Lucky, a Beagle

This man experienced something that, to my way of thinking, people who lose their dogs shouldn't have to face. The person who found the dog was unable to locate the owner, so there was a newspaper article that attempted to find him. Readers decided that the dog was dumped, and publicly chastised the person that supposedly dumped him. Talk about adding insult to injury. But in the end, man and dog were reunited, so enjoy.

The dog gone truth

Lost beagle's owner says public jumped to conclusions
Rosie Gillingham, The Telegram

Clyde Mercer has a message for people who find stray dogs - don't assume they're mistreated just because they're lost.

Lucky with Clyde

The 53-year-old Shearstown man got a taste of the public's rashness - and, from some, contempt - this week when he became the target of angry comments from people accusing him of animal neglect.

Mercer owns the beagle that was found on the highway Sunday by a Torbay woman driving to Bay Roberts.

The woman - who said she found the dog near the Foxtrap weigh scales - was frustrated she was unable to get help from animal groups in St. John's.

After the story appeared in Tuesday's Telegram, the newspaper's website was flooded with comments from people who presumed the dog had been abandoned by its owner. That upset Mercer, who said nothing could be farther from the truth.
"It's unfair all the comments I've been getting. People just jump to conclusions," he said. "This dog is more than a hunting dog to me. She's our family pet and she's well cared for, I guarantee you that."

Mercer said the four-year-old beagle escaped from her kennel Saturday when he opened the door to feed her.

"I had the two buckets in my hand and didn't get to close the door quick enough," he said. "Before I turned around, she was gone."

The kennel is eight feet by 10 feet, and is insulated and fitted with a heater during the winter.

"We take very good care of her," he said. "You can tell by looking at her, she was well cared for."

Mercer said he spent most of the night and the next morning looking for the dog. She's a hunting dog, so she probably picked up the scent of a rabbit. "That's why her paws were so beat up and scratched up," he said. "She was going all night."

As soon as he was told of his dog's whereabouts, he acted.

"A friend of mine called me and said, 'Clyde, I think I know where your dog is - in The Telegram,'" Mercer said. "I went right away to pick her up."

He had to submit pictures to the SPCA to prove it was his dog and pay the agency for the veterinarian bill, but said he's just glad to have the dog back. "She's doing really well," he said, "and rearing to go again."

The dog's name, by the way, is Lucky.


Source: http://www.thetelegram.com/index.cfm?sid=37649&sc=79