Loshay, coonhound

Good Samaritan helps dog hit by car on side of road, reunites with family
By Sarah Bloom
Dec 31, 2013

RICHMOND, VA (WWBT) - Two women hug in a full, tearful embrace, despite having never met before. By all accounts, they are strangers, but Shannyn Sneed and Ruby Sabir are tied by their love for a lost and hurting dog.

Loshay, a white and red Coonhound, escaped from home Friday. Sneed found him whimpering on the side of the road, in terrible condition. She knew very quickly that he needed her help and his life was in her hands.

"I saw a dog rear up in the ditch," said Sneed. "It just it broke my heart."

She pulled over and ran to comfort Loshay until help arrived to take him to the emergency vet. For days, she wondered whether he had survived and whether he was okay.

On the first day, Loshay's family drove until their car ran out of gas. They tirelessly searched for him on foot, wondering where he could be and whether he was ok.

"We thought he was gone!" said Ruby Sabir. "We thought we lost him!"

Loshay's family went to look for him at the shelter and learned he'd been hit by a car and taken to the vet.

"We didn't even know if he was alive for half an hour," said Sabir.

Loshay has extensive injuries. He still can't stand and his back legs may never work again, but his family is hopeful he'll recover. Seeing him again, knowing he is alive, meant everything to the family.

"He came into our house as an angel," said Sabir. "He is just our light. We just can't imagine our lives without him."

For his life, they have Shannyn Sneed to thank and Sneed wanted desperately to talk to the hurting dog she comforted nights before.

"See. I told you it was going to be okay!" she said tearfully to Loshay.

"It was wonderful, just wonderful," said Sneed. "Just to see his family loving on him and you know, just lots of little kids that are thrilled to have their puppy dog back. "

"We always called him an angel because he came to our house like an angel and now you are an angel to us," Sabir said to Sneed.

Surrounded by his family, including several children, Loshay is recovering. He's far from better. But he is where he belongs. And everyone is grateful for that.

NBC12.com - Richmond, VA News

 Loshay means "joy."

Source: http://www.nbc12.com/story/24330093/good-samaritan-helps-dog-hit-by-car-on-side-of-road-reunites-with-family

Harley, chocolate lab

HARLEY reunited with his family ... AFTER 5 YEARS!
Humane Society of Central Washington on Facebook
November 19, 2013

You read that right -- 5 years. Harley came to Yakima Humane Society last week -- an amiable, 10-year-old Labrador Retriever / Mix. Neutered, microchipped, well-mannered -- Harley had to belong to someone, right?

Our staff looked up his record, yet the home phone number for the registered owner "Andrea" was no longer valid (TIP: Update your phone numbers on your pets' microchips!!), yet a work phone number led us to a former workplace. We contacted the workplace last week, yet did not receive a callback.

Meanwhile, Harley enamored us all (you know that feeling, right, Pet Advocates?), remain patient & happy throughout our daily rounds, walks, etc. He had come in with a bit of a cough, yet was being treated & doing nicely.

On Saturday, our staff contacted the workplace again -- imploring them to contact Andrea & get back to us.

That afternoon, we received a phone call from Andrea's relative, "I hear you've found a dog?" We explained the situation, that Harley had come to us as a stray & we traced his microchip back to Andrea.

The gentleman stated, "I can't believe it. Harley went missing 2 years ago. We let him out in the backyard for a bit, called him in an hour later, & the gate was open -- Harley was gone. ... For months we went out on every chocolate lab sighting in the County ... We finally gave up." He said he'd call Andrea & she'd be right in on Monday.

Andrea was at the shelter door before we opened. Talking with her further, she stated Harley had been missing 5 years ... FIVE years!! ... & they never knew what happened to him.

Harley & Andrea's 1st meeting in 5 years brought tears of joy to all of our eyes. Harley wasn't quite sure who Andrea was at first, yet warmed up quickly, & they were on their way into the sunset together.

Our staff / volunteer team is still in shock, awe, gratitude & wonder over Harley's reunion with Andrea. Where has Harley been? What adventures, trials, joys has he had? No matter, dogs live in the moment, & this moment is one of the best we've ever experienced!

Lessons to SHARE: MICROCHIP your pets. Keep the contact info UP-TO-DATE. NEVER give up. Together our community is reuniting pets with their families!!!

Blessings to you Harley & Andrea. Many happy years ahead.

