing for months, you expect the worst. A Glendale woman thought she would never see her pet again, but one little piece of plastic made all the difference.

Antoinette McKinney can not believe what she sees. Her missing miniature schnauzer is home.

“It was kind of an absolute surprise.”

Baby Lady disappeared last Christmas Eve near 43rd Ave and Bell.

“I drove my family crazy for about two to three weeks, kept coming out and walking, calling. She just disappeared.”

Antoinette even posted flyers with the dog’s picture up and down the streets of around her neighborhood.

“People told me the coyotes got her, someone took her.”

Antoinette was so sure that she would never see her beloved dog that she got another one names Patches.

She didn't expect to have two schnauzers sharing her house, but she got a call Monday night. Luckily, Patches and Baby Lady are getting along.

Turns out someone turned Baby Lady in to the Arizona Humane Society. It’s a good thing the dog had a microchip or Antoinette would never have recognized her.

“It's miraculous and they did the right thing, they microchipped their dog and that makes all the difference in the world,” says Bretta Nelson from the AZ Humane Society.

Source: http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/dpp/news/pets/dog-missing-for-11-months-reunited-with-owner-11-16-2011

Another version of the story is at: http://www.abc15.com/dpp/lifestyle/pets/missing-dog-reunited-with-owner-after-10-months-of-being-lost

Missing dog reunited with owner after 10 months of being lost
By: Bryan Pahia
Posted: 11/15/2011

GLENDALE, AZ - What was supposed to be a joyous Christmas Eve last year left one Valley woman without her beloved dog for over 10 months.

According to the Arizona Humane Society, on December 24, 2010, Glendale resident Antionette McKinney and her family came home from a party and she was greeted at the car by her dog, Baby Lady. As Antionette carried presents into the house, she figured Lady was behind her, as she always is.

Once everything had settled, Antionette had realized that Lady was nowhere to be found.

Antionette was frantic and spent the next several weeks going door to door, looking for Lady. The weeks led to months, and Antionette thought she had lost Lady for good.

This month, a good Samaritan brought in a scraggly schnauzer to the Arizona Humane Society. Workers eventually realized that the dog had a microchip.

At the same time, Antionette had just returned home and checked her messages. The Arizona Humane Society had called, saying that they had Lady.

Antionette was in shock. After 10 and a half months, she had just been notified that her best friend had been found. Antionette quickly headed to the Arizona Humane Society and was reunited with her beloved dog.

Making her day even better? Antionette was not only reunited with Lady, she also welcomed a grandson to her family.

Lily, shepherd

2011-11-15T07:28:00.001-05:00

Missing dog found 700km from home
The Lost Dogs Home, North Melbourne
Posted 14 Nov 2011

Four-year-old German shepherd Lily went missing from her home in Goulburn, NSW over seven months ago and today her owners drove 700 kilometres in seven hours to find her again.

Lily reunited with her favourite toy. See more photos of this gorgeous dog at http://dogshome.com/missing-dog-found-700km-from-home

Owners Theresa and Tracker, and their kids Carly and Stuart, were absolutely devastated by the loss of their beloved pooch and said they were gobsmacked to find out she was at The Lost Dogs’ Home in North Melbourne.

“We were at a wedding on the coast over the weekend and came home to a message from The Lost Dogs’ Home saying that Lily was in Melbourne,” Theresa said. “I was completely dumbfounded that she had somehow gone interstate.”

“Our daughter Carly started hyperventilating when we told her the news!’”

The couple suspect Lily was taken from their yard, as the heavy front gate – which had been locked the night previous – was unhinged when Tracker set off to work on the early May morning. Theresa said her son had snuck Lily up to his room during the evening before and let her out at 5.30am so his parents wouldn’t know she’d spent the night indoors. In roughly an hour timeframe, Lily was missing from their property.

“She’s an incredibly friendly dog but she normally barks at strangers who drive up to our house,” Tracker said. “Because we didn’t hear anything that morning, we suspect the person who took her was familiar to her.”

After speaking with staff at the Home on Sunday to make arrangements, Theresa and Tracker jumped in the car at midnight last night and drove over seven hours to North Melbourne. The reunion between the exuberant dog and her loving owners was certainly a joyful one – although it came with a surprise.

“It looks like she has had pups in the time she’s been away,” Theresa noted. “She wasn’t pregnant when she went missing so maybe that was the intent of whoever took her – to use her as a breeder.”

Despite this, Theresa and Tracker said Lily looked the same as always and couldn’t wait to get her home to the kids.

“Our son is a big, macho 18-year-old but ever since we found out Lily is alive and well, he’s been posting pictures of her on Facebook, with love hearts and the whole deal,” Theresa laughed. “I know both kids will be over the moon to see her again.”

Lucky for Lily, nothing much will have changed at her home, with her owners saying they couldn’t bring themselves to throw her things out.

“She was microchipped as a pup and so we always had hope that one day she would come back to us,” Tracker said. “There came a point where we were going to throw out the lounge she likes to sleep on but when the time came, we just couldn’t do it. We thought we’d better hang on to it in case she came home.”

“I never really saw the point of microchips before, being from the country, but I’m definitely a convert now!”

National Pet Register Manager Kate Hoelter said this family’s story really highlights the importance of microchipping your pet and keeping the contact details up-to-date.

“As soon as Lily was brought into the Home on Friday, we immediately scanned her for a chip and found Theresa and Tracker’s details,” Kate said. “If they hadn’t taken that measure in the past, I don’t think Lily would ever have gotten home.”

Kate said although National Pet Register reunites around 24,000 pets with their owners every year, seeing the joy on both Lily and her owner’s faces when they were reunited was just wonderful.

“It almost brings a tear to your eye, seeing how dedicated these people are to their pet,” Kate said. “To get up at midnight and drive for seven hours straight to collect their dog is really amazing and we only wish all dogs and cats were shown the same amount of love and dedication that Theresa and Tracker show Lily.”

Source: http://dogshome.com/missing-dog-found-700km-from-home

Airedale Lost in Newton

2011-11-14T07:57:00.000-05:00

Lost Dog: How Twitter Saved the Day
by Beth Monaghan
Posted on: November 10th, 2011

I believe in social media as a powerful channel that has changed the opportunity for productive discourse for the better. However, in my personal life, I tend to relegate it to a tool for keeping up with friends and family, until a few Sundays ago.

I was out on a walk with my husband, Patrick, two-year-old daughter and cranky French Bulldog, Ernie. Ernie was snorting along down Beacon Street in Newton when we saw an Airedale loose, slowly meandering his way across the road until he became interested in a tree near a yellow Colonial.

While I held back Ernie with the stroller, Patrick went up to the dog and tried to find ID tags on his collar. Unfortunately, his tag only had contact information for the vet, which was closed. A call to the police station was another dead end since the dog warden was off on Sundays and the officer suggested that I could either take him to a shelter or let him go. #nothelpful

So we took him home with us. Before we left though, I snapped a photo of the dog with my iPhone and posted it on Twitter and Facebook with the #newton hashtag on the off chance someone might recognize him. Here is my tweet:

On the walk home, I hung back with Ernie and the stroller, while Patrick stayed a few paces ahead of us with the dog to keep Ernie’s betrayed anger at bay (his jealousy was pushing the fur on his back straight up and every so often he’s make a feeble attempt to lurch at the dog). #mydogisajerk

We asked everyone we encountered on our way if they recognized the lost dog, but no one did. So we settled into a plan to keep him overnight and bring him to the vet in the morning, where they would hopefully know his owners.

However, five minutes after we arrived home, I received an @ message from Peter Mahoney (@DragonDictator) who happens to be an InkHouse client and lives in Newton. He recognized the dog and had passed along my cell phone number to the owner! The owner and I spoke, and ten minutes after arriving at my house, the dog was headed back home.

Ernie was grateful he would not have to share his yard (or his pillow), and I found myself in a rare moment of disbelief that social media achieved what the police and good old-fashioned canvassing could not.

Source: http://www.inkhouse.net/lost-dog-how-twitter-saved-the-day/

Cocoa, small terrier

2011-11-13T11:52:00.001-05:00

Pavelski reunites dog with its owner
Kevin Kurz, Sharks Insider
November 9, 2011, 10:29 pm

You know the tale of Pavlov’s dog. Now, here’s the story of Pavelski’s dog.

Sharks forward Joe Pavelski recently made a new fan when a stray dog wandered onto his property. After waking up from a pregame nap before the Sharks hosted Nashville on Saturday, he noticed a small dog peeking in his backdoor when his chocolate lab, Lucy, started barking.

Cocoa with Sarah, Joe and Lucy

“The other dog took off and we went in the backyard, which is fenced in,” explained Pavelski. “Our dog came out and started running around, so he started playing with her.”

Fortunately, Pavelski had a flyer on his kitchen table that his babysitter brought by after the dog’s owner handed it to her on the street the day before.

“Our babysitter, the previous day, was out for a walk and met this guy and he gave her a flyer saying they had a lost dog,” he said. “Sarah (Pavelski's wife) came out and said ‘I think that’s the dog that’s on the flyer.’ So we called him, and he was over in five minutes.

