Sparkles, cocker spaniel

Woman Reunited with Lost Dog
Channel 5 News
Mar 8, 2013

McALLEN - Bekkie Acedo of McAllen thought she has lost her best friend forever. A few hours later, she was reunited with her beloved cocker spaniel.

Video available

A CHANNEL 5 NEWS viewer saw Acedo's story and contacted her.

"She said ‘I have Sparkles.' And I said, ‘how much money do you want?' And she said, ‘I don't want any money. I just want to return your dog to you,'" Acedo said of her conversation with the stranger.

Acedo drove 15 minutes from McAllen to an apartment complex in Edinburg.

"Oh my Gosh! Sparkles! Hi baby! Oh my God! Oh, hi mama! Where have you been? Oh! Thank you so much for taking care of her for me," an ecstatic Acedo said.

"She looks very well taken care of. Thank you so, so much," Acedo said fighting back tears.

Jessica Garcia said she found Sparkles while looking for a dog on Craigslist. She answered one of the ads.

"He was like, ‘if you want to take her off my hands, I would be happy if you did,'" Garcia said.

She picked up the dog three weeks ago. Garcia said the renamed the dog Lucy.

Garcia said she and her son fell in love with the cocker spaniel. Her heart sank when her mother called her to tell her about the news report.

"Lucy's on CHANNEL 5 ... they're looking for her," Garcia's mother said.

"I ran to my brother-in-law's room. I was like, ‘you need to go online. Search it.' And that's how we got the information," Garcia said.

"There are no words to describe it. She brings such joy to my life. I don't think she realizes," Acedo said.

Source: http://www.krgv.com/news/woman-reunited-with-lost-dog/

Perseus, yellow lab

Dog lost during JJ's fire reunited with owner
KSHB
March 9, 2013

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Perseus, the yellow lab that went missing shortly after the JJ's explosion Feb. 19, has been reunited with his owners.

Percy, very excited to see his human, John Verstraete, 
for the first time in 18 days

The search began around 9:30 Saturday morning when Theodore Charles, who lives near 36th Street and Garfield Avenue, spotted a dog matching Perseus's description.

"We remember seeing it on TV, and so I said, well I'd better call these people and see if this is the dog," Charles said.

Soon after Charles made that phone call, posts started to pop up on the "Bring Perseus Home" Facebook page about the sighting. Stacy Reeves, founder of PetEx Rescue and Transport, had been following the story for the past couple weeks.

"I was seeing my friends post that they were actively following Percy," Reeves said.

So Reeves and her boyfriend, Robbie Jupina, rushed to the neighborhood where "Percy" was last seen.

"We got to 36th and Wabash and that was where we saw him bolt across the street, so I went bolting after him," Jupina said.

Reeves and Jupina, along with other volunteers, helped to corner and held Perseus until his owner, Dr. John Verstraete, could be reunited with his dog.

"The second that Doctor Verstraete showed up, his whole demeanor, his body, everything changed, and he started whining in happiness," Reeves said of the dog.

After the reunion, the owners had Perseus checked out at the vet and were told he was fine, except for a couple of scrapes. The dog’s condition surprised his rescuers.

"For a dog to live through two snowstorms and to avoid being hit by any vehicles, it’s amazing," Jupina said.

Although the web played a part in tracking Perseus down, it all began with an old-fashioned phone call.

"To know that I did at least help this guy get his dog, man, it was a pretty good feeling," Charles said.

Dr. Verstraete posted on facebook Saturday night that he would give the $1,500 reward to Charles, and that “he will accept the reward whether he wants to or not. :)”

 

Source: http://www.kshb.com/dpp/lifestyle/pets/dog-lost-during-jjs-fire-reunited-with-owner

Xander, Rottweiler

Dog missing nearly three weeks reunited with owner
Misty Maynard, Ledger Independent
Posted: Wednesday, July 27, 2011 10:00 pm

Josh Ginn was reunited with his dog, Xander after 20 days thanks to a local rescue group which uses Facebook in its efforts to find homes for animals.

One social networking site has proven to be pet-friendly.

When Xander, a 1 1/2-year-old Rottweiler managed to escape from his East Second Street home earlier this month, his owners, Laurie and Josh Ginn, searched the neighborhood, inquiring of neighbors and friends whether they had seen the dog. When those efforts failed, they turned to Facebook.

Laurie Ginn said she posted on her status that her son, Josh Ginn's, dog had gone missing. The post failed to get any leads.

As the days passed, Laurie Ginn said a family member checked the Mason County Animal Shelter for Xander, but with no luck.

"I actually had kind of given up," Laurie Ginn said.

It was not the first time the dog, who Laurie Ginn described as an "escape artist" had gotten loose. One time before, the dog had managed to get out of the back yard and he was found by some children at Rotary Park. He was wearing his usual collar with identification tag at the time so they were able to contact the owner.

Laurie Ginn said an attempt to make the backyard escape-proof was made and no one thought the dog would be able to get out again. Somehow, he managed to find a hole in the fence that had eluded notice. When he got out the second time, Laurie Ginn said he was wearing a walking collar instead of his usual collar with ID tag.