Source: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10153542498610014&set=a.10150160300150014.422310.317653620013&type=1&theater

Mockie, chihuahua mix

Pet and his “pet mom” reunited after 4 years, thanks to microchip

by Pima County News

on Nov. 07, 2013

Wednesday, November 6 was any normal day for Bianca Beltran – until she opened a letter in the mail from Pima Animal Care Center.

“I opened the note and I just screamed and sat on the floor I was so surprised,” said Beltran, who drove immediately over to the shelter at 4000 N. Silverbell Road to pick up Mockie, the dog she had lost four years earlier.

Thanks to a microchip, Bianca was reunited with the family pet she’d had for more than two years until the active little dog escaped from her granddaughter at the park. She searched the shelters for months and always watched for him at the park until finally she gave up. “I always prayed that someone had him and he was being treated well,” she said.

But recently the dog, known as Nido, had been turned in by a woman who had suffered a personal setback and could no longer keep the dog she had gotten from a friend. But when animal care staff scanned the Chihuahua mix for a microchip, they found the chip and reached out to his original owner.

Beltran and volunteers who helped are convinced Mockie remembered her, and when he put his face on her shoulder, everyone cried. Beltran said she’s thrilled at the click-click of little paws on the floor and reports he hasn’t left her side since coming home. Decked out in a new leash, he remembers the rules of the house and has already been out walking, since he needs to lose a little weight.

She said she hopes her story helps share the benefits of microchipping.

“It’s been wonderful and I can still barely believe it,” she said.

Source: http://tucsoncitizen.com/pima-county-news/2013/11/07/pet-and-his-pet-mom-reunited-after-4-years-thanks-to-microchip/

Cody, shih tzu

Cody's Story
Told by Peter Daniele to FindToto
March 26th 2013

I was referred to findtoto.com by my sister who was successful in finding her cat via findtoto.com. The ironic part of the story is that our puppy Cody (9 pound Shih Tzu) was lost after my wife and I along with our 3 daughters went to see the new Wizard of Oz movie! (long story on how and why)

Even though findtoto was not the primary way we found Cody, the service was instrumental in learning what happened while he was lost and how he became rescued.

One of our neighbors was called by findtoto.com and contacted us about information he had about our puppy Cody.

This person was able to put us in touch with a passerby who stopped to help Cody as he walked along a thin shoulder of a very busy road. He knocked on a few doors nearby to ask if the puppy belonged to anyone, and left his phone number with the neighbor. He later called the police, who transported Cody to the local animal rescue facility.

Following a call we placed to the local police (we actually thought he was stolen) we were informed of Cody’s location at the animal rescue.

Thanks to findtoto.com, we were able to contact the great Samaritan and thank him profusely for rescuing Cody from harm or most likely death. He refused any gifts or money as part of our sincerest gratitude.

Findtoto.com is an amazing service and I cant thank you enough. Even though the service wasn’t the primary source of finding Cody, knowing the story behind his rescue was just as important to us and worth every penny.

Thank you!!!

Source: http://www.findtoto.com/success-story/cody-9/

Rambo, yorkie

Trucker reunites with dog left behind at rest stop
By Dominic Genetti
June 6, 2012

Gene Hill probably said it best in “The Dog Man.”

“Nobody can fully understand the meaning of love unless he’s owned a dog...”

That statement came true when Michael Siau drove his big rig back through Hannibal Tuesday to pick up his dog and best friends, Rambo.

Truck driver Michael Siau was reunited with his dog, Rambo, Tuesday morning when his truck route sent him back through Hannibal.

Siau was en route to North Dakota and made it all the way to Cedar Rapids, Iowa when he realized Rambo wasn’t in the back seat. Hannibal’s rest stop was the only logical place he could’ve gotten out, and that’s where Hannibal Animal Control Officer Tim Ledbetter found the 9-month-old patiently waiting for his master.

“In about 60 seconds, he would have been gone,” Ledbetter told Siau in the lobby of the Hannibal Police Department.

As it turned out, a family saw Rambo at the rest stop had hopes of taking the unidentified K-9 home. But Ledbetter arrived just in time, telling the family the dog was left behind by a trucker passing through.

That trucker’s reuniting with his best friend was certainly a happy moment too.

Reunited

Siau couldn’t drive around town with his truck, that was currently loaded with a transport of mangled used cars, so a Courier-Post delivery pickup truck served as his escort.

With a leash and a few “Thank You” cards to hand out to those who took the time to find Rambo, he introduced himself to the staff at the Northeast Missouri Humane Society, and then one of the employees came out with a special gift.

