Rocky

Dog Lost After Brush Fire Destroys Home Reunited With SoCal Family
by Tracy Bloom
05/18/14

A Carlsbad family returned to their burned down home and found their dog, who they thought was lost, alive on May 14, 2014.

A family that lost everything when one of the raging brush fires in San Diego County destroyed their home this week received a welcome surprise when they were reunited with the dog they thought had perished in the flames.

Sophie Payne’s Carlsbad home was evacuated when the Poinsettia Fire ripped through the area on Wednesday, KTLA 5 sister station Fox 5 News in San Diego reported.

“It was my dream house,” Sophie Payne told the station.

The family ended up separated from their dog, Rocky, who was inside the house at the time, according to the station.

When the family was allowed to return to the property, they discovered their home had burned to the ground. However, they received one happy surprise – their beloved pet, who appeared to be fine other than some burns on his back.

The reunion was captured by Fox 5 news cameras.

“Rocky!” Payne said, clapping her hands as a man brought the dog over to her.

The dog was also clearly happy to see his family again, as evidenced by the frantic wagging of his tail.

“It’s all materials we can eventually get again, but as far as our family and pets, you can’t just come up with another Rocky or family,” Anya Bannash, Payne’s daughter, told Fox5

Source: http://ktla.com/2014/05/18/family-that-lost-home-in-san-diego-brush-fire-reunited-with-dog

Zoe or Sky

Sky's Story
Jim Branson
May 17, 2014

Useless Bay Sanctuary received a call about this dog running around Cypress Lawn Cemetery in Everett.

Residents of a nearby community saw her every day and wanted her to be safe.  She had been roaming the cemetery at least two months, and possibly as long as four months.  Several people were feeding her, but she wouldn't let anyone touch her.  I saw her for the first time on May 10th, 2014, and lured her within 3 feet using teriyaki chicken.   I named her Sky because of the beautiful sky above us as we got to know each other.  

On May 13th, I spent seven hours with Sky.  She barked at me at first, but soon remembered I was the one with teriyaki chicken.  I brought her hotdogs and cheeseburgers.  I would run away from her, and she had fun chasing me all over the cemetery.  I would run and then fall down, and she would run up to me, playfully.

After five hours of gaining her trust, she finally let me pet her.  Then she wanted to be petted all over.  She fell asleep against my legs for about twenty minutes.  I put a leash on her and was able to walk her around.

When we approached my open car, she would turn to stone.  I tried to ease her over that way, but I could see I was undoing the relationship I had built with her.  It killed me to do it, but I took the leash off and let her go back into the woods, knowing I would go back again, and build up to getting into the car at some point.

I visited Sky again on the 14th.  She was happy to see me and forgave me for putting the leash on her previously.  It finally occurred to me to bring the scanner to her.  She didn't mind at all when I scanned her for a chip, and a number popped up right away.  We called the microchip company, and the chip was registered to a shelter in Hawaii.  We left Sky in the cemetery one more night.

On the 15th, we contacted Sky's former owner.  He had been overseas, and left Sky with someone he trusted.  That person gave Sky away to another owner (without his consent).  He had had her since she was a puppy and named her Zoe.  He agreed to come to the cemetery.  I warned him Zoe might not respond as if she recognized him.

When he arrived at the cemetery, he called to Zoe and she stayed away from him.  I was able to coach him on Calming Signals, and after a couple of hours, Zoe let him pet her.  It took still more patient coaxing to get her in a car, but she didn't fight it.

Zoe is now in a foster home.  Her owner can't keep her because he lives in an apartment where dogs aren't allowed.  We will get her checked out at the vet, and she will be available for adoption.

Watch Sky's video, and see the transformation from frightened stray to happy pet:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3P81qA3FAaI&feature=youtu.be

Source: http://www.uselessbaysanctuary.org/sky-at-cypress-lawn.html

Max, cattle dog

Los Angeles Man Reunited With Stolen Dog on His Birthday
by Rick Chambers, KTLA
05/05/14

A man’s birthday wish came true Sunday morning when he was reunited with his stolen dog in the Mid-Wilshire area.