Laurie Ginn sent up a prayer for the dog that had been with the family since about Christmas. Laurie Ginn said the dog was given to them by another family member who couldn't keep it and it was meant to be a temporary home for him -- until she and her son fell in love with him.

Not long after the prayer, a call came in from her nephew, the original owner of the dog, who asked if the dog was still missing and told her about a photograph he had seen on the local volunteer group, the Maysville Rescue Team's, Facebook page. The group often posts photos of dogs at the animal shelter to promote adoption.

Laurie Ginn checked the page and contacted Bridget Case, who runs the group with her husband, Ryan Case.

"I called her and she was just overjoyed," Laurie Ginn said.

Bridget Case sent photos to Laurie Ginn via text and Laurie Ginn was able to confirm the dog in the photo was Xander.

Laurie Ginn learned Xander, who had been in the shelter for beyond the typical hold placed on animals, was to be euthanized. Laurie Ginn said she thought Xander might have been kept longer than usual because he was wearing a collar when he was picked up at a location past the animal shelter.

Laurie Ginn said she went to the shelter, accompanied by MRT, and was reunited with Xander.

Laurie Ginn praised both the shelter, who kept the dog past his original euthanization date and MRT for bringing Xander home. She also gave Facebook credit for the happy ending. She said she didn't think Xander, who had been missing for about 20 days, would have come home if it had not been for Facebook.

Source: http://www.maysville-online.com/news/local/article_37c2f1b8-b893-11e0-9886-001cc4c03286.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter#ixzz1TSEXwcW5

Piper, boxer/lab mix

Part 1 of 2
A Risk I’m Willing To Take
Andy Coon, Final Cut Producer (blog)
July 26th, 2011

Monday morning I was supposed to begin a new job as an video editor/shooter. My ethos compelled me to ask for an additional week before I begin. Here is why I asked that…

The Hike

On July 6th, 2011, I drove from Greensboro to Pinnacle, NC, to hike with a friend, my dog Kisa and my neighbor’s dog Piper. It is about a 2 mile trail that is less traveled which allows me to take my dog off the lease. I’ve hiked this trial numerous amount of times and Kisa absolutely loves it. It is a time where my friend and I can air things out and leave it in the woods. Very peaceful and tranquil.

Both dogs were off their leashes and the hike was a go. We hiked to the end of the trail and both dogs were exhausted and were well behaved. We carried a bowl and a gallon of water and rewarded the dogs often. Kisa is the pack leader but always turns her head to see where we are. Piper is walking right behind us smiling along. About a quarter of a mile before we reach our car Piper trots ahead and is right besides Kisa. We came to a hill and Kisa goes left down the trail and Piper continued straight ahead into a high grassy area. I set down the bowl and poured out the water and called to both dogs…Kisa came and slurped up the water…no Piper. I continued to call for Piper and she never showed up. There was no sound of her running off, yelping in pain or barking. She just wondered off into the woods. I knew right away something was off. My friend and I searched the area for the next 8 hours. No luck.

I had to make one of the most difficult phone calls in my life…I called my neighbors during their vacation and told them that Piper went missing. They came home the very next day and headed out to the trial and instantly became part of the search. We posted flyers, called every close county’s animal control, shelters, police, park rangers, ads on Facebook, they even hired a dog tracker. Numerous amount of friends and even strangers helped in the search. We all drived in circles calling for Piper.

The first two weeks were frustrating. We live an hour away and would get calls about spotting Piper in a certain location. By the time we get up there she would be long gone and even worse, we couldn’t confirm if it was even her. That drains you emotionally…the hope then the dispair.

Last week we got a call from a sweet married couple that live across from the trail that we hiked and claimed they saw Piper in their backyard a couple of times. We went up and walked through their yard and went into the woods. We came up empty. They allowed us to camp out in their backyard in order to bring Piper home. My neighbors went up Friday night and confirmed a Piper sighting. When they called her name she scurried back into the woods. It broke their hearts that she ran from them. They camped out again Saturday night into Sunday afternoon with no Piper sighting. They have searched daily and have been immersed into the emotional roller coaster from day one. Both of them work full time and can’t afford to take the time off to hunt with no good leads during the weekday. It is now up to Piper to be seen and swayed into a caring home. She does have her collar on and has tags for contact. She is the sweetest dog, but is skittish around new people which makes it even more difficult for her to trust new people.

The Empathy

13 years ago my sweet dog, Indra, went missing. I did everything you could do at that time to get the word out. I chased leads and it would always fall short. People were so kind and wanted to help in anyway. I received call after call about a found black lab…I would be so hopeful until I showed up and it wasn’t my Indra. About 5 weeks after she was reported missing I got a phone call from a lady that claimed to have my dog. To make things short. She questioned me to make sure it was my dog…after she knew it was my Indra she then went on about how good of a dog she was and how caring she was around children. I knew, I trained her to be a peaceful dog and I showered her with love and effection. She then began questioning about the kind of dog care taker I was. I knew there was a hidden agenda but I was so excited to know she was okay I continued to answer her questions. The tears started rolling when I began to ask how I can get her back. She cried uncontrollably and then hung up the phone. I was shocked until fury entered into my blood. I called *69 and she blocked the phone. I was irate!