The puppy looked around, didn’t make direct eye contact with the stout man in decked out in a navy blue polo and jeans, appeared to be nervous, but once he saw Siau calling his name, the Yorkie began to whimper.

“Hey Rambo,” Siau said. “Did you miss Daddy?”

Rambo trembled and squirmed. He just couldn’t help himself to the top of his master’s shoulder and kiss the back of his neck.

“You’ve never been this excited,” Siau said.

He took the dog off his shoulders and took a few seconds to hold him close to his heart.

On the road again

There were a few people to appreciate before the day was done.

Robert Stout, another Animal Control officer, dropped Rambo off at the shelter. There waere also the dispatch ladies at the Hannibal Police Department and, of course, Ledbetter. Without him, Rambo would have never been found.

Tennessee is the next destination for Siau and Rambo. Siau said he’ll be sure to check to see if Rambo is actually in the truck from now on before leaving.

A lot of stress was collected and a lot of sleep was lost during this weekend’s ordeal. Before heading out the duo laid down in the cab’s back seat and watched some movies before heading south.

Source: http://www.hannibal.net/article/20120606/NEWS/306069877/0/SEARCH

Baby, pomeranian

Elderly man reunited with stolen dog after thieves ransack home
by Bora Kim / NBC Charlotte
Posted on April 17, 2013

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- A 77-year-old north Charlotte man has been reunited with his beloved pet, presumed stolen during a break-in of his home Monday evening.

NBC Charlotte met up with Robert Ward Wednesday night.  He had searched his home and walked the surrounding areas day and night in search of his 14-pound Pomeranian named, “Baby.”

Monday evening, Ward left his house for dinner.  When he returned two hours later, he realized someone made entry by breaking into the bathroom window.

The thieves stole six valuable antique firearms.  The guns, having been passed down from generations, had their own sentimental value.  Ward, however, broke down in tears when he described how his dogs are like a member of the family.

“They get to you.  They get to your heart,” he said.

Ward’s older dog, “Nikita,” is Baby’s mother.  He gave the puppy as a gift to his late wife, 14 years ago.  Ward said when he got home to find his house ransacked, Nikita began barking incessantly and would not stop until he realized “Baby” was gone.

“Nikita has just been staying under the bed, hard to get out, she won’t eat.  I’ve been up all night.  I can’t sleep,” he said.

Ward believes Nikita was hiding under the bed as thieves ransacked his home.  He said Baby was the type to approach strangers.

“It broke my heart to know they would take her, when she needed her medicine,” he cried.  “They will be no questions on my part, all I want is my dog back.”

Not long after, a call came in to alert Ward that a dog bearing Baby’s resemblance was brought in to the animal shelter on Tuesday.  Ward and a friend rushed to the shelter to find the person who brought Baby in.  They said the dog was wandering along a busy street, more than a mile from his home.

“Come here Baby,” he said as he took his lost dog into his arms.

Ward is convinced she could have never walked that distance with her short legs.  He will likely never know exactly what happened but is grateful that Baby is home again.

“I just want to thank the good Samaritan who brought her to the shelter,” he said.



Source: http://www.wcnc.com/news/local/Elderly-man-reunited-with-stolen-dog-after-thieves-ransack-home-203518381.html

Sugar Daddy, shih tzu

Detroit senior reunited with stolen Shih Tzu thanks to microchip
By Alexis Wiley, Fox 2 News
Posted: Mar 20, 2013

DETROIT (WJBK) - An 82-year-old woman was attacked and her dog stolen.  Her family even offered a $5,000 reward for the dog's safe return, but it turned out money wasn't what they needed to track him down.

It is the reunion few thought would happen, but Audrey said she knew her seven-year-old Shih Tzu would find his way home.

Last Thursday, thieves waited for Audrey as she and her beloved pups Sugar Daddy and Baby Doll walked out of her Detroit home.

"I opened the door, and they slammed the door on my hand," she said.

Audrey ran inside.  Surveillance footage from a neighbor's home captured some of the scene.  Baby Doll bit the thieves and ran off, but Sugar Daddy wasn't so lucky.

"One of the guys jumped out, and they grabbed Sugar Daddy," said Audrey.

Her daughter sprang into action plastering signs all over the neighborhood offering a $1,000 reward, then $2,000 and finally $5,000 for Sugar Daddy's safe return -- a hefty amount to some, but to this family Sugar Daddy is priceless.  Audrey said she was devastated.

"Unable to eat, not able to sleep or do anything," she explained.

However, it turns out they didn't have to spend a dime because Sugar Daddy was at the Michigan Humane Society almost the whole time.