“It was great seeing the dog, Cocoa, and the owner reunite.”

San Jose Sharks forward Joe Pavelski, holding Cocoa, and a very happy blogger, Taewoo

Source: http://www.csnbayarea.com/blog/sharks-talk/post/Pavelski-reunites-dog-with-its-owner?blockID=591400&feedID=10290

Original blog post at: http://blog.pawshpal.com/2011/11/05/missing-dog-missing-heart/

Missing Dog, Missing Heart
By taewoo
On November 5, 2011

Dear friends, subscribers, and readers of PawshPal.

Yesterday, I lost my dog Cocoa.

A few days ago, my door window basically cracked into a billion pieces from strong winds.

When the door guy came to fix the window, I wasn’t home. He didn’t realize that Cocoa would bolt out. (Terriers are known to be quite frantic and territorial at the same time). When he chased after Cocoa, Cocoa got spooked and basically ran for his life.

After 24 hours of intense searching (by THREE people), Cocoa is nowhere to be found, including local animal shelter.

Cocoa was my inspiration for PawshPal.

I have not given hope, but i am in insane emotional pain, anxiety, and fear. The nights are quite chilly these days and he hasn’t eaten in a few days from upset stomach. I wonder where he is sleeping … if he’s warm.. if he’s hungry.

It’s true what they say.. “you don’t know what you have till it’s gone.”

It’s taking me 2x as long as normal to write this post because my fingers are trembling and i can’t quite type straight. Though I like to express my emotions, right now it’s too much for me to take and I am quite lost for words. I will update you guys as things progress.

Remember, tomorrow is never guaranteed. Live today NOW.

Kiwi, chihuahua

2011-11-12T08:58:00.000-05:00

Three Years Later, Kiwi is Found!
Posted By: Angelo Sanchez, San Antonio, TX
7/20/2011

While on vacation in 2008 in Puerto Rico, I purchased Kiwi, a Chihuahua, and I brought him home to San Antonio. He disappeared a couple of months later, and I had no luck finding him.

Recently, three years later, I recieved notification that he was found in Humble, TX. Apparently he ran away and was taken to a vet in Humble where he was scanned.

I was notified and immediately drove for 6 hours round trip to pick him up. I was so happy and I'm grateful to HomeAgain.

http://foundpets.homeagain.com/three-years-later,-kiwi-is-found!.aspx

Belichick, puggle

2011-11-10T07:27:00.001-05:00

Missing Dog Named ‘Belichick’ Is Reunited With Owner
November 8, 2011

BOSTON (CBS) – A dog named ‘Belichick’ that was stolen outside the Trader Joe’s on Boylston Street has been found.

Belichick the puggle was stolen from outside Trader Joe’s on Boylston Street in Boston.

Police say the 4-year-old puggle’s owner Craig Pentland had tied him up outside the store around 7 p.m. Monday and went inside for about 10 minutes.

When he came out, Belichick was gone.

Craig tells WBZ that Belichick made it home safe Tuesday evening.

Pentland told police that no one in the area reported seeing the dog being taken and a review of surveillance footage at area businesses did not turn up any sign of him.

The dog had a tag with his name on it and he is microchipped.

Pentland put up posters around the store and set up a Facebook page to try and find his dog.

Source: http://boston.cbslocal.com/2011/11/08/belichick-the-dog-stolen-from-boylston-street-trader-joes/

Boomer, yellow lab

2011-11-07T07:30:00.001-05:00

Blind Dog Goes Missing, Gets Found By Animal Shelter
November 1, 2011

PRINCETON, Minn. (WCCO) — Boomer is a 9-year-old yellow lab and he lives in Princeton, about an hour north of the Twin Cities.

The trouble is Boomer is blind and wandered away from home Monday night.

Boomer with his new friends from Ruff Start Rescue

As it turns out, Boomer is one lucky dog because he was found by a woman who runs a Princeton animal rescue organization. It’s a good reminder for all pet owners, though, to keep their animals safe, especially now that the weather is getting colder.

Ruff Start Rescue is a haven for homeless dogs. But it’s rare that these volunteers help a blind dog. Boomer went missing Monday night and was eventually found along a busy road.

“It was about rush hour and it was Halloween so everyone was out bringing their kids trick or treating, driving by, or driving into town,” said Emily Randolph with Ruff Start Rescue. “He was stumbling and running into things, she quickly found out he was blind, had to lure him, coax him into the car.”

Boomer spent the night a veterinary clinic, scared and shaken, a situation no one wants for their best friend. It could have been a lot worse had temperatures been below zero.

“With winter coming people need to definitely think about getting a fence if they don’t have one and if they have a fence also snow comes and builds up and dogs can jump the fence, we see it all the time,” said Azure Davis with Ruff Start Rescue.

Boomer’s owner was lucky to find him through word of mouth, but your chances of finding a missing pet are much better with a microchip.

It’s a little piece of science, it’s fairly inexpensive, and can be implanted in less than a minute. And any age dog can be micro-chipped from a senior dog like Boomer to a little guy like Loki. It’s a great way if your best friend gets lost that he can come home safe and soon.

Source: http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2011/11/01/blind-dog-goes-missing-gets-found-by-animal-shelter/

Diesel, Dogo Argentino/American Bulldog

2011-11-06T18:32:00.000-05:00

Survivor reunited with dog
Christin Coyne
November 4, 2011

Weatherford — A dog that went missing after a fatal wreck early Tuesday morning has been located and is expected to soon be reunited with his owner.

Diesel, a 2-year-old Dogo Argentino/American bulldog trained for feral hog hunting, ran off when his cage broke after being thrown from a pickup driven by Marshall Bryant, who had just purchased two new dogs for his hog hunting guide business.

Bryant had just turned onto southbound Farm-to-Market Road 3325 when his vehicle was struck head on by a PT Cruiser driven by 21-year-old Justin Lawrence that drifted into his lane.

Lawrence, a 2008 graduate of Azle High School, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Bryant, who was transported to the hospital with a broken foot, was unable to stop the dog.

An animal control officer at the Weatherford animal shelter contacted the Democrat Thursday after a dog was brought in that matched a picture and description of Diesel published in the newspaper Thursday.

The dog was reported picked up in the county, according to the officer.

Bryant said Thursday afternoon that the dog is his.

DPS confirmed Thursday that the fatal wreck occurred shortly after a high speed pursuit involving Lawrence was terminated.

The PT Cruiser was clocked speeding at a fairly high rate of speed on Interstate 20 when the pursuit began, Trooper Gary Rozzell said.

The pursuit continued approximately a mile and a half to two miles down F.M. 3325 before the trooper terminated the pursuit in an attempt to distance himself from the driver so the driver would slow down, Rozzell said.

About four miles after the pursuit was terminated, the trooper came over the hill and saw the crash, according to Rozzell.

The trooper’s sergeant confirmed it by reviewing the video, Rozzell said.

A memorial service for Lawrence has been planned for 1 p.m., Friday, Nov. 4, at Lighthouse Church at 6409 F.M. 730 South in Azle.

In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting donations be made to the Justin Lawrence Memorial Fund set up in the name of Jodi Lawrence Corbell at Prosperity Bank, 608 Boyd Road in Azle.

Source: http://weatherforddemocrat.com/local/x471032256/Survivor-reunited-with-dog

Mr Bojangles, miniature schnauzer

2011-11-05T12:21:00.002-04:00

Longmont woman, 92, says her stolen dog returned after three months
By Pierrette J. Shields Longmont Times-Call
Posted: 11/02/2011

LONGMONT -- The past three months of Mr. Bojangles life may remain a mystery to his 92-year-old owner, but she is overjoyed that he is home, apparently no worse for the wear.

Alice Sollenberger, 92, watched three months ago as her dog Mr. Bojangles was stolen. She received a call Tuesday that he was at the Longmont Humane Society and ready to come home.

"I still think it was pretty low to steal a dog from a 92-year-old woman," said Alice Sollenberger, who was reunited with her missing miniature schnauzer Tuesday after the Longmont Humane Society called to tell her that "Bo" had been turned over to the organization overnight.

Sollenberger said her daughter gave her "Bo" six years ago after her husband died because her four daughters thought the dog might be able to console her. She fell in love with the curly-haired dog with the stubby legs and enthusiastic and affectionate personality.

On Aug. 11, she said, she returned home from an outing with one of her daughters to find that Bo had escaped from her yard and trotted up Judson Street. She recalled calling out to him and then watching as two women got out of a dark-colored Jeep, grabbed the dog and left.

"I saw him get stolen," she said.

Sollenberger said she assumed they would turn over the dog to the Humane Society because he was wearing a collar with identifying information and rabies tags. After two days, she called police and reported the theft, according to police records.

Still, Bo did not turn up.

"We thought they stole him so they could resell him," she said.

On Monday, after mourning the loss of her buoyant pal for nearly three months, Sollenberger said she decided to take down his indoor crate, where he slept at night. Then on Tuesday, she received the call.

