Tia, shepherd

An unbelievable reunion for lost service dog who was nearly killed in a shelter
By: Penny Eims
August 9, 2012

A service dog named Tia was nearly killed in a California animal control facility last week.

Her story is amazing, miraculous - almost unbelievable in fact. Readers of this column unwittingly followed portions of her story - as did I, the author of the stories.

Tia, before she went missing

Back to the beginning...

Eight months ago, Tia disappeared from her home in Prince Edward County, Va. The dog, who served as a service dog to her disabled veteran owner, Karren Cooper, had bounded into the woods and disappeared.

The initial story about Tia's disappearance, found below, dates back to January 5, 2012.

Fast forward to a story which I published on August 2 - just seven days ago.

In that story, an alert had been issued for a young, German shepherd housed in a Southern Los Angeles animal control facility; the dog had just 3 days to live.

Unbeknownst to me, this dog was in fact, Tia, the missing service dog from Virginia.

According to ABC 6 News, Tia was rescued by a Missouri dog trainer who somehow connected the dots after finding a post on Facebook. That trainer contacted Cooper, who was able to finally, after eight months, be reunited with her missing dog.

Cooper speculates that her dog was stolen.

What a journey this dog has had.

Sadly, Tia was never microchipped; had she been, it is highly unlikely that she would have been at risk of death at the California animal control facility.

An incredible reunion - a miracle save.

Source: http://www.examiner.com/article/an-unbelievable-reunion-for-lost-service-dog-who-was-nearly-killed-a-shelter

Original story at http://www.examiner.com/article/veteran-s-service-dog-missing

Veteran's service dog missing
By: Penny Eims
January 5, 2012

Prince Edward County, VA - Tia is a 4 yr-old German shepherd who functions as a service dog for a disabled veteran named Karren Cooper.

Tia is a friend, companion and lifeline for Cooper who suffered a disabling brain injury during Desert Storm.

But right now Tia is missing and Cooper is beside herself with worry.

On New Years Eve, Tia disappeared after bolting into dense woods off of Meherrin Road.

Since that time, Cooper has been scouring the woods with the help of local hunters - calling for the missing dog to no avail.

Earlier today, a possible sighting was reported in the Quail Reed subdivision in Cumberland County.

A woman spotted a dog who looked like Tia, but that dog bolted away.

Cooper spent the afteroon in the area, once again, walking and calling out for her dog.

Cooper thinks that someone may have picked Tia up and dropped her in Cumberland County after seeing a local news story about the missing dog.

When Tia disappeared, she was wearing an orange collar and tags (which may have fallen off during her travels). At the time, her owner's phone number was written on the collar in permanent ink as well.

Tia is not microchipped.

Pocket, chihuahua

Family reunited with stolen pet chihuahua
Published on Friday 9 March 2012 15:51

A BELOVED pet dog has been reunited with its family in Old Leake – more than eight months after being stolen.

Pocket the Chihuahua was taken while on a shopping trip to Skegness with her owner on July 2 last year.

The incident was captured on CCTV with images showing an unknown man taking the dog from outside a shop in Lumley Road where she was tethered.

Owner Jodie Carr, and her three children, aged 13, nine and three, of Station Road, were left ‘devastated’ and ‘crying themselves to sleep’ following the incident.

After eight long months, it seemed all hope was lost – but thanks to publicity in The Standard and police appeals spreading to social networking sites – Pocket’s notoriety meant she had become ‘hot property’.

“I didn’t believe it when I heard they had found her and just thought it was probably a different dog,” said Jodie, 32.

“We are so relieved to get her back, and it is like she has never been away.”

The fawn-coloured chihuahua was discovered last month tied to a lamp post in the Lincoln area.

She was picked up by a dog warden who scanned her microchip which contained the information about her true owners.

“We wouldn’t have got her back if it wasn’t for the microchip,” said Jodie.

She added: “I would recommend anyone who loves their pet gets it micro-chipped.”

Police believe the tiny dog was abandoned after the thief became concerned about all the attention her disappearance was generating.

Pcso Dave Bunker, of Skegness Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “Everyone is delighted to hear that Pocket has been safely reunited with her family.”

He added: “We are very grateful to the websites and media who covered the story and to all the social media users who re-tweeted our appeals and helped spread the word about the theft.”

Source: http://www.bostonstandard.co.uk/news/crime/family-reunited-with-stolen-pet-chihuahua-1-3610038

Fido, Staffordshire bull terrier

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

Shaggy, sheltie

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#

Brandy, swamp dog

Brandy the swamp dog home after eight months in the wild
By Wayne Shearman
17 August, 2010

Brandy the Louisiana Calahoula swamp dog is reunited with her family after eight months lost on Woody Island, three kilometres offshore.

A family pet living in the wild for eight months has been reunited with her owners in Hervey Bay.

Desli Adams and her family were visiting the Bay on New Year's Eve when their dog Brandy ran away, distressed by fireworks. When locals reported a dog matching her description running off the end of the pier, Desli feared her dog was lost forever.

But Brandy is a Louisiana Catahoula swamp dog, a breed with webbed hind feet known for their swimming ability - which explains how she came to be found months later on an island more than three kilometres offshore.

Fishermen spotted Brandy wandering on Woody Island, and reported her to Queensland Parks and Wildlife.