The next day a man called and was a little more rational. But he continued to question me about how I took care of the dog. He brought up personal things like how I was about to graduate collage and if I knew what I was going to do with my dog. I asked him kindly to meet so I can get her back. I offered a reward, even though I was a poor college student. He ended the conversation with, “We will communicate with you in a couple of days to inform you about our decision.” and hung up. I lost my shit. *69 and this time I had a phone number. I researched it and it turned out to be a public phone in McLeansville at a supermarket. I went to the police and reported a stolen dog.

Two days later I got a letter in the mail stating the reason they were keeping my dog. I will never forget the one line from the letter that is permanently imprinted in my brain. It said, “After long consultation, meditation and prayer we came to the conclusion that we will keep the dog for her best well being.” That killed me. My school work suffered, work suffered and I was dragged into a pit of depression. But I never gave up looking for those asshats. I did a live broadcast on public access, went to the newspaper and even the local news did a story but no one turned them in. I know my dog had a loving home but those people stole not just a dog but an amazing companion who I showered with love and affection and she responded in being the sweetest dog in the world. I miss my Indra and I hope Karma bites those people in the ass.

The Steakout

Back to the present…for the remaining of the week I will be camping at the spotted site of Piper until Saturday. I have a hard time sitting on my ass knowing that I can do something and not do it. I never got a response for my request to begin my new position for next week. But this is something that I have to do. I know the feeling of loss, I understand the frustration of loosing hope over and over, but I don’t know what it feels like to have a close friend loose your beloved dog. I alone, have to go to sleep at night knowing the pain that my actions have caused. But, this is not about me…it is about doing whatever I can to reunite that dog to their owners. Even if I can’t bring Piper home by Saturday I know that I did everything that I possibly could…that, I can live with.

My Actions

I hold myself accountable for my actions with everything in life. I continue to kick myself for the fact that Piper trotted off into the woods and is still not home with her owners. Looking back, would I have put her on a leash?

■If I knew she was to trot off of course I would.
■If I ever take another hike with any dog including Piper…yes, I would.
■If this experience never happened, I probably would not based on how she was right behind us the entire hike.
■If I took her off the leash and she jetted into the woods and was running around, I would’ve leashed her right up.

I’ve been unemployed for the month of July and I’m very fortunate and grateful for the position that I was offered. I do not take this offer lightly. I understand the significance it holds for me. It is a position that will allow me to continue working as a video professional. I’m so proud of the fact that I get paid to do something that I love to do. I know this is not the best way to enter into a new job. I do understand from their perspective if they go with another candidate. I just hope my actions show the kind of person that I can be for their company. Not the actions of delaying my employment but the actions of compassion for others and that I am responsible and accountable for my actions. I’ll just have to wait and see by Saturday or if I can bring Piper home earlier. Wish me luck.

Source: http://fcproducer.com/2011/07/a-risk-im-willing-to-take/

Part 2 / Conclusion
Bringing Piper Home
Andy Coon, Final Cut Producer (blog)

July 26th, 2011

Today is the happiest day for all the right reasons. I found Piper…let me correct that Kisa, my dog sniffed her out and drew her out of the woods. Kisa is my hero. We were walking a grassy path when she just stopped dead in her tracks and looked into the dense wooded area to the left of us and in the shadows a tail wagged happily to see her buddy. I let Kisa go into the woods and Piper greeted her with doggie kisses across the face. I began to approach her and Piper began to inch away from me. I stopped and began to squat. She then came back to Kisa. I realized that Kisa would have to lead her back to the car.

I pulled Kisa out of the wooded area slowly and Piper followed, but was still skittish of me so I used a soft inviting voice like that of Herbert or Delilah. She responded but was still hesitant. So we began walking back to the car and Piper was following us. The car was about a 1000 feet away and my heart was racing. I didn’t want to jump on her in case I missed and freaked her out even more. But at the same time I didn’t want to loose her either. We picked up the pace and began to jog back to the car and she was right there with us. We approached the car, I opened the rear door and she backed up and ran back into the woods. Oh shit! went through my head. My adrenalin fell back down and I had to think what’s next. I grabbed an extra leash, some doggie treats and Kisa and I were back on the trail.

We went through all the brush and entered the woods again and no Piper. I realized that we didn’t scare her…it was the car. So I grabbed a chair and a bowl with water and we sat in front of the opening of the woods where she scurried off to. I poured the water, Kisa began drinking it up and within 15 seconds of us sitting down we both heard the tags rattling in the distance. I looked in the woods and there was no movement. Kisa turned around and Piper was behind us in the large field wagging her tail. I let Kisa go to her and I got down and slowly crawled to them and stuck out my hand. Piper came over and licked my hand and allowed me to grab her collar and I clicked the leash on her. My heart raced and an overwhelming feeling of joy came over me. I knew Piper was going to be home with her family.

We approached the car and she did not want to get in that car. She began pulling away and it looked like she was about to get out of her collar. I stopped pulling and sat down. Kisa plopped down, she was exhausted. Piper sat and we had some bonding to do before we could get in the car. After a few more licks and petting on the head and words of encouragement, I asked Piper if she was ready. Kisa knew exactly what those words mean and it seemed Piper did too. She got up walked over to the car and hopped in the back seat. Kisa followed. I jumped in the car and rolled up the windows and fired up the car and hit the air. I ran around the yard picking up all the supplies and jumped in the car and headed back to Greensboro.