"As far as we know, he came into us as a stray animal, but he was turned in and we scan every animal," said Anna Chrisman with MHS.

Since Sugar Daddy had a microchip, the Michigan Humane Society knew exactly where he belonged.

"The microchip is a form of permanent I. D.  It never gets lost, and it's always with the dog," Chrisman said.

Audrey and her family believe the thieves were the ones who turned in Sugar Daddy, but they're not worried about prosecution.  They are just glad he is home.

Fox 2 News Headlines

"If your pet ever gets lost or separated from you, the microchip is a sure fire way that we're going to be able to find you and track you down," said Chrisman.

Source: http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/story/21751523/detroit-senior-reunited-with-stolen-shih-tzu-thanks-to-microchip

Maya, golden shepherd mix

Lost Dog Reunited With Family After 4 Months
By Lauren Lloyd
March 7, 2013

A family in Mission Viejo has been reunited with its dog after months of search and sorrow.

When the family moved from Arizona to Mission Viejo in late 2012, their golden retriever-German shepherd mix, Maya, went missing. The family reported the dog missing to the city's animal shelter on October 17, and searched relentlessly for their skittish pet for two months. The family eventually gave up hope, but Maya did not.

A neighbor spotted Maya along a creek trail, and judging by her healthy appearance, assumed she had just escaped from her owner's yard and would find her way home. However, the neighbor noticed frequent visits to the area from Maya, and when the canine began to noticeably lose weight, the neighbor called Mission Viejo Animal Services.

After assessing the situation, an animal services officer devised a plan to place food in a humane trap for the dog, which had been deemed a stray. The plan worked, and Maya was transported to the shelter and nursed back to health.

A shelter worker combed through missing pets records and found Maya's entry: "a skittish golden retriever-mix with black marks." The worker realized the family lived across from the Oso Creek Trail, close to the spot where Maya was rescued. Apparently, Maya was unfamiliar with the area because of the family's move.

The reunion took place last month, and both Maya and the family were overwhelmed with excitement at the sight of one another.

Gail DeYoung, the city's animal services manager, told City News Service, "The dog took one look at her long-lost family and started dancing around the kennel, jumping up and down with her tail wagging uncontrollably."

She added, "The family was equally excited to see their dog -- skinny but safe -- both children hugging Maya around her neck unwilling to let go. After several months surviving along Oso Creek Trail lost, confused and eating who knows what to survive, Maya was finally heading home."

Commence the waterworks. Go on, let it out.

Source: http://laist.com/2013/03/07/lost_dog_reunited_with_family_after_4_months.php

Another version of the story is at: http://missionviejo.patch.com/articles/rescue-dog-lost-5-months-returned-to-owners

Velvet, dachshund

5 Long Years Later the Phone Rings
Posted By: Rod, Albuquerque, NM
9/15/2012

Rod and his wife’s miniature dachshund, Velvet, went missing back in 2007.

After hundreds of flyers and searching for two years, they finally decided that their "Velvet" was lost forever. Not knowing what happened to her led to long nights thinking about her.

One afternoon in mid-September 2012, five years after Velvet disappeared, Rod got a call from the Albuquerque Animal Services. He thought at first that it was a prank call.

The animal control officer indicated that they had located him via the HomeAgain microchip service center, and assured him it was not a prank.

In total shock, he asked if she was alive. The officer said, "Yes, she is sitting here wagging her tail! "

Wow! He went to the shelter, without telling his wife, and after verifying all the information, Velvet was released to Rod. Animal Services didn't realize they just found a dog that had been missing for over 5 years!

Rod’s wife didn't know what – or in this case, who – Rod was bringing home, and he regrets not video taping the reunion between them when he got home. It was so emotional!

They immediately took Velvet to their vet, where they too were so happy that Velvet was back home! They talked about all the missing pet posters on their wall and how people should never give up hope for finding their missing pets even after 5 YEARS!

Rod says Thanks so much to HomeAgain! Chip Chip Hooray!

Source: http://foundpets.homeagain.com/5-long-years-later-the-phone-rings.aspx

Leia, schnauzer

Alma Dominguez's Lost Dog, Leia, Found After 2 Years And 700 Miles; Owner And Pet Reunited
Posted: 03/19/2013

When Alma Dominguez’s beloved dog, Leia, went missing from El Paso, Texas, during a rainstorm, Alma and her husband, Alberto, were devastated. The couple searched for their lost dog for more than two years, and had almost given up hope of ever finding her. Then a phone call changed everything.