Scott Katz attended a jazz concert Friday night when his vehicle was stolen; his dog Max was inside.

After putting up numerous flyers offering a $500 reward and posting about his loss on social media, strangers found the car and Max in a parking lot near a pet adoption expo on Sunday.

“They said, ‘I think your car’s here and dog’s here, he looks fine,’” Katz said. “Today’s my birthday, so it just worked out perfectly.”

Max was found near the location he had first been stolen and appeared to be unharmed.

Katz suspected that his efforts to publicize the crime may have led to the dog’s safe return.

“Maybe the pressure of everyone knowing about it,” Katz said. “It’s pretty amazing, he’s doing fine.”

Source: http://ktla.com/2014/05/05/stolen-dog-reunited-with-owner/#axzz30q4lDNUg

Reckless, terrier pit mix

Dog lost after Sandy, found year and a half later at SPCA
May 3, 2014

EATONTOWN — Chuck and Elicia James were all smiles Friday afternoon as they walked their dog on a leash, preparing for a warm weekend of camping.

That’s because walking their dog was something they haven’t done for over a year and a half, ever since they thought they lost Reckless, their friendly brown and white terrier-pit bull mix, who was missing since superstorm Sandy.

But on Thursday, they received an unexpected surprise when they went to the Monmouth County SPCA to adopt a new dog; they found their old friend.

“Literally when we opened the double doors, the first cage we walk up to I thought ‘that looks like Reckless,’ ” Chuck James said. “He was a little heavier and it’s been a little while, but then my wife saw the scar on his head and immediately we start tearing up and we found our dog.”

The James family — Chuck and Elicia and their children, Alexandra, Kelsey and Liam — were living in Keansburg when superstorm Sandy damaged their home during the night of Oct. 29-30, 2012. Chuck James said the fence in the yard was mangled during the storm and the dog got out.

“We had a collar on the dog, but it got caught on the fence and came off before he got out,” James said.

The family searched for months for Reckless, but eventually gave up when no sign of Reckless was found.

“We chalked it up to that someone probably found it, or it was dead,” Chuck James said. “You keep searching, but eventually you have to move on.”

Seeking a new dog

A couple of weeks ago, Alexandra James turned 10, and the family decided it was time to get a new dog. On Thursday, they headed to the Monmouth Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals shelter in Eatontown and met with an adoption specialist to look at different dogs.

Once they were inside, they recognized Reckless and showed the adoption specialist pictures of the family with the dog to prove it really was their dog. In the end, they were able to take Reckless back home

“We were all ecstatic, and he made it clear that he was home and we were home,” Chuck James said.

“I’m just glad that he’s home,” Elicia James said. “The kids are happy, and this whole thing has been an amazing experience.”

The family ended up paying a $180 adoption fee, which Chuck James had no problem paying.

“They took care of the dog, microchipped him, he saw a vet regularly, and (they) sheltered him,” James said. “It was like bailing my dog out of jail.”

Since this winter, the family has been staying at the Staybridge Suites in Eatontown, as their rented Keansburg home is going to get some repairs from Sandy damage. But the hotel will allow them to keep Reckless.

Liz Wise, development and marketing director at the Monmouth County SPCA, said something like this happening is very rare.

“It’s not very often we’re able to reunite them with their owners in the way that this happened. It does happened sometimes, but this was a very rare story,” Wise said. “It also shows the importance of microchipping your pets because had he been microchipped, we would’ve been able to reunite him with his family sooner.”

Wise said the dog was found as a stray in October 2013 by the Monmouth County SPCA. She said they assumed someone had taken him in for a period of time before he got loose again.

“It’s a wonderful story and a very happy ending for the family,” Wise said. “It’s something that really warmed our hearts and when we put it on Facebook for our followers, and we had no idea so many people would feel the same way.”

Source: http://www.app.com/article/20140502/NJNEWS0301/305020067/Sandy-lost-dog?nclick_check=1