That one hour drive back to Greensboro was…the best feeling in the world. The weight of the world was off my shoulders and my beautiful neighbors will have their family together again. I looked in the rear view mirror and saw the exhausted face of Kisa…that was the most beautiful face in the world at that moment. There is no possible way that I would’ve stumbled across Piper without her. Kisa is not the friendliest dog to most dogs but her and Piper have an amazing bond. A bond that was put back together almost three weeks after Piper went missing.

There were so many people that helped, shared enthusiasm, put up flyers, gave suggestions and kept Piper in their prayers. The family whose yard Piper was attracted to, I do believe a higher power kept her safe and to stay put. To all who exhausted themselves thank you so much and know that your help was instrumental in bringing Piper home.

Ready to go start my new job…if they will have me.

Source: http://fcproducer.com/2011/07/bringing-piper-home/

Astro, shepherd mix

Tail-wagging ending:
Lebanon dog reunited with family in Blount County
By Joel Davis, The Daily Times
July 25, 2011

"Astro,” a 13-year-old shepherd-mix dog, has been reunited with his family from Lebanon after being found more than 150 miles away in Blount County.

Astro, a 13-year-old shepherd mix, relaxes on Billy Minser’s porch at his home in Maryville. Minser found the dog on his property back on July 8. Turns out that Astro was missing from Lebanon and has now been reunited with his family.

Back on July 8, Maryville resident Billy Minser had an unexpected guest at his home — located out in the country on Gribble Road — a black dog who was later dubbed “Wolf.”

Minser took the dog to the Blount County Animal Center but made it clear to the volunteers that he would foster the dog until there was more room or a home was found for him.

According to volunteer Emily Straquadine, finding an adopter for a 13-year-old dog is no easy task, so, a few days later, when the center reached holding capacity, Minser took the dog back home where it stayed for a few weeks.

On Saturday, Darlene Bakos, another animal center volunteer, received an email about a missing dog named Astro. The photo caught Bakos’ eye because Astro looked a whole lot like Wolf. She alerted the Vescera family, Astro’s owners, and they arrived at Minser’s farm on Sunday for a happy reunion.

“I’m just very grateful for the network of animal rescues in Tennessee that put the word out and worked together to look for Astro,” said Maureen Vescera, one of Astro’s owners. “It’s just amazing how they all worked together for the benefit of getting one dog back to his home.”

Astro had disappeared from his dog sitter’s home around June 30 while the Vesceras were on vacation. Staff at a Lebanon gas station reported that a lady with a white horse trailer had picked the dog up. A week later, he arrived at Minser’s home. “I was a bit shocked to see he was that far away,” Maureen Vescera said.

Vescera heaped praised on Minser. “(Astro) certainly picked the right foster-dad. Billy was amazing with him. It was like Astro was a summer camp the whole time. Here I was worried, and Astro .... was with someone who was very loving to him. ... He’s a wonderful man. He took Astro in like his own. I told Billy if we go to vacation again, we’ll drop Astro off with him.”

This wasn’t Astro’s first brush with an animal shelter. The Vesceras first met the dog, then less than a year old, at the home of a woman who had rescued him from being euthanized at another shelter.

“My husband said, when we were leaving, ‘That’s the dog.’ I said ‘What dog?’ He said ‘The shepherd mix we looked at. He’s our dog.’ We adopted him. From the moment we adopted him, he was just the perfect pet.”

Source: http://www.thedailytimes.com/Local_News/story/Tail-wagging-ending%3A-Lebanon-dog-reunited-with-family-in-Blount-County-id-013946

Lucy In South Carolina

Lost dog after 3 weeks reunited
Nancy White, shared on MyPetSpace
June 9, 2009

Hi All, I have a very warm & fuzzy story to share. It is also in my local paper {the Herald Independent in Winnsboro, SC 29180}

Three weeks ago there was a lady and her husband traveling, and they stopped at exit 48 on I-77 only to realize their dog was not in her kennel in the back of the truck bed. Not sure where they lost her, they looked for her at the exit 48, and nothing. Both very upset, they had to continue on their trip to a bible concert.

Well, not 20 minutes after they left, a Fairfield County sheriff officer found this sweet & lovable dog. Instead of bringing her to our local "kill" shelter, they brought this dog to my grooming & boarding shop in Winnsboro about 1/2 hour away from where she was found.

I said sure, I would take her in and try to find her owners with fliers, ads etc . Well, I posted mostly in OH as I was told that is where her family was traveling from.... I put it on the Pet FBI list and Craigslist in OH; she was broadcasted on OH radio station and still nothing. I posted her on Lost & Found and Pets on Craigslist in OH, Charlotte and in Columbia, SC. I put up fliers where she was found and nothing............

Three weeks later, I said, “OK girl, I tried, and now let’s find you a new home.” So I posted on Craigslist "Where R U" and "Lost dog in need of new family". I did this on a Friday and I got so many replies... I answered all of them, and a lady came into my shop and she said "Nancy, I would like a larger older dog, do you have one?" I replied "Yes" and she then said, “Well, could you hold her for me until Monday?” I said yes.