"It is a miracle. It is a miracle to me," she said, as Bo happily chomped on a chew bone. She said she is grateful to the Humane Society and especially to the man who turned in Bo.

Brianna Beauvait, spokeswoman for the Longmont Humane Society, said Bo was left in the night drop box and paperwork that was included with him indicated that a man found the collarless dog on Lamplighter Drive. Beauvait said the man included his name, but she could not release it. A microchip led the Humane Society to Sollenberger, who said Bo's ear had been slightly miscropped as a puppy, so it flopped over. That appeared to be corrected by whoever was caring for him in the interim.

Alice Sollenberger - looking happy to have Mr Bojangles back

Sollenberger is worried someone will try to steal him again, she said, looking down and patting him. "Yeah," she said. "I love you, little dog."

Source: http://www.dailycamera.com/news/ci_19250460#.TrLs7rDs_B0.email

Ollie, border collier fox terrier

2011-11-04T09:06:00.000-04:00

Northcote woman reunited with stolen dog Ollie
Crime3
Nov 11 2011

ECSTATIC Northcote woman Larissa Smith was reunited with her beloved dog Ollie on Tuesday after 10 days searching for her best friend.

As reported in the Northcote Leader earlier this month, Ms Smith was devastated when the border collie fox terrier X was allegedly stolen from outside Northcote Central in broad daylight on October 22.

“I have never seen him jump as high as when we went to pick him up from the Lost Dog’s Home,” Ms Smith said.

“He was so excited to see us.”

Ms Smith said she would encourage everyone to microchip their pets because that was how the Lost Dog’s Home was able to reunite her with Ollie.

“He was a bit distressed at the dogs’ home because there was so much barking and so many strange smells but he’s safely back home now,” she said.

“We gave him a bath and some dog food and some fresh water and he had a nap on my bed and now he’s all happy again.”

Ms Smith said she was particularly grateful to Constable Sylvia Alste who generated media coverage and put extra time into finding Ollie.

Constable Alste said the widespread media coverage had resulted in several residents giving police enough information to issue a search warrant and arrest a 65-year-old Reservoir man on Tuesday morning.

The man has been charged with one count of theft and was bailed to appear at the Heidelberg Magistrates Court on 17 January 2012.

Source: http://northcote-leader.whereilive.com.au/news/story/northcote-woman-reunited-with-stolen-dog-ollie/

Lucky, maltese

2011-11-02T19:33:00.000-04:00

Dog Reunited With Inkster Family After Four Years

POSTED: Monday, October 31, 2011

INKSTER, Mich. -- After more than four years a very special dog has been reunited with his family

Over the years, many people have seen the sign on Inkster Road in Inkster, pleading for anyone who might have seen a dog named Lucky.

Lucky is a vibrant dog that’s a full blooded Maltese and quite valuable. His owners Stan and Cheryl Sypniewski paid a couple thousand dollars for him at a Westland Pet shop and quickly became a member of the family.

A couple of months later Stan needed to sell his boat and left the gate open for a couple of minutes and that’s when his prized puppy bolted off without a collar.

“We went to the humane society, called the dog pound in Inkster, the one in Dearborn, Westland, and Garden City,” said owner Stan Sypniewski.

His neighbors said they saw someone pick up Lucky.

“We never thought we’d see him again,” said Stan.

The couple continued to look and ended up finding Layla, a red Doberman at the pound. Life continued on and then earlier this year the phone rang. It turned out Lucky found new owners to take care of him, about ten miles away, and they gave him to another family who brought him to the vet.

“When I handed the phone to my wife, she started crying. I turned around and told her Lucky was alive and they wanted to know if we wanted him back and we were like yes, yes,” said Stan.

So now Lucky and Layla are fast friends and aren’t allowed out of anyone’s sights, much less the yard.

Lucky was lucky enough to have owners that put an electronic microchip under his skin and that is how the family reunited.

Source: http://www.clickondetroit.com/pets/29633362/detail.html
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Orli, black lab

2011-11-01T07:35:00.000-04:00

Fate helps find dog lost in desert crash
Diane Bell, San Diego Union Tribune
April 9, 2005

Their fourth day on a desolate, rain-soaked trail through the Mojave Desert between Needles and Barstow, John and Denise Vissat veered their Jeep off their intended route. In retrospect, John thinks the unplanned detour to find drier terrain was fate. For suddenly, after not seeing anyone for hours, they came across a lost dog trailing a leather leash.

The black Lab, caked in dirt, was several miles from the nearest highway. She wolfed down water and about four days of their dog's food supply. Then John, general manager of Hornblower Cruises in downtown San Diego, chipped the mud away from her collar and uncovered tags identifying the Labrador as a guide dog. There was a phone number and a microchip ID.

Back home

Meanwhile, Ronnie Phillips, at the Woodland Hills home of her son, was recuperating from an auto accident that had broken her pelvis and left her imprisoned in her collapsed Saturn SUV. Accompanied by her golden retriever, Remington, and black Lab, Orli, she had been driving northeast on I-15 to her home in Las Vegas on March 16 when she felt a bump, swerved, overcorrected and lost control of the SUV. It careened through a guardrail and rolled over. Phillips later was pried out of the wreckage and taken by helicopter to a hospital in Colton. A Highway Patrol officer dropped off the uninjured golden retriever at the Barstow Humane Society for family members. But the Lab that Phillips initially trained as a guide dog was nowhere to be found.

The Highway Patrol searched for Orli. The tow truck driver searched for her. Phillips' daughter returned the next day and scoured the area, leaving word with local vets. They had no idea how badly injured the dog had been in the crash, or if she was even still alive.

For days, Phillips called her home answering machine. "After about a week, I gave up hope," she said. "I figured if Orli had survived the accident, the coyotes had gotten to her."

Last Sunday evening, however, nearly three weeks after the crash, the good-news message was there. The Vissats had found Orli. Phillips called them sobbing. Was her dog dead? she asked. "No, she's doing great," came the reply. "I was hysterical. It was unbelievable. A miracle," Phillips says. Her son drove to San Diego the next day, and Orli now is back at home with her pal, Remington. She's 12 pounds thinner, but otherwise a very lucky pooch.

"It's like you lose a child, and your child comes home . . . She was a part of the family," Phillips says. "Now she has godparents."

Source: http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20050409/news_7m9bell.html
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Kenny, beagle

2011-10-31T07:38:00.003-04:00

Owner reunited with dog, arrest warrant filed for man who stole truck, beagle
Lori Wolfe/The Herald-Dispatch
Oct. 27, 2011

Bob Fannin of Milton reunites with his lost beagle, Kenny, on Thursday, Oct. 27, 2011, near Culloden. The beagle was inside Fannin's truck when it was stolen outside of a Culloden barbershop on Tuesday.

CULLODEN – The barking sound of a beagle reunited the dog and its owner Thursday, nearly 48 hours to the minute that a thief stole Bob Fannin’s truck with his dog inside at a barbershop in Culloden.

That act separated the beagle named Kenny from its owner for the first time in nearly seven years. The two were reunited midday Thursday on a ridge top along Signal Road.

Fannin’s son-in-law, Dwayne Carter, heard the first bark. Fannin eventually heard another, but the 66-year-old didn’t truly believe it was his beagle’s voice until he saw Kenny riding an all-terrain vehicle up and out of a hollow with Carter and a family friend.

Fannin could only compare the rush of emotion that followed to the feeling of shock and dire helplessness he endured when a thief sped away in his Ford F-150. This time sadness and anger were replaced with pure joy.

“It was just unbelievable,” he said. “It was like a member of your family being lost and now they are found.”

Kenny, a one-time rabbit chaser, returned to his “retirement home” for a bath, Fannin said. He described his beagle to be healthy, although he was obviously wet, cold and hungry.

Meanwhile, deputy sheriffs from Cabell and Putnam counties searched for Stephen Reed. The Cabell County Sheriff’s Office filed an arrest warrant Thursday morning charging the 29-year-old from Culloden with felony grand larceny, said Sgt. Todd Wentz. Anyone with information about Reed’s whereabouts should call 911 or the Cabell County Sheriff’s Office at 304-743-1594.

Fannin vowed to closely follow Reed’s case, but Thursday was a time for reunion. The surprising strength of Kenny’s bark was one reason his master hesitated to believe a homecoming was imminent.

“His voice seemed a little bit strong,” Fannin said. “You know, to be out in the woods and be an older dog like that, I didn’t think he could bark that loud, but he did.”

Guilt was a prominent feeling Fannin endured throughout the 48 hours of separation. He blamed himself for his dog’s disappearance. That’s because he had defied the advice of others, who had warned Fannin about leaving his vehicle unlocked with the keys in the ignition.

Fannin left those items that way Tuesday so the air conditioner would keep his riding buddy cool. The truck was fairly close to the barbershop, and Fannin only expected to be inside for a few minutes. It was something he had done over and over, but one thing he vowed to never do again.