Two months ago rangers started feeding her, and on Sunday she was finally trapped. During her long island holiday, Brandy is believed to have eaten lizards, fish and crustaceans.

Brandy was reunited with her family today, and Desli says the dog is in surprisingly good condition after her long stint in the wild, with some weight loss but no hair loss or injuries.

It's Brandy's second dice with fate in Hervey Bay; during an earlier visit to the Fraser Coast in September last year she was cut with a piece of roofing iron, and nearly bled to death.

Source: http://www.abc.net.au/local/audio/2010/08/17/2985307.htm

Fadidle, miniature pinscher

Roy family reunited with dog found in San Diego after 8 months
Emily Morgan, Deseret News
Published: Saturday, Aug. 20, 2011

Sharalyn Cooper hug her dog Fadidle at the airport in Salt Lake City Saturday, Aug. 20, 2011. The San Diego Humane Society returned the dog belonging to the Utah family after it was found in California.

SALT LAKE CITY — It's been eight months since Sharalyn Cooper has seen Fadidle, her 2-year-old miniature pinscher, but on Saturday, she held the tiny animal, with its "bat ears" quivering, to her chest and cried.

The two were reunited at the Salt Lake International Airport after the dog turned up in San Diego.

"It's wonderful," she said, smiling though her eyes were full of tears.

The slight creature ran off from Cooper's Roy home last October. Cooper said that wasn't unusual. Most often, she'd find Fadidle running around with some neighborhood kids down the street, but this time her 1-year-old puppy was gone.

"We had a hard time," Cooper said. "She's our baby. It was pretty tough."

After a couple of months of scouring the neighborhood, posting fliers and diligently checking animal shelters in Davis and Weber counties, Cooper all but gave up hope.

Then, seven months after the dog disappeared, a call came from the San Diego Humane Society letting them now they had found Fadidle.

"I bawled and thanked them an awful lot," Cooper said. "I couldn't believe it. We done so much to get her back and hadn't found her."

Athena Davis, an employee at the humane society said the dog was brought to them by a "Good Samaritan" and was at first believed to be a stray. They placed the animal on a stray hold, but then discovered she had been implanted with a microchip that linked her to Cooper.

But the dog then had to go on ringworm watch, delaying her return until Saturday.

"I just want to see my dog," Cooper said anxiously in the airport. Then came Davis riding down the escalator, a small red kennel in hand and Cooper, her daughter, Darien, and Darin Watkins ran to greet the animal with hugs and tears.

She's the best little girl," Davis told them, noting that their pet had held up well, even amid the stress of the airport and having to ride underneath the airplane. "She did so good. She was very quiet and very patient."

Davis said she only found out two days ago that she would be accompanying the animal back to its home.

"I'm just so excited we were able to do it and make it happen," she said. "It's one of the more unusual things I've done, but I enjoyed it."

Davis said that the microchip made all the difference and recommended that everyone with a pet get one. In this case, it led to the "happy ending."

"We see a lot of different things," Davis said. "When it works out this way, it's really touching."

The family thanked Davis and those in San Diego for bringing Fadidle home. Sharalyn Cooper noted that the animal looked skinnier than when she had left, but was nevertheless happy to see Fadidle had survived the ordeal — even if a little unexpectedly.

"We were really surprised," she said. "She's just a little tiny thing. We're just happy they found her. It was definitely a long wait."

The family members joked that Fadidle was "'Homeward Bound' in real life" and had even visited a place they had yet to see.

"She's lucky," Darien Cooper said. "She got on a plane before I even did!"

They wondered about what may have happened in the eight long months the dog was gone. It's their belief that she was stolen.

"I'd love to hear what she has to say about this whole thing," Sharalyn Cooper said.

But as Fadidle rested her head on Sharalyn Cooper's shoulder, her shaking finally stopped until she sat in Cooper's arms — still and content.

"She always used to do this," Cooper said.

"She knows who her mom is," Watkins added.

Source: http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705389499/Roy-family-reunited-with-dog-found-in-San-Diego-after-8-months.html?pg=1
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Sir Charles, chow mix

Trucker Reunited with Lost Dog
Monday, March 13, 2006

GREEN BAY, WI-March 13, 2006 -- Truck driver John Withers says he "cried like a little girl" when his dog ran away.

So the Georgia man didn't hesitate to make the 1,050-mile drive when he heard his beloved pet had been found eight months later.

"I didn't cry, but I was very, very happy," Withers said of his reunion with Sir Charles Nugget, a 4-year-old chow mix.

Nugget ran away last summer when Withers was making a delivery in Lena. Since then plenty of people spotted "a brown dog in a red collar," and many left out food for it but no one could catch the dog.

Then Withers got a phone call from Judy Fuller, the animal control officer in Little Suamico. She told him local folks were sure Nugget was the dog that had been hanging around town lately but nobody could get close to it.

So Withers made the drive, bringing Moose Edward, his 55-pound lab shepherd mix.

Withers spotted Nugget Thursday lying motionless under a parked truck. The dog wouldn't budge and instead watched Withers and Moose play in the snow for 25 minutes before emerging.

Except for a few briars and an extra-shaggy coat, Nugget looked the same, Withers said. Local residents had left everything from hot dogs to cooked venison to help the dog keep its weight up.

Source: http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=animals_oddities&id=3987882