Well, Monday came and I never saw nor heard from this lady. I wrote everyone back who wanted her, to tell them I had a lady coming for her on Monday but that she was a no show....

But there was a reason GOD sent this lady into my shop, and "Lucy" was going to be reunited with her family again!

Yep, I placed one more ad and this time I wrote "Are you out there?" and put it on Craigslist again in Charlotte and Columbia, under Lost & Found and also under Pets..... Not 20 minutes later I received an email from a man saying......."My daughter-in-law & son lost their dog, and she looks just like this girl. Please hold her until I call them to confirm." I wrote back as fast as I could with excitement and tears of joy... OK

Well, the phone rang and it was "Lucy's" mom ... now she even had a name. Wow, I thought, GOD sent that older lady into my shop to hold onto Lucy because I was going to find her owners and SOON!

They drove up no sooner then we hung up and three hours later saw Lucy again for the first time in almost one month.

They have since called to tell me she is going to Tennessee to see her dad. He travels with his job and this was his dog ... He called me and said he cried as he looked at her picture every night on his cell phone.

And NO she was not microchipped....... that was the first thing I checked... so please get your dogs chipped!

It was a great story, and to this day I cannot believe I got her back to her family.... how cool was that!

I had fliers up at the Wilco gas station and they had fliers up at the Shell station........... right across the street on exit 48.

Nancy White
Pet Shack Of Northside

Source: http://www.mydogspace.com/forums/10-media/topics/1734-lost-dog-after-3-weeks-reunited

Tucker, German wire-haired pointer

Owner reunites with lost dog
Bill Grimes, Effingham (IL) Daily News
January 19, 2011

GREENUP — Stew Rowles wasn’t sure if he’d ever see his dog again.

Stew Rowles, left, reunites with Tucker, a German wire-haired pointer, in Greenup recently. Kathy and Bob Sponsel of rural Greenup found Tucker had taken refuge in their garage.

Rowles, a Washington, DC, resident who grew up in Sullivan, had lost Tucker — a German wire-haired pointer — while pheasant hunting near Martinsville two days before Christmas.

The retired US Bureau of Prisons employee extended his holiday visit for more than a week in a vain search for the 2-year-old pooch.

“We did everything we could think of,” Rowles said. “We put up signs, offered a reward and called radio stations.

“We also put out food in various locations, as well as clothing that he would associate with us. But none of that worked.”

What did work was Tucker’s apparent instinct for survival that led him to the garage of a rural Greenup couple.

“We saw him Wednesday (Jan. 12),” said Bob Sponsel, who lives with wife Kathy about two miles east of Greenup on the York road. “He had moved into our garage. By Friday, he’d gotten close enough for Kathy to pet him and look at his tags. Once we called him by name, he was a different dog.”

The tags included a number to call in case Tucker was lost, which he most assuredly was. The Sponsels called that number and the company contacted Rowles, who didn’t waste much time making the 12-hour drive from Washington, D.C., to be reunited with a haggard-looking Tucker.

“January 14 is a day I’m going to always remember,” Rowles said. “He’d lost a huge amount of weight and he had some cuts and cockleburrs. But right now, he doesn’t seem to have any ill effects from being out in the woods.”

Rowles said he and wife Alexandra are glad to have Tucker back home.

“We have three other dogs, but they’re all elderly,” he said. “We got Tucker because we figured our other dogs would not be with us much longer.

“He’s my wife’s favorite dog,” Rowles added. “She was pretty torn up about the whole thing, but she was sure glad to see him.”

Rowles said he was grateful Tucker found a dog-friendly home. The Sponsels’ black lab has been in the house this winter because she is expecting puppies soon.

“He picked a great couple,” Rowles said. “They kept food out for him all the time, and they had a nice place for him to stay out of the weather.”

Sponsel said the reunion was a joyous one.

“It was a real heart-jerker when the dog saw his owner,” he said. “It was an awesome scene.”

The Sponsels declined the $1,000 reward.

“We’re dog people, and besides, Tucker found us.”

Source: http://effinghamdailynews.com/local/x233964678/Owner-reunites-with-lost-dog
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Bear, golden

Lost dog, owner reunited after drama
Golden retriever goes home after legal adoption by another family
By Salatheia Bryant, Houston Chronicle
Sept. 16, 2006, 12:53AM

Christina Porreca plays with her golden retriever Bear, who she says got lost and was adopted by a family before Porreca was able to find her.

A day after the day she thought would never come, Christina Porreca was as ecstatic as a new mother.

Her beloved Bear was back home with the rest of her four-legged "babies" after weeks of negotiations with a breed rescue group to win the dog's return from the family who legally adopted her.

The reunion came Thursday night, an hour after the scheduled meeting time — but not before she handed over a $250 check, money borrowed on her mother's credit card — to cover the expense of caring for Bear.

"It's good to be a happy, happy family again," Porreca said Friday. "Now, she's going to be spoiled rotten."

Porreca's six-week lost-dog drama started July 28, when Bear escaped from her son's yard after a child left the gate open. Porreca searched local public and private shelters. It wasn't until she logged on to the Golden Retriever Rescue of Houston's Web site three weeks later that she discovered Bear had been adopted. The new family was calling her Ella.