The reason for Fannin’s one-time habit was in part due to the duo’s closeness. The master and his beagle travel about town and everywhere together. They are partners. So much so that Fannin estimates his vacation to New Jersey seven years ago was the last time they were apart.

“He’s just more or less a companion,” he said. “He leaves with me, and he comes home with me.”

That closeness was in part what drove the family to great lengths to find Kenny. Their efforts involved the posting of a $1,000 reward, which was later matched by a woman in Jacksonville, Fla.

They also enlisted a friend’s airplane for an aerial search and did their own detective work. That included speaking with Reed’s girlfriend and his mother, along with speaking to pawn shops and others about the apparent suspect.

Fannin’s daughter, Kathy Carter, said they didn’t worry about going too far.

“We’re just going to give it all we’ve got,” Carter said Thursday morning as volunteers gathered for the ground search that would lead to Kenny’s rescue.

The beagle lives at home with Fannin and his wife, Deborah. They’ve been married for 30 years. Fannin, a retired contractor, said his wife doesn’t get jealous of the love Kenny and his master share.

Wentz joined deputies from the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office on Wednesday in a four-hour search for Reed. They went to various prior addresses with no success. The arrest warrant was then forwarded to the U.S. Marshal’s Service C.U.F.F.E.D. Task Force who will continue the search in earnest.

“It will just be a matter of time,” Wentz said speaking of Reed’s arrest.

Fannin’s truck was discovered late Tuesday afternoon at a subdivision along Bills Creek Road near Winfield, W.Va. Authorities credit Reed’s girlfriend with calling police and alerting them to the truck’s location, according to information provided by the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office.

Putnam County Lt. R.E. Harrison said Thursday his deputies continue to collect evidence in the case. He said if investigators find evidence that places Reed in Fannin’s vehicle, deputies will then confer with prosecutors to contemplate a charge of felony receiving/transferring stolen property.

Authorities last spotted Reed on Wednesday in a wooded area along W.Va. 817, Harrison said.

Source: http://www.herald-dispatch.com/news/briefs/x2018259281/Owner-reunited-with-dog-arrest-warrant-filed-for-man-who-stole-truck-beagle
Additional video at: http://www.wsaz.com/news/headlines/Truck_Stolen_with_Dog_Inside_132657543.html

Huckleberry, jack russell terrier

2011-10-30T08:40:00.000-04:00

TV model reunited with stolen pet dog
By Camilla Goodman and Steve Bax
Oct 27 2011

Former model and TV personality Paula Hamilton's dog, Huckleberry, was stolen from her Farnham Royal home on October 12.

A TV star and old flame of Simon Cowell has been reunited with her pet dog after it was kidnapped and sold by the thieves.

Former model and television personality Paula Hamilton's dog Huckleberry, a tan coloured terrier cross, was taken from her home in Farnham Royal on Wednesday, October 12.

It is believed the dog was kidnapped and sold on for £150. The police are investigating the kidnap.

Thankfully Huckleberry was safely returned home by a woman who spotted an article in the Slough Observer.

Ms Hamilton said in a statement on her website: "I can't thank her enough. I would just like to say a huge thanks to everyone who helped and for all the kind wishes and thoughts.

"Hucks is back – half his weight, which wasn’t much to start with, but with a great healthy diet and lots of love and affection I'll soon have him back to his old self."

Ms Hamilton dated music mogul Simon Cowell when the pair were at school together in Slough. She achieved fame in the 1980s after appearing in an iconic TV advert for Volkswagen and, following a modelling career, became a judge on the Living TV show Britain's Next Next Model in 2006.

A spate of dog thefts in Bucks have prompted the RSPCA to issue advice on how to keep your pet safe.

Nicola Walker of RSPCA East said: "Microchipping a pet gives them the best chance of being identified and returned if they become lost or stolen. Thousands of pets are lost every year and many are never reunited with their owners - microchipping can change that.

"We would also urge pet owners to take photographs of their pets, to keep as a record, and to also take notes and photographs of any unusual markings. A thorough description and photo of your pet, will help the police in any hunt for stolen animals."

Source: http://www.buckinghamshireexaminer.co.uk/south-bucks-news/local-buckinghamshire-examiner-news/2011/10/27/tv-model-reunited-with-stolen-pet-dog-114018-29674722/
Original story with the plea for help here

Maggie Mae, maltese-yorkie

2011-10-28T08:35:00.001-04:00

Tail-Wagging Ending to Lost Dog Tale
Maggie Mae's owner encourages everyone to microchip their pets.
By Carol Parker
October 25, 201

Two months and one week after Maggie Mae, a tiny Yorkie-Maltese mix from Oregon went on the lam while vacationing in Alameda, she was recovered and reunited with her relieved owner.

Maggie Mae before she went missing

Last week Janice Reese raced back to Alameda to collect her pet after she had all but given up hope of ever seeing Maggie Mae again. Monday night, Oct. 17, Reese and her Bay Area relatives and friends toasted Maggie Mae's return at a celebratory dinner.

Now, Reese says, she wants the near-tragic incident to become a teachable moment for other pet owners and is urging them to microchip their pets.

"If Maggie Mae had been chipped," she says, "she might have been recovered and returned to me sooner. I want everyone to consider having their pet microchipped so they can be identified, if lost. You never think your pet will escape and run away, until they do. It can happen so quickly and to anyone."

Maggie Mae was reunited with Reese after a convoluted series of events that ultimately led to the dog being brought to the Alameda Police Department, where it was relinquished and then turned over to Reese's daughter until Reese could return to the Bay Area to collect her pet.

Reese said she is enormously grateful to the Alameda Police Department for their work on the matter and to Alamedan Diane Stohner, who dilligently looked for the animal and helped crack the vanishing dog case.

Stohner saw the dog the day it went missing with a man and a woman who told her they were looking for its owner. She noticed that the dog had an Oregon rabies tag. She also remembered seeing a car with Oregon license plates in the neighborhood.

Stohner ultimately tracked down Reese's daughter, who lived in the neighborhood, and confirmed that Reese, who had been visiting from Oregon, had lost her dog.

Despite Stohner and Reese's family going door to door and posting flyers all over town and at shelters and veterinary offices, Maggie Mae's disappearance remained a mystery for many weeks.

Then the weekend of Oct. 15-16, quite by happenstance, Stohner spied the man she'd seen with the dog again and confronted him about the animal's whereabouts. Ultimately Alameda police were called in, and two hours later a woman, who Reese and Stohner said was an acquaintance of the couple, delivered the dog to the police department.

Although the circumstances of Maggie Mae's time on the run are somewhat murky, Reese says only an incident report was filed with the police department and no charges are being pressed against anyone. Reese said she hopes the experience will be a lesson for pet owners everywhere.

Even if animals were wearing identification tags at the time they went missing, she said, those tags can be removed or lost, and that could make it difficult or impossible for a shelter or veterinarian to positively identify the pet.

Reese said Maggie Mae is glad to be back home in Oregon and is getting settled into her familiar routine.

Stohner said she too is relieved Maggie Mae is safely home. Months of pounding the pavement in search of the dog consumed much of her time, as it did for Reese's daughter.

"I'm just so glad Jan, whose husband had died just one week before the dog's disappearance, has Maggie back," said Stohner. "Thankfully, even after all this time there was a happy ending to the story."

Source: http://alameda.patch.com/articles/tail-wagging-ending-to-lost-dog-tale
Another version of the story is at: http://www.insidebayarea.com/ci_19207585?IADID=Search-www.insidebayarea.com-www.insidebayarea.com

Petie, Jack Russell Terrier

2011-10-27T08:09:00.002-04:00

Tennessee dog that wound up in a Michigan backyard heads back home
9:48 AM, Oct. 26, 2011

A Jack Russell terrier lost since July is on his way home to Tennessee, thanks to a chip implant and a volunteer from the Michigan Humane Society.

More photos of Petey are at: http://news.yahoo.com/tenn-dog-missing-3-months-turns-mich-124713722.html

Four-year-old Petey was discovered wandering in a backyard in Rochester Hills, according to the humane society.

His 73-year-old owner, Jim Arrighi, has been searching for him since the dog wandered away from his yard July 28 in Erin, Tenn., Arrighi's stepdaughter, Tyanne Morrison, 54, said today.

"He’s tickled to death," Morrison said about her stepfather, who lives in a house the other side of Muster Ground Creek from her, in a county west of Nashville with a population of 7,000 people. "We’ve hunted and hunted everywhere. He’s had pictures put in the paper. We put posters up everywhere. We rode around on four wheelers in the area, so we knew he wasn’t hit by a car."

Arrighi's wife of 37 years, Juanita, 77, died Oct. 12, so he believes she helped Petey return home, Morrison said.

"That’s what he thinks -- he truly thinks that," Morrison said. "A lot of people think that. They think she was looking over him

Nancy Greiser of Wayne, an MHS foster parent and volunteer since 2009, was leaving today to drive Petey back home.

Petie back home

She was one of 76 volunteers who offered to drive Petey home -- and she was the one that said she could leave immediately, spokesman Kevin Hatman said.