Video available

In this clip from the OWN series “Lost and Found," Annmarie Anderson -- a dog rescuer in Denver, Colorado -- recounts the amazing phone call she received from Alma. “She said, ‘You might have my dog,’” remembers Annmarie. But was it really the same Leia, two years and 700 miles away?

After looking at the Dominguez's pictures of Leia on Facebook, Annmarie put Alma on speakerphone so the dog could hear Alma's voice. “[Her] little tail was wagging and she was doing the little cry in her throat,” Annmarie says. “We realized right away that we had the right owner and dog.”

Alma was overjoyed, tears running down her face. “I wasn’t expecting it,” she says. “I’d found my Leia.”

How Leia got from El Paso to Denver is still a mystery, but the only thing that mattered was bringing her back home. Alma and Alberto traveled to Denver to reunite with their dog.

Watch the video to see the couple's emotional reunion with Leia after two long years and hear what they have to say now that they have their beloved family member back.

"Lost and Found" airs on OWN.

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/19/alma-dominguez-lost-dog-leia-found-pet_n_2907339.html

A different version of this story was posted to this blog on 9/20/2011. This great 5-minute video was just posted on Huffington Post.

Morgan, lab rott mix

Eight-month search ends as Gaines Township man finds missing dog at Genesee County shelter
By Ron Fonger, The Flint Journal
March 07, 2013

GENESEE COUNTY, MI -- Matt McMichael had almost given up looking for his missing dog Morgan, which slipped out of her backyard last Independence Day and hadn't been seen since.

Morgan, a 9-year-old Labrador-Rottweiler, licks the face of owner Matt McMichael of Gaines Township as son Conner, 8, watches at the Genesee County Animal Control shelter today, March 7.

But after searching the streets around his Gaines Township home,  taping up flyers and searching the Internet, McMichael found her Thursday, March 7, in the same place he adopted her nine years ago:

The county Animal Control shelter.

"We looked all summer and pretty much had all but given up," McMichael said when he claimed Morgan.

McMichael came to the shelter after his wife spotted Morgan on the Facebook page of the Genesee County Animals In Need Of Homes and Rescues.

Shelter workers said Morgan was turned in by a man who found her in the Linden area. The female Labrador-Rottweiller mix was turned over to the shelter Feb. 23, but employees had no further details about when she had first been found or how the man found her.

McMichael said Morgan was in good shape, given her long absence. He knew she was his dog by the way she shook her head at him from a holding cage at the shelter -- near another cage where he found and adopted her when she was a puppy.

McMichael said the dog may have been frightened by July 4 fireworks on the night she slipped away from home.

The family never adopted another dog after she turned up missing.

"It's good not to give up," he said. "We've still got her bowls and toys."

Source: http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2013/03/eight-month_search_ends_as_gai.html

Tinkerbell, dachshund

Lost dog reunited with family at adoption event
NBC
Posted: 11/02/12


A Virginia family is whole again after an unusual case of lost and found.

Tinkerbell, an 11-year-old Dachshund mix disappeared six months ago.

Owner Jerry Gusler was crushed.

"This dog has been with me a long time, got two kids but she's one of them. She's the third one," he says.

"It was like losing a family member. It was really sad," says Kelli Gusler, Jerry's daughter.

The Guslers had almost given up hope on finding Tinkerbell when Kelli decided to take a trip to the Tractor Supply store, where the Franklin County Humane Society just happened to be holding an adoption event.

When Kelli arrived a friendly face came running through the crowd.

"I could tell she recognized me and that was it I just started crying and lost it. I think everyone there thought I was crazy because I was saying 'That's my dads dog!', I know that dog," Kelli says.

Now Tinkerbell spends most of her days at the Gusler's auto shop, but her travels took her all the way to Pulaski county.

That's 70 miles away from her home in Boones Mill.

The Guslers have no idea how Tinkerbell got that far away, are glad she's home.

"I was choked up. I just couldn't believe it. It has to be one in a million to find the lady that found her was in another county. So I mean for her to bring her was amazing," Jerry says.

The Guslers say Tinkerbell hasn't missed a beat since she's been back.



"I'm amazed, but I just think God put her back in out hands," Kelli says.

Source: http://www1.whdh.com/news/articles/must-see/12008958901691/lost-dog-reunited-with-family-at-adoption-event

Tasha, black lab

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

Grizzly Bear, German shepherd

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

Mickey

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

Stevie Oedipus Wonder, terrier

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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Capone, pitbull

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

Morgan, pitbull

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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Reuben, lurcher

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

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/