Patti Page, president of the group, said that while Porreca may be happy, Bear's return leaves another family who had bonded with the dog unhappy.

Page said it took time to investigate Porreca's claim that "Ella Bear," as she refers to her, belonged to her.

Page noted there were things Porreca could have done, such as having an identifying microchip embedded under Bear's skin and putting up "lost dog" posters in the neighborhood, that could have speeded the dog's return.

"What would have been best if she would have found her before she was adopted," said Page said. "The adopter adopted Ella in good faith. Legally, it was her dog. She wanted to do what was best."

Porreca said she will get Bear microchipped. She also plans to take more pictures of Bear.

"I felt like it should have been (over) sooner," Porreca said. "But if this was the ordeal I had to go through to get her back then I'll do it."

Source: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/metro/4190984.html

Katie, sheltie

Lost dog found after 25 days at Lake Crescent
By Leah Leach, Peninsula Daily News
November 21. 2010 2:01AM

LAKE CRESCENT -- Katie, a sheltie who was lost for more than three weeks, is now home safe.


Katie, a Shetland sheepdog who was lost for more than three weeks, is home again with John and Donna Fabian. The Fabians live in the Port Ludlow-Shine area near Hood Canal.

She was brought home Friday "after 25 days in the wilderness," thin, but apparently healthy, said John Fabian, 71.

"I'm kind of an old fellow, and I've been down through a lot in my life, but it brought me to tears."

Fabian is a former NASA space shuttle astronaut and a founder of the Hood Canal Coalition, an environmental group that opposes industrialization of Hood Canal.

He and his wife, Donna, live in the Port Ludlow-Shine area near the Canal.

Mrs. Fabian spent a sleepless night in a cold car before she saw the Shetland sheepdog and coaxed it to her as she knelt on a trail near the Olympic Park Institute on Lake Crescent on Thursday afternoon.

"She's our Thanksgiving miracle," she said.

Two get reward

The reunion resulted in a Thanksgiving gift for two other people as well.

They had spotted the dog and notified the Fabians, who had offered a $1,000 reward for Katie's return.

Fabian contributed $250 to the Association of National Park Rangers in the name of Mark O'Neill, an Olympic National Park ranger, and wrote a second check for $750 to Maggie Van Catfort of the Olympic Park Institute.

O'Neill reported last week the first sighting of the 4-year-old dog since she had run off from the Fabians during a visit to the lake Oct. 24.

The Fabians, who had owned her for only three months, and the dog's breeder, Cindy Wilson of Bremerton, searched for her the first week and nailed up posters near the Lake Crescent Lodge, which is about 20 miles west of Port Angeles.

After a story in the Peninsula Daily News, the Fabians received calls of commiseration from other dog lovers -- but no one reported seeing the 4-year-old sheltie.

"We decided it was fruitless until we had a sighting," Fabian said. "We didn't know where to search."

That changed Wednesday with the call from O'Neill, who had spotted the dog on the road between the entrance to the lodging area and the lodge itself.

"He followed her slowly in the car as she traveled down the road, then lost track of her," Fabian said.

Mrs. Fabian and Wilson raced up to the lake, picking up a live animal trap from the Olympic Peninsula Humane Society on the way, and spent the night in their cars outside Lake Crescent Lodge, which is closed for the season.

Snow on ground

When they awakened, snow lay on the ground.

"We hardly slept at all, it was so cold," Mrs. Fabian said.

And they hadn't thought to bring breakfast.

"We made sure we had dog food, but we didn't have food for ourselves," she said.

They snacked on some Kashi bars Mrs. Fabian found in her glove compartment, set up the trap with the help of some workmen -- and continued to search.

"We felt we had to get her that day or the next because . . . it was so cold," she said.

At about 4 p.m., a call came in on Wilson's cell phone.

Spotted on beach

Van Catfort had spotted a sheltie on the beach near the Olympic Park Institute and had called numbers she found on posters -- first the Fabians' home, then Wilson's cell.

"We were yards away from her when she called," Mrs. Fabian said.

"Cindy said, 'We are right here. We will be there in seconds."

When Mrs. Fabian saw Katie, she dropped to her knees and pulled out food, speaking softly to the dog.

"She walked back and forth, very nervous, and finally took the food. I grabbed her collar," she said.

Fabian had delivered supplies to the two women, updated the posters and returned to the Port Townsend area to get another trap from the Jefferson County Humane Society.

"While I was getting the trap, my wife called and said, 'We have the dog.'"

O'Neill and Van Catfort recognized the dog because of the posters the Fabians had put up -- and because of the PDN.

"We had been up there and everybody we had talked to said, is this the dog that was in the paper?

"The PDN did an amazing amount of good," Fabian said.

Mrs. Fabian and Wilson stayed overnight at Indian Valley Motel, part of the complex that includes Granny's Cafe, which allowed the dogs to stay with them.

They brought Katie home about a half-hour before the Fabians were interviewed.

"She's excited to be here. . . . She's very thin. She's extraordinarily hungry," Fabian said.