"How can you not have your heartstrings tugged?" said Greiser, in between Petey jumping for treats she held out in front of her in the yard of the Rochester Hills humane society facility. Greiser's been volunteering with the Michigan Humane Society's Berman Center for Animal Care in Westland since she retired from teaching medical billing and coding at an adult education facility about two years ago. She and her friend expect to make the 10-hour trip today, and they'll stay overnight at a bed-and-breakfast in Erin, Tenn., that offered them free accomodations.

The reunion is scheduled to take place at 9 a.m. at Arrighi's house in Tennesee, or 10 a.m. in our time zone.

"I said nobody can cry when we show up," Greiser said.

Petey's family thinks he could have been stolen outside a nearby restaurant by a passerby. No one truly knows how Petey made the nearly 600 mile trek from Erin to Rochester Hills. But when Petey was brought to the Michigan Humane Society's Rochester Hills Center for Animal Care, workers there identified him when they scanned him and discovered Petey was implanted with a $70 microchip.

Aaron Jerome a customer service representative and animal care technician at the Rochester Hills Michigan Humane Society plays with Petey, the 4-year-old Jack Russell Terrier today. Petey will be reunited with his owner Jack Arrighi of Erin, Tenn. Watch the video at: http://bcove.me/fbav6xd7

"This story put a smile on the faces of our entire adoption center team," said Marcelena Mace, shelter manager at the MHS Rochester Hills Center for Animal Care. "It's wonderful when we see microchip reunions, including those that seem like miracles. It really proves that no matter how far your pet may travel, a microchip can help him find his way home!"

He's expected to get quite a reception at Arrighi's home, Morrison said. Petey's been on the news as far away as Nashville, so his reunion is expected to be the talk of the town on Thursday.

"We were going to meet them in Cincinnati, but they offered to bring him all the way," Morrison said. "It’s just really nice of them."

Source: http://www.freep.com/article/20111026/NEWS06/111026012/Dog-from-Tennessee-turns-up-Michigan-back-yard?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE
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Video here

Another version of the story is at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/26/jim-arrighi-lost-dog-tennessee-found-michigan_n_1032653.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000003
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Follow-up after Petie returned home: http://www.detnews.com/article/20111027/METRO/110270463/1409/Missing-terrier-Petie-reunited-with-owner-in-Tennessee

Herbie, Brussels griffon

2011-10-26T08:46:00.000-04:00

Herbie's home!
Chris Dabovich, San Pedro Valley News-Sun
Tuesday, August 1, 2006

Carol Morgan, left, and Kathleen Crawford tend to Herbie

Herbie is home nine days after the tiny Brussels griffon went missing from Jim and Kathleen Crawford's Benson home.

At 6:15 p.m. MST Tuesday, Herbie made way into a trap set by Benson City Animal control, much to the surprise and delight of those who sought his return.

Carol Morgan, in Benson from the Phoenix suburb of Sun City West and helping look for the dog, is ecstatic.

"I'm just so happy," she said. "I was beginning to lose hope."

It happened rather non-chalantly.

"I was watching the ballgame and heard a noise in the trap and decided I'd go see what it was and there he was. I couldn't believe it," said Jim Crawford.

Kathleen Crawford concurred. "I'm very relieved. It was very nerve racking and stressful," she said. "It was hard to get any sleep and it was scary.

Herbie appeared relieved as well and settled in comfortably with Morgan, licking her face and cuddling.

Morgan, who was the dog's foster owner for eight months after Herbie had been removed with 26 other griffons from a bad West Phoenix home, has decided to bring Herbie back to Sun City West.

The Crawfords adopted the dog and Morgan drove Herbie to their home on July 22. The following morning Herbie escaped. He was seen Monday and had not been at all Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the News-Sun continues to get responses from throughout the U.S., Canada and Europe from people wanting to know Herbie's plight.

"We are totally overwhelmed by the response from around the world," said Morgan.

They'll surely be glad to know this story had a happy ending.

On Tuesday, a third international moment of prayer went out for Herbie's safe return.

"It's a miracle," said Morgan.

A Brussels griffon is a breed of toy dog characterized by a short face, large eyes, and a short nose. The breed has a Belgian lineage and is named after a mythological animal called a griffin.

Source: http://www.bensonnews-sun.com/articles/2006/08/01/news/anews.txt
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Sam I am, golden retriever

2011-10-25T08:45:00.001-04:00

A fetching finish for a 2-year mystery
Dog lost in Florida turns up in Illinois
By Charles Sheehan, Tribune staff reporter.
December 15, 2006

Alice Baines could not find him on the block. She could not find him near the dock. She could not find him here nor there. She could not find him anywhere.

But two years after a hurricane blew down a back-yard fence in Florida and set free a golden retriever named Sam-I-Am, the wayward pooch was found in McHenry County.

In the most unlikely of reunions Thursday night, Sam-I-Am ran across the tiled floor at O'Hare International Airport and rested his head on the arm of owner Baines, who flew to Chicago from her home in Tampa to retrieve him.

"I can't believe it," she said. "This kind of thing doesn't happen."

Veterinarians in McHenry County were stunned as well when they discovered a microchip in the scruff of the dog's neck that placed his home more than 1,200 miles to the southeast.

"I've never seen anything like it," said McHenry County animal control officer Sean Graff.

`Have you got him?'

On Thursday night, Brett Baines, 9, waited in Florida for the return of his canine pal. The boy last saw the dog in 2004 after the hurricane ripped up a fence outside the family's home.

"He is so excited, I have 10 messages on my phone," Baines said. "Each one says, `Have you got him? Have you got him? Have you got him?'"

Just how Sam-I-Am made the journey from Tampa to Johnsburg, a small town on Pistakee Lake in McHenry County, may never be known.

A resident found the 5-year-old dog wandering along Circle Court earlier this week and took him to the McHenry County animal shelter.

Though few animal owners take advantage of relatively cheap microchip technology, veterinarians in McHenry County do a routine scan of all dogs brought to the shelter, said Dr. Edin Mehanovic, the animal control administrator.

McHenry County officials called the veterinarian who had placed the chip in Sam-I-Am when he was a puppy, whose office Baines said she had been calling on and off since the hurricane.

"I just kept checking and yesterday around 5 o'clock, they called and said, `We got a call from Illinois and we have a chip match,'" Baines said. "They said, `It's him, it's got to be him.'"

Baines booked the first flight to what she called "the Land of Oprah."

For all the mileage, it appears that Sam-I-Am is no worse for the wear.

"The dog is in very good shape," Mehanovic said. "I can't see how the dog could walk that far."

Microchip costs $40

Mehanovic and Graff said Sam-I-Am is a poster pup for microchip technology. Implanting a chip costs about $40, Graff said.

"This is a perfect example of what a microchip can do," Graff said. "A dog can lose a collar or someone can take it off, but the microchip never comes off."

Source: http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2006-12-15/news/0612150156_1_microchip-technology-animal-shelter-dog
Other versions of the story at:
http://scoobyk9.blog.ca/2006/12/15/sam_i_am_home_for_christmas~1442432/
http://www.ocala.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061217/NEWS/212170345/1002/stateRSS&source=RSS&tc=ar

Poppy, terrier

2011-10-24T08:16:00.001-04:00

Missing dog turns up 30 miles away
Friday 21st October 2011

A MISSING dog has been reunited with its delighted owners after being found in kennels more than 30 miles away – triggering an internal police investigation.

Ruby Fletcher with her family’s pet dog Poppy

Poppy, a nine-year-old terrier breed, was found in the kennels in East Yorkshire following an extensive search by her owners, almost a week after going missing from her home in Lastingham Terrace, Fulford.

The owners believe Poppy travelled so far before being picked up by police, but then ran away after a member of staff at Fulford Road police station took her to stay with their own family near Goole.

Poppy’s owners say no trace of their pet being picked up was registered with the police and if it had not been for their persistent search for her, they would have never been reunited.

An internal police investigation is now being held into the confusion over Poppy’s disappearance. Sarah Fletcher said: “I’m outraged. I feel we have not had a proper explanation. Poppy means everything to us as a family, especially to the children.

“My daughter was distraught every night. What we are seeking is some kind of apology from the police for not having in place any kind of procedure or any explanation from the person who took her.”

She said they were only able to piece together what had happened to Poppy after tracking her down to the kennels in Leconfield, near Beverley.

Someone at the kennels told them their pet had been taken to the Goole area by someone working for York police, who had taken the dog to stay at their parents when she ran away.

A police spokesman said that as a formal complaint had been made, they were unable to comment in detail on the issue.

They confirmed: “A complaint has been reported and we are investigating it.”

Source: http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/9319143.Missing_dog_turns_up_30_miles_away/
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Cooper, Golden Retriever

2011-10-23T15:08:00.002-04:00

Dog who was stolen with car reunited with family
Posted by Tiffany Smith, Sonia Moghe
Oct 22, 2011 1:11 p.m.

A dog who was sitting in his owner's car when it was stolen was reunited with his family today.