Wilson, who Fabian described as "an amazing dog lady," had owned Katie for three years before the Fabians adopted her, and had dog-sat Katie while the Fabians were out of the country for three weeks.

"This was like a loss for her family, too," Fabian said.

Katie, who the Fabians figure lived on bear droppings and other unsavory fare, was to be taken to the vet for a check-up.

And the couple now has "increased security awareness," as Fabian put it.

"We're going to be awfully careful about not allowing her to bolt away. . . . She's going to have to learn how to go out and poop on a leash."

Source: http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20101121/NEWS/311219985/lost-dog-found-after-25-days-at-lake-crescent

Millie, Australian shepherd

Dog trapped for 3 weeks reunited with owner
Pat Reavy, Deseret News
Monday, Dec. 7, 2009

COTTONWOOD HEIGHTS — Family members say it was a remarkable reunion Sunday when their dog — who police believe survived being trapped in a storm drain for three weeks — was discovered and rescued.

Sue Garr holds her dog, Millie, who went missing for three weeks and was found in a storm drain on Sunday.

When Susan Garr got home from work on Nov. 13 she discovered her dog was missing from the backyard.

Millie, a 2-year-old Australian shepherd, had a bad habit of jumping over their 6-foot fence, Garr said. She thought Millie had gotten out and likely was picked up by officers from Animal Control, which wouldn't be open until Monday.

"I assumed she was in doggie jail," Garr said.

But on that Monday, Garr learned none of the local animal shelters had picked up her dog. She called the Cottonwood Heights Animal Control officer assigned to her case constantly, doing everything she could to find her dog.  Three weeks went by, however, and there was no sign of Millie.

"We thought she was going to be dead," Garr said.

That changed, however, when a 15-year-old was walking home from the store near 2600 East and Ft. Union Blvd. The girl heard the dog barking and called 911.

Police and fire crews opened up the drain and the dog jumped out. Right away, animal control officers knew it was Millie.

"We really do think she had been down there three and a half weeks," Garr said. "She was dirty and very, very happy to see us. She's a tough little girl."

The Garrs live near 3000 East and 7200 South. Neither they nor police were exactly sure Monday how Millie got into the storm drain.

Millie had lost 13 pounds but is otherwise OK. Garr believes she was able to survive by drinking water in the storm drain and eating a diet of garbage and mice. Because she was six feet underground in the pipes, Millie was protected from the recent winter weather and cold temperatures.

Monday, Garr said Millie was home and "smells good again."

Garr and her husband called the young girl who found Millie and thanked her. They also noted that Millie would now be kept indoors when they weren't at home.

Source: http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705349898/Trapped-dog-reunited-with-owner.html

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Mattie, an Italian Greyhound

Microchipping your Italian Greyhound

Is it important? Find out by reading this story!
A very happy reunion with her pet owners

Covered in fleas and skinny as a rail, she survived 22 days in scorching record breaking heat.


Mattie, happy to be back home and in her bed

Those of us who breed purebred dogs often complain about the myriad of expenses that accompany an ethical, caring, first class breeding program. We often wonder why we do what we do...and why we spend so much of our hard earned money on health testing and other preventive measures. Sometimes an answer is not received until much later.

For example...when Microchipping first became available I was totally against it and thought that it wasn't worth the money. Worse yet I felt the possible negative health-related side effects that the implantation might cause were not yet known. The procedure was in its infancy and I wasn't willing to risk my dogs' health on something so new. But as the years rolled by and the evidence began to accumulate in support of Microchipping ... I began to change my mind. It soon became evident there were no serious health risks and the benefits numerable. I knew that the facts couldn't be ignored. Microchipping saved lives and reunited families with their beloved pets.

Covered in fleas and skinny as a rail, she survived 22 days in scorching record breaking heat.

Over two years ago I started microchipping all my puppies and adults. The security of knowing that should the unthinkable occur...my pups would be recoverable made the lure of microchipping impossible to resist. My years of experience made it crystal clear that almost any dog could suffer the consequences of getting lost, stolen or escaping even from the most secure setting. There are no guarantees that it won’t happen. If it could happen to me, the breeder who is careful about rearing good temperaments and finding terrific homes, it could happen to anyone. In addition most of those who had purchased pets from me in the past were encouraged to microchip as well.

More than 3 million pets are registered with HomeAgain Microchipping. According to the HomeAgain website, more than 308,647 pets have been returned because of their chipping system. And if we count my own relative recent experience...that number can now be increased to 308,648 recovered because of a microchip.

About a year ago a little dog I had bred was returned to me when her former owners found out that their newborn son was allergic to dogs. Mattie was one of those "before microchipping dogs". Mattie's new perfect forever home was soon found ...but before she left I made sure that she was microchipped. Her owners made sure to register her microchip with HomeAgain. How little did I know how fateful that simple procedure would become and how important was that her owners registered the chip. Her new owners were all that any breeder could hope for in a loving, canine committed home. The shared love between Mattie and her new owners was obvious and extremely touching.