Kevin Miles was at Colonnade Restaurant on Cheshire Bridge Road on Wednesday night when his car was stolen with his dog, Cooper, sitting inside.

"I don't care in the least about the car, I just want my dog back," Miles said. "I've had the dog since he was a puppy, he's essentially a child to me."

His friends and family had turned his Midtown apartment into a command center and worked around the clock to get the word out about Cooper.

Miles got the call just before noon on Saturday saying that his dog had been found and was at the Dekalb County Animal Control Center.

Source: http://wgcl.m0bl.net/w/main/story/43754237/

Buster, American Bulldog

2011-10-22T20:01:00.001-04:00

Louisiana trucker reunited with dog stolen in SD
Friday, August 26, 2011

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — A Louisiana truck driver who was reunited with his American bulldog just hours after it was stolen at a South Dakota gas station calls the dog's speedy return "the work of God."

Buster, where he should be!

Marc Cheramie, 48, of Gretna, La., tied Buster to a cage of propane tanks late Wednesday while he went inside the Sioux Falls station. When he came out, the dog was gone.

"I didn't have a lot of hope at the beginning. I was really depressed," Cheramie told the Argus Leader.

But about two hours later, a Highway Patrol trooper who stopped a woman for speeding on Interstate 29 and had heard the report about the stolen dog became suspicious when he saw a bulldog in the woman's car.

Alexandra Orlick, 19, of Flandreau, is charged with felony grand theft because Buster is valued at $1,200. She appeared in court on Thursday but did not offer a defense for the alleged theft. She was released on her own recognizance.

Cheramie said Buster was eager to get back to his master's truck after the incident.
"He knew it wasn't his fault but knew he hadn't been where he was supposed to be," Cheramie said.

Source: http://www.chron.com/news/article/Louisiana-trucker-reunited-with-dog-stolen-in-SD-2142317.php

Woman charged after dog stolen from trucker
Aug. 26, 2011

The Louisiana trucker whose dog was stolen from a gas station in Sioux Falls Wednesday night says the American bulldog's speedy return was "the work of God."

"I didn't have a lot of hope at the beginning. I was really depressed," said Marc Cheramie, 48, of Gretna, La. "I mean, I'm a full-grown man, and I was nearly in tears."

Cheramie stopped at the Pilot gas station at 5201 N. Granite Lane in Sioux Falls at about 11 p.m. Wednesday with his dog, Buster. He let Buster out of the cab of his truck, tied him to a cage of propane tanks outside and went inside to freshen up.

"I washed my hands, came out and he was gone," Cheramie said.

Within two hours, however, a Flandreau woman had been arrested on grand theft charges of taking Buster, and Cheramie had his travel companion back. The dog is valued at $1,200, which constitutes a felony under South Dakota law.

A South Dakota state trooper got suspicious when he stopped 19-year-old Alexandra Leigh Orlick for speeding just after 1 a.m. on Interstate 29. The patrolman saw the bulldog riding with her, Sioux Falls police spokesman Sam Clemens said.

The trooper heard the report about the stolen dog on his in-car radio.

Another trucker, Joe Saul of White River, was outside the Pilot station with his girlfriend petting Buster, which he called a very friendly dog, when the theft happened.

Orlick was sitting on the hood of her car around a bunch of friends, Saul said, and Buster kept looking through the station's window.

"I asked 'does anybody know whose dog this is,' and she jumped off the hood and said 'it's mine,' " Saul said. "The dog didn't go to her. It just kept looking."

Orlick fumbled with the knot, Saul said, which caught his attention.

"If you tie a knot, you should be able to untie it," he said.

Saul met Cheramie and told his story to the two officers who showed up to take the report. The trooper detained Orlick and charged her with one count of grand theft, a class six felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

Orlick appeared in court Thursday afternoon and was released on a personal recognizance bond.
She also has a pending marijuana possession charge in Minnehaha County, according to court records, as well as pending charges for possession of alcohol by a minor and entering or refusing to leave in Brookings County.

Her record also includes a simple assault arrest and a handful of other misdemeanors, but the grand theft charge is her first felony. Orlick's father, who answered the number she listed in her court paperwork, said he hadn't heard about the incident.

On Thursday afternoon, Cheramie didn't know Orlick had appeared in court already, but he knew what she looked like. She was riding in the cruiser with the trooper when he returned Buster.
The 14-month-old dog wanted to go right back to his owner's truck, he said.

"He knew it wasn't his fault but knew he hadn't been where he was supposed to be," he said.
The Louisiana native said he was thankful to the trooper for his keen eye and to the officers for their kindness.

Orlick offered no explanation for the theft on Thursday afternoon.

"I really hope she learns her lesson and learns from her mistake," Cheramie said. "I'm a person who believes in forgiveness."

One source of this story:
http://rapidcityjournal.com/news/louisiana-trucker-reunited-with-dog-stolen-in-sioux-falls/article_8bce0af0-cfe9-11e0-bb41-001cc4c03286.html

Bandit, cavalier/poodle mix

2011-10-21T20:05:00.000-04:00

Lost Dog Reunited With Westport Family After One Year
By Chris Rueli
10/21/2011

After being missing for nearly one and a half years WASA reunites a dog with its family

In June of 2010, Bandit the cavapoo disappeared from her home in Westport, and it was not until October 2011 that she saw her family again.

The owners offered a $500 reward and later raised it to $1500. No results. On Friday, October 7, 2011, Westport resident and WASA (Westport Animal Shelter Advocates) president Julie Loparo and her daughter Callie spotted a small dog threading her way through busy traffic on Riverside Avenue.

They pulled over to the side of the road, got out of their vehicle and scooped up the frightened creature and brought her to Westport Animal Control. She was dirty, extremely matted and appeared to have had a litter of puppies at some time. Amy Scarella, a WASA volunteer, took the dog for a much-needed grooming to Greenfield Hills Grooming.

Afterwards, Amy showed a before and after picture of the displaced pooch to an acquaintance. The woman peered at the cell phone "after" image and gasped.

"This looks just like my friend's missing dog," the woman said.

Miraculously, it was the missing Bandit. Bandit was soon reunited with her overjoyed family.

While no reward has been requested by WASA, WASA remains hopeful that the family will consider making a donation to WASA in order to assist them in their mission to help homeless animals in Fairfield County.

Source: http://westport.patch.com/articles/lost-dog-reunited-with-westport-family-after-one-year#c

Anya, service dog

2011-10-20T23:29:00.001-04:00

Missing Pearl service dog returned to owners
Posted: Jul 26, 2011
By Julie Straw

PEARL, MS (WLBT) - A missing service dog a Pearl family had feared stolen has been returned.

Anya is a 7 month old therapy dog for two year old Emily Thomas who has cerebral palsy. Friday evening the dog was stolen out of the backyard.

The Thomas family called 3 On Your Side for help. After our story aired Sunday night, a Pearl viewer recognized the dog.

The good Samaritan had grabbed Anya from a group of children in a Pearl neighborhood who admitted to taking the dog from the backyard.

The viewer kept the German Shepherd safe while trying to look for its owners.

Our story helped her find the Thomas family.

The dog's owners say Anya is home and is being spoiled.

Source: http://www.wlbt.com/story/15145785/missing-pearl-dog-returned-to-owners
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Morgan, black dog

2011-10-19T00:17:00.001-04:00

Nabbed dog traced by helicopter
Last Updated: Friday, 12 March, 2004

A man whose dog was inside his caravan when it disappeared took the skies in Essex to search for his lost pet.

Geoff Hardy's caravan home disappeared from near Romford while he was at work.

After six days of searching he hired a helicopter from Southend to comb the county at £250 an hour and spotted the caravan after 40 minutes in the air.

His dog, Morgan, was found along with the caravan at a travellers' site in Rettendon. A 14-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of theft.
Mr Hardy, 35, who has been living in the van while he worked away from his Leeds home, said he was close to despair after almost a week of fruitless searching for six-year-old Morgan.
“ There are about three million caravans in Essex and it was going to be a tall order ” said Duncan Bickley

He had tried the police, vets and dog kennels.

Hiring the helicopter was a desperate last resort in his hunt for missing Morgan, who he has owned from a 12-week-old puppy.

"That was the final thing I could do for my dog, I was so devoted to her," he said.

The helicopter charter company staff did not want to raise his hopes.

"Spotting a dog from 500ft is very, very slim indeed," said Duncan Bickley, of Direct Helicopters.

"I thought we might have a chance of finding the caravan, but there are about three million caravans in Essex and it was going to be a tall order."

Mr Hardy added: "There was a blind in the back of the caravan and it was ripped, I just spotted that curtain so I recognised it was my caravan."

He was relieved when he spotted his caravan but delighted when, after calling police, he was reunited with Morgan, who was found in a nearby shed.

"She has been by my side since she was a puppy and she was part of the family. It's excellent. I'm overjoyed," Mr Hardy said.

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/essex/3506574.stm
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Jazzer, collie Alsatian cross

2011-10-18T00:02:00.001-04:00

Jazzer the dog returned to Hereford man after 58 days
Einar Russell has owned Jazzer for seven years
17 October 2011

A disabled man in Hereford has been reunited with his dog after a 58-day search which involved a firm of pet detectives.

Jazzer, which was taken from outside a supermarket in August, was handed into a vets in the city on Friday.

Owner Einar Russell said his dog was in good health but "a little subdued" when he got her back.

"I don't think she quite figured out what was going on, but now she's perked up again and is her old self," he said.

Mr Russell contacted Animal Search UK which is based in Herefordshire.

The firm, which waived its fee for Mr Russell, organised house-to-house inquiries and a poster campaign.

Tom Watkins, the firm's founder, said: "I've never conducted an investigation where we have received as much interest from members of the public as this local case."

He said the exact circumstances of where the dog has been were "still unclear".

'Smiling faces'

Mr Russell said he "couldn't quite comprehend" that people would do so much to help in the search.

"I'm very grateful to the people who put her on Facebook, and there have been campaigns looking out for her, and loads of complete strangers who've stopped me and said they'd look out for her," he said.

He was given the collie Alsatian cross by some friends after he was injured in a car accident seven years ago. He has used a wheelchair since being injured.

Mr Russell describes 10-year-old Jazzer as a friend, and to some extent his passport to a social life, as taking her out for a walk gets him out and about.

He said residents have been delighted to see the two of them back together again.

"There are lots of smiling faces and waves and people beeping their car horns," he said.

"And the reaction when I took her to Tesco where she got stolen was quite overwhelming."

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hereford-worcester-15340415

Timmy, siberian husky

2011-10-16T23:57:00.001-04:00

Dognapped husky returns after 3 1/2-year absence
By Janice Morse, The Cincinnati Enquirer
Sunday, October 13, 2002

WHITEWATER TWP. — Three and a half years ago, someone severed a tie-out chain and apparently snatched Timmy, the doughnut-munching Siberian husky, from the porch of Bill Kohl's workshop.

Bill and Susan Kohl and daughter Renee, 14, with husky Timmy.

“Everyone in the shop loved him; he was just an exceptional pet, so friendly to everyone. In a way, I think that made it easier for someone to just come and take him,” said Tom Wernke, a family friend.

After exhaustive searches, the heartbroken Kohl family resigned themselves to believe they'd never see him again.

But around 7 a.m. Thursday — about 1,250 days later — there, on the workshop porch, was Timmy.

“He was laying right next to the post where he always laid; I couldn't believe it,” said Mr. Wernke, who works in a building near Mr. Kohl's shop. “I said, "Timmy?' And his ears perked up. ... I knew it was him.”

He phoned the Kohls: “You're not going to believe this: Timmy's back!”

After a joyful reunion, the family took the dog to his veterinarian Friday. He verified Timmy's identity by finding a cyst-removal scar.

Saturday, the family remained in disbelief as the dog lounged on the living-room floor.

“We're so glad to have him back, but it is kind of weird. I mean, when you have a dog gone for 3 1/2 years, you go on,” said Bill Kohl, who received Timmy as a gift in 1990. “Still, it's in the back of your mind. At least now we don't have to wonder where he is. I think we'll always wonder where he was.”

The Kohls wish Timmy could talk so he could answer the questions that have gnawed at them since he vanished in May 1999; Mr. Kohl's daughter, Renee, who turns 14 today, teases her mom, Susan, for talking to the dog too much.

Now 12 years old, Timmy walks with difficulty. He's on medication for pain and arthritis. “But he was having trouble walking before they took him,” Mrs. Kohl said. “And he'd been "fixed,' so they couldn't use him for breeding. So why did they take him? ... I hope they treated him well.”

The Kohls had worried that Timmy was being mistreated or even subjected to laboratory experiments — if he wasn't dead.

“We used to say, "Maybe he's with dad,' ” said Mr. Kohl, whose father, Will, died shortly after Timmy disappeared. Will Kohl had a close bond with Timmy — and Timmy would howl for the doughnuts he brought to Kohl Patterns, which makes patterns for foundry castings.

As Will Kohl suffered from pancreatic cancer, it would have meant so much to have Timmy by his bedside, the Kohls said.

While the family resents missing 3 1/2 years of Timmy's life, they say they're not out to “get” whoever took him; they want someone to clear up the mysteries about him.

Because he was clean and well-groomed, the Kohls doubt he wandered back home; someone must have dropped him off.

“Maybe their conscience finally got to them,” Mrs. Kohl said. “Or maybe somebody decided he was too old and sick to bother with anymore.”

http://www.enquirer.com/editions/2002/10/13/loc_dognapped_husky.html

Mocha/Tessa, weimeraner

2011-10-15T23:41:00.000-04:00

Missing dog found ‘safe, sound and smelly’
Wendy Gillis
October 08, 2011

Mocha, who is also called Tessa, was reunited with her joyful owners on Saturday after being missing for 10 days. Mocha was a rescue dog from Greece.

Ten days after she went missing, Mocha — a stray Greek dog that was brought to Canada last month — has been found.

“We’re tired and ecstatic,” said Cain Knoechel, Mocha’s owner, adding the dog is “safe, sound and smelly.”

Mocha, or Tessa as she’s also called, was found near Greenwood and Sammon Aves., around 3 p.m. Saturday.

A family living in the area called Knoechel, thanks to a home phone number on the dog’s collar, after Mocha was spotted hanging around behind a shed.

Mocha had only been in the country for 10 days before she ran away near Taylor Creek Park in late September. The dog came to Canada through Tails from Greece, a Toronto charity that finds Canadian homes for Greek stray dogs.

For days, the 2-year-old Weimaraner eluded search efforts, despite a round-the-clock hunt and consultation with an animal psychic. Searchers scoured the area of Woodbine Ave., Main St., Danforth Ave. and Lumsden Ave., calling “ella Mocha” (the Greek word for come).

When she got home, she went straight to the food and water dish — though Knoechel said she thinks people in the area were giving Mocha treats.

The dog herself is not a “happy, jumpy dog” — since her return, she’s spent all her time in bed, so it’s hard to know how Mocha feels, her owner says.

“But we’re ecstatic. She’s a keeper.”

Source: http://www.thestar.com/news/article/1067099--missing-dog-found-safe-sound-and-smelly
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Pogo, pomeranian

2011-10-14T19:33:00.000-04:00

Pogo - Florida
Lost on 9/16/2011, Alert Date 9/19/2011, Found 9/19/2011

After searching for three days, FindToto.com brought my dog back to me in less than thirty minutes!!!

My Pomeranian “Pogo” got out of the house on the afternoon of 9/16. We put up signs and went door to door and placed a posting on craigslist. We even went to the pound!

Then On 9/19 a woman read my ad on Craigslist and emailed me to tell me about FindToto.com. She said a neighbor told her about FindToto.com and they helped her get her lost dog back in less than 30 minutes.

I finished placing my order with FindToto.com at 3:40 in the afternoon on 9/19. At just a few minutes after four a neighbor about a mile away called to tell me her neighbor had Pogo and was looking for his owner.

Thank you so much FindToto.com! I will tell every pet owner I know about the wonderful service you provide!!!!

Source: http://www.findtoto.com/?action=success_stories_detail&id=6429

Pippi, B&W dog

2011-10-13T08:34:00.002-04:00

Pippi's LostMyDoggie Success Story
Kaylan Yerex
Lost: 7/4/10, Found: 7/7/10

This service was a life saver. Some people think these kind of things are just going to rip you off, but it helped loads on the search to find my dog Pippi.

On our search, we put the flier this service made us in hundreds and hundreds of mail boxes all over Prosser WA. We have been working so hard talking to every single person we saw on the street.

We got many calls from people who saw the flier, and had seen her around town. Eventually it got to the point where we were handing fliers to people who had gotten the recorded message AND seen the fliers in town.

The fliers and recordings lead us to the most amazing people of Prosser WA, who spent their own time driving up and down streets calling her name, and going door to door handing out fliers.

Finally though, after many nights of not sleeping, and a lot of money spent on fliers and business cards, she was found by the husband of a woman at the printing store.

This morning (July 7th - missing for 3 days) at 7am we went to get 500 fliers printed at the printing store in Prosser WA. The rest of the day until around 1:00 pm we drove around like every other day, puting fliers in windsheild wipers, on door steps, in mail boxes, talking to everyone we could, in every neighborhood in this town.

I got a call from my dad (in Canada) telling me "someone from somewhere you printed papers this morning has a small black and white dog, with a purple collar"

So, we rushed down to the print shop as fast as possible, and there she was... sitting there tired and dehydrated but so happy to see us.

I now love Prosser WA, and Lostmydoggie.com

Source: http://www.lostmydoggie.com/your-stories.cfm

Molli, roof beagle

2011-10-12T09:03:00.001-04:00

Roof dog, please come home
Things were off kilter for several weeks in Durant when Molli the beagle went missing from her roof top.
Jay Cridlin
September 26, 2003

DURANT - Molli picked the trick right up.