A year later, Mattie's owners went on vacation. Being responsible they left Mattie in the care of her co-breeder. The unthinkable happened. A door accidentally popped open and out flew Mattie in a panic. She ran up the driveway and disappeared with her tail shaking in the breeze. For those of you who know the lightning speed of an Italian Greyhound...believe me this happened in a blink of an eye. And she would pick the WORST possible time of the year to go missing - just before the Fourth of July with all the booming firecrackers and canine nerve-wracking fireworks. With each boom of a firecracker and sonic blast of a bottle rocket my heart would dip and my stomach would hit bottom. Somewhere in all the noise and confusion of a long holiday week...she was lost, alone, scared and nervous. She was a little 10 pound dog caught in the confusion of a celebrating nation.

Both her co-breeder and I plus her owners were heartsick. Missing dog signs soon went up. There was door to door canvassing and many people spent literally hundreds of hours searching neighborhoods - and miles and miles of woods. Everything came to nothing. There was no sign of Mattie. As time went by hopes began to plummet and the thought that we'd find her even dead ...were dwindling. At 22 days missing just about all positive thoughts had died. How could such a small, delicate little dog survive? The heat index during this time reached well above 100 degrees with no rain to give relief to the heat. All that was left was one thin ray of hope fastened on the microchip implanted over a year ago.

So it's not a surprise that I had to pinch myself this morning to make sure I wasn't dreaming. When the phone rang I almost didn't answer. I was tired after a long stretch in the working world...and this was my first day off. But I picked up the phone and the excited voice of Jenny saying, "She's been found!" almost didn't register. "Mattie is at the Animal Clinic!! SHE'S BEEN FOUND." I sat up. This just couldn't be real!!!! I flew out to the car and down to the vet clinic to see with my own eyes that she was really there. And THERE SHE WAS ALIVE... and not at death's door! The will of a little Italian Greyhound to survive is incredible. Her co-breeder later made the cute comment of: “She voted everyone else off the island. She’s the survivor!” I cried my eyes out when they brought her out for me to hold her.

The vet clinic was kind enough to fill in some of the blanks of where and what she had been up to. She was almost 5 miles from her point of escape and in an area where none of us had thought to look. She had crossed a very busy highway, gone through miles and miles of woods and several subdivisions before selecting a place where she thought she'd be safe. It was near a home with cats that had a little "doggie door" for the cats. She had been there for a few days before becoming brave enough to enter their home through the doggie door and had allow herself to be picked up. Those kind people then immediately brought Mattie to the animal clinic where she was scanned and her owners called. I was so thrilled to be there for the tearful reunion. Jenny, her owner couldn't believe that one little microchip had literally saved her baby's life and brought her home.

Mattie was covered in fleas. The pads of her feet were worn thin and blistered. She had a couple of sores but other than that... for a dog missing 22 days, she was in remarkably good health. Mattie should recover fully with no outward signs of her ordeal. Only time will tell the toll this experience had on her emotionally. The will to survive of a little Italian Greyhound never ceases to amaze me. I'm just glad she was intelligent enough to find a home compassionate and responsible enough to take her to a vet clinic; that she found the courage to enter their home in the first place and that the vet clinic scanned for a microchip.

For those of you who are breeders and are not microchipping, please learn the lesson of this experience. This procedure is so important that it should not be left to possibly procrastinating owners to implement. Please make sure that the procedure is completed on every dog of your breeding BEFORE the dog is placed with a permanent owner. PLEASE, PLEASE MICROCHIP! For loving pet owners, please take the time to have your pet microchipped if it hasn't been done already. It may become too late for those who just kept putting it off. Register your chips if you have not already done so. . It may be the best money you will ever spend. The costs really are minimal when one considers the safe return of a priceless pet.

THANK YOU HomeAgain Microchipping!!! And THANK YOU to the wonderful people who convinced me the value of a little chip the size of a grain of rice!

Happy endings aren't just in fairy tales.

Source: http://www.italian-greyhound.net/microchip.htm

Mimi, a Brussels Griffon

Naples dog owner aided by Marco resident in return of pet
By Leslie Williams marconews.com
Monday, July 30, 2007

Jeane Hilt got Mimi, her beloved Brussels griffon, back more than three weeks after she was picked up.

Marco Island, Florida  After the ordeal that separated Jeane Hilt from her dog Mimi for three weeks, Hilt says she feels nothing but gratitude.

Mimi has finally made it home after being picked up July 1 by an out-of-town woman who mistook the dog as neglected, even though she had a tag with her owner’s information.

According to the man who arranged Mimi’s return, the woman was one of several people who helped save Mimi as she wandered from the home of a friend up Barfield Drive. “There were six people that stopped traffic on the Barfield Bridge,” Hilt said. “They saved her life.”

Hilt said Mimi apparently made her way through a field first, probably picking up dirt and brambles in her wiry coat.

“She looked like a scavenger,” Hilt said. “I’m not surprised someone thought she wasn’t being cared for.”

Hilt declined to give more details about the woman’s reasoning for picking Mimi up, saying that she is simply grateful to have her dog back.

She credits a story that appeared in the Eagle July 18 for effecting Mimi’s return.

The woman who was holding Mimi, apparently a Fort Lauderdale resident, read the story and contacted the man who originally called Hilt about the dog’s rescue. He acted as the middleman in the return.


Source: Marco News
http://www.marconews.com/news/2007/jul/30/marco_resident_aids_dog_owner_return_pet/
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