It began as soon as she discovered the staircase in Shirley and John Raulerson's back yard. The stairs once led to a sun deck above the garage; now, it's only shingles.

But that didn't matter to Molli, who delighted in scampering up the stairs each and every day with all the restraint one would expect from a jittery jumping-bean beagle pup like herself.

The indefatigable Molli loved to sit up there and watch trucks roar by, the drivers staring - always, without fail - at the tiny beagle perched on the roof.

Molli the Roof Dog has since become something of a neighborhood icon, one of those double-take oddities in rural east Hillsborough that drew gawkers from as far away as Brandon.

The roof was Molli's second home. Some nights, she slept there. Whenever Kayleigh and Bailey, the Raulerson children, ran across the front yard, Molli would run along with them, 6 feet above their heads.

But over the Labor Day weekend, the 11/2-year-old Molli went missing. It wasn't the first time. She'd burrowed under the hedges before. Her invisible electronic collar, Shirley says, wasn't worth its weight in kibble.

This time, Molli didn't come home. The Raulerson rooftop was empty. A few days after her disappearance, the only thing left was a sign on the marquee of Stevens Hardware next door:

LOST BEAGLE ROOF DOG IS MISSING

* * *

Once in a while, perplexed customers wander into Stevens Hardware.

"There's a dog on the roof behind the store!" they say.

"Yeah, I know," says owner Ronald Stevens. "She lives up there."

The store has been in the family for longer than Shirley and Ronald, siblings four years apart, can recall. Their parents owned a neighborhood grocery for decades before it became a hardware store in 1976. Ronald runs the store, and Shirley lives next door, in the house where they grew up.

For several years, the Raulersons owned Coda, a black Lab they adopted when Shirley discovered it walking alone on a beach. Coda was the first to discover the staircase in the backyard. The first to spend afternoons lounging on the roof. Coda, they say, showed Molli the way.

When Coda passed away a year ago, Molli became the Raulersons' family pet. When she turned up missing, Shirley asked her older brother to post a "lost dog" sign on the store marquee.

He happily obliged.

After all, pleas posted on the Stevens marquee are known for their happy endings. Nine years ago, John took Shirley out for a drive by the store, making sure to point out the block-letter message: "SHIRLEY, WILL YOU MARRY ME?"

On the other side, he posted a confident sigh of relief: "SHE SAID YES!"

A few days after Labor Day, the sign went up. Stevens thought the phrase "ROOF DOG" spoke volumes. Surely anyone who drove by on a daily basis would recognize Molli as the beagle from the roof.

Ronald began getting calls. He kept them to himself, thinking it best not to raise his sister's hopes.

Two people even called with what sounded like good news: They'd found a beagle, and thought it might be Molli the Roof Dog. Ronald checked, only to find that both were males.

Three weeks after Molli went missing, things weren't looking good.

"What did we do every night?" Shirley asked her daughter.

Kayleigh rubbed her cheeks. "Prayed."

* * *

Travis Lastinger was used to sharing. When you're the only boy in a family with four older sisters, it's tough to have any one thing that's yours, and only yours.

So for his 11th birthday, Travis knew exactly what he wanted. He'd ask his parents for something all his own, something he alone could keep and care for.

Travis wanted a pet. A dog. His dog.

He first noticed the perfect beagle when he and his mother, Carol, stopped in Durant for gas on her way to work. The dog was hungry and dirty, and had been hanging around the gas station all day, but Travis couldn't help but pet her.

All day long, he talked about "that pretty doggie." Hours later, on the way home, he looked out at the gas station and crossed his fingers.

Sure enough, there was the beagle, tied up outside. Apparently, she had been racing in the store all day, grabbing candy off the shelf.

Travis begged his mother to stop; he went inside and made a deal with the person in charge: If Travis promised he'd keep looking for the dog's owner, he could take her.

Travis was delighted. This beautiful puppy - Shiloh, he called her - was all his. He built her a pen and bed at their home near the Polk County line, and played with her every day when he got home from school.

So apparent was Travis' love for Shiloh that his older sisters couldn't bring themselves to mention they'd seen a lost dog sign in Durant.

It wasn't until Sept. 16, when Carol and Travis were on their way to help with one of his father's tree-trimming jobs, that Lastinger noticed the sign in front of Stevens Hardware.

She read the sign to Travis. There was also a telephone number.

"It's up to you, son, if you want to call or not," she said.

Tears welled up in Travis's eyes. But he knew what he had to do.

"Give me the phone, mama," he said. "I want to call."

* * *

In hindsight, Carol Lastinger doesn't know how she failed to recognize Molli, whom she's seen several times on the Raulersons' roof. Of course, at the time, neither she nor the gas station owners knew Molli had burrowed under the Raulersons' fence.

"I've seen her lots of times, but I never recognized her," Lastinger said. "From a distance, she looks bigger on the roof."

Travis was crushed, but Carol was so proud of her son that she thought again about his birthday wish.

On Sept. 18, the day they returned Molli to the Raulersons, Travis came home early to give her a bath and found a surprise waiting for him: Oreo, a hyperactive Jack Russell terrier puppy.

"He's the perfect pet for Travis," Lastinger said. "When it's time to go to bed, he runs and jumps in Travis' bed."

On Molli's first afternoon home, Kayleigh, 5, and Bailey, 4, took turns scratching her belly and shaking her paw. When Molli scampered up to the roof for the first time in three weeks, the kids leaped around below, giggling as she peered down at them.

Stevens and Raulerson, like the rest of the drivers on Keysville Road, watched and smiled.

Source: http://www.sptimes.com/2003/09/26/Brandontimes/Roof_dog__please_come.shtml
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No picture of Molli, but here's a dog that was actually trapped on a roof and seriously needed help getting down! http://www.thematrixfiles.net/blog/dog-on-roof/

Then here's a cute story, with video, of a dog in Greeley CO that spends his days hanging on the roof of his home. It's a much safer situation than the one pictured above, and surely Molli's situation was safer, too: http://www.9news.com/dontmiss/190170/630/Top-dog-hangs-out-on-roof-top-

Henry, hound lab mix

2011-10-11T08:29:00.001-04:00

With Storm Coming, Pet Detective Locates Lost Dog
By Michelle Hiskey
January 10, 2011

The owners of a dog lost near Mason Mill Park hired a pet detective, and now Henry's home.

Eddie Stenehjem hugs Henry after his return Sunday -- just before the storm hit.

By Sunday morning, Henry had been missing almost four days. The big winter storm forecast added to his owners’ worries. They had put up posters and gone to animal shelters looking for their 1-year-old mutt. The shelters turned up nothing except memories of adopting Henry from one as an abused puppy.

“Just fear of him being alone on the streets,” said Eddie Stenehjem, Henry’s owner who lives near Ponce de Leon Avenue and Clifton Road, of what made him and his wife pay a professional to recover their dog. “Fear is a great motivator.”

Eddie’s wife, Sarah Stotz, searched online for help. She found the website for Carl Washington, a nationally-known pet finder based near Augusta.

He’s no Ace Ventura. Washington makes $900 a day, with no shortage of work. On Friday, he instructed Henry’s owners exactly what to put on their posters, where to put them and where to search.

When Henry didn’t show after 24 hours, the detective came on the scene in a white SUV plastered with his business sign and Henry’s picture.

On Sunday morning, Washington parked on Desmond Drive just off Clairmont Road, about a half mile south of where Henry had bolted four days earlier from his pet sitter’s home.

Two trained tracking dogs in the back of the SUV barked, ready for Washington’s phone to ring with their next lead.

Rocky, a Jack Russell terrier, and CoCo, a poodle, have solved cases from New York to California. They race the clock; a scent lasts only three hours.

Hopefully, the third tracking dog wouldn’t be needed: Gizmo, a terrier mix trained to find cadavers.

“I give him [Henry] an 85 percent chance of being found,” said Washington, who had searched overnight Saturday for Henry in the neighborhoods around Mason Mill Park.

“He’s got some hound in him and the weather’s not bad – yet. In this brush, a dog will burrow down and stay warm.”

His phone rang. Henry had been spotted near Toco Hill Shopping Center. Washington took off.

Stenehjem later recalled what happened next. He, his wife and eight friends joined Washington and his tracking canines. For four hours, they combed the area around Azalea Circle.

They knew Henry would be elusive and had said so on their posters: “Call if you have him, or see him and can’t catch him – he’s very shy.”

But Henry’s odyssey ended when he passed through a gate into a fenced yard.

“Fortunately there was only one way in and out,” Stenehjem said.

Finding Henry “was indescribable,” he said. “It was like bringing home a child.”

As for Washington, it was another solved case – the result that had earned him coverage on Fox and CNN, and a pilot for Animal Planet.

“I’m glad I didn’t end up doing that,” said Washington, 54, of the TV series. “You could be out there showboating while pets are dying.”

Instead, Henry was back, and Washington was headed to his next case.

Source: http://northdruidhills.patch.com/articles/with-storm-coming-pet-detective-locates-lost-dog