Zorro, great dane

Zorro returns! Family's joy as Great Dane who was stolen by burglars shows up on their doorstep A YEAR laterZorro vanished from owner Marcie Trogdon's home in November 2011
By Matt Blake
11 February 2013

A Great Dane has returned to his owner a year after he was snatched by burglars during an opportunistic raid on her home..

The heart-warming tale began when Zorro, who weighs 170lbs, vanished from owner Marcie Trogdon's house, in Jamestown, Virginia, in November 2011 after she popped out, leaving the door on the latch.

When she returned minutes later, she realised thieves had struck and Zorro was nowhere to be seen.
'A laptop or a TV can be replaced. Zorro is like a family member. All my kids are grown, so he’s my baby,' she told Fox News at the time.

Nice to see you again: Zorro, who weighs 170lbs, vanished from owner Marcie Trogdon's home, in Jamestown, Virginia, after she popped out of her house, leaving the door on the latch

Despite a far-reaching 'missing dog campaign' and extensive police search, he was never found and Marcie was forced to move on with her life, even buying a new dog in a bid to fill the void left by Zorro.

Then on Wednesday night, a flea-bitten and mangy-looking stray who looked remarkably like Zorro appeared in her back yard.

'[My neighbour] was like "Do you know who’s dog this is?" And I said, "what dog?" and about that time Zorro comes running around the corner and I said "Oh my God! That’s Zorro",' she told the station.

'He immediately came up to the fence and as soon as I let him in he knew he was home.'

Exactly what happened to Zorro in the 16 months he was missing remains a mystery.

A trip to the vet revealed he had contracted ringworm and was overweight, but suffered no serious illness.

'My emotion was "I'm so glad", then "oh my God what's wrong with his skin?"' said Dr Joe Kinarney.

'We don't know what's happened in that time, we don't know the exposure to parasite or to diseases,' the vet added.

Trogdon thinks someone stole her dog and brought him back when his care became too expensive.

But she says she doesn't care what happened to him. She is just glad to have her dog at home again.

'I just can't believe that my boy is back,' she said, tears of joy filling her eyes.

His story is remarkably similar to the 1993 movie Homeward Bound: An Incredible Journey, that follows an American bulldog, a golden retriever and a Himalayan cat as they trek across America on a quest to return to their human family.

The film, which is a remake of the 1963 Disney classic The Incedible Journey, starred Michael J. Fox, Don Ameche and Sally Field as the voices of Chance, Shadow and Sassy and was so popular it spawned sequel Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco.

The trio encounter a string of dangers including falling into a torrid river, facing a hungry grizzly bear, surviving a chance encounter with an angry porcupine and escaping from an animal pound.

After learning to overcome adversity by working together they become friends and finally return home to their owners.

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2276945/Homeward-hound-Incredible-return-Great-Dane-showed-owners-doorstep-A-YEAR-stolen-burglars.html

Dozer, goldendoodle

A local pup's accidental half-marathon run
May 19, 2011

Everyone knows that dogs love to run around. But most dogs don't like to run like Dozer.

The three-year-old Goldendoodle was a last-minute entry into last weekend's Maryland Half Marathon. His parents didn't even know he was running!

According to Karen E. Warmkessel, a spokeswoman for the University of Maryland Medical Center, Dozer escaped an invisible fence, lured by the thousands of racers running past his home, which sits near the Mile Five mark. The race benefitted the hospital's Greenebaum Cancer center.
Dozer joined the pack. Runners reported seeing him at several points along the route. The pup crossed the finish mark with other runners -- clocking in at 2 hours and 14 minutes!

Dozer’s owner, meanwhile, had no idea what happened to him and began a frantic search. The dog finally made it home -- but not until Monday morning. His feet were muddy and he was limping a bit. But according to a vet -- where his parents took him just in case -- he's just fine.

Meanwhile, Dozer now has his own runner’s page at the race website, where people can make donations in his name. He's already received quite a few. Here's what the pup writes on the site:

"Wow...I just finished my very first Half Marathon! I was sitting in front of my house on Sunday morning when a bunch of runners came running by. They looked like they were having such fun so i decided to join them. I forgot to tell my Mom that I was leaving and she was really upset!

Everyone was really nice to me so I just kept running passing first a sign that said Mile 3 then Mile 4 and so on until I saw this big sign that said Finish and everyone stopped running. Along the way i heard people talking about raising money for Cancer Research and I heard stories about people's loved ones. I was moved to take action so I set up this page to help out.

I had to walk all the way home after the race and Mom didn't find me at home until the next morning.....boy was I sore!! I overheard my Mom talking to the people who put the race on and they are coming over to give me a medal! Now I am resting and looking back on the great journey. Please help by donating to my page."



Source: http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/features/mutts/blog/2011/05/a_local_pups_accidental_halfma.html

Dozer's Race Page: http://www.ummsfoundation.org/dozer


Also see: http://espn.go.com/espn/page2/index?id=6567417

Dozer the dog runs solo Maryland Half Marathon
Thomas Neumann
Thu, May 19, 2011

It's four o'clock. Do you know where your dog is?

The owners of Dozer, a 3-year-old goldendoodle from Fulton, Md., didn't know the answer to that question on Sunday. Unbeknownst to them, Dozer escaped his invisible fence and joined the 2,000-plus runners competing in the Maryland Half Marathon, which benefits the University of Maryland's Greenebaum Cancer Center. Dozer joined the fray about five miles into the race, which is held in Howard County, Md., and he crossed the finish line at the 2:14:24 mark.

Maryland Half Marathon co-founder Jon Sevel said many runners spotted Dozer in various places on the course, at times lapping up water from cups at rest areas, but nobody realized the dog was running solo. After running the final seven miles or so of the event, Dozer found his own way home Monday morning. He's in good health after a precautionary trip to the vet and he received a medal from race organizers on Thursday.

"This is a very sweet dog," said University of Maryland Medical Center spokeswoman Karen Warmkessel. "When I saw him today, he looked great. He was really active, and now he's raising money for cancer research."

Jubby, boxer

Missing dog has tearful reunion with owner in Taunton
By Marc Larocque, GateHouse News Service
Posted Jan 19, 2011

TAUNTON — Armand Rebello was beginning to lose hope that his dog would ever return as he was getting ready for work on Tuesday morning.



Armand Rebello greets his dog, Jubby, at New England Animal Medical Center in West Bridgewater

It had been 11 days since Jubby, a 3-year-old boxer, had run away from the backyard of Rebello’s East Taunton home. There had been one sighting a few days back, but nothing had come of it.

At 5:50 a.m., as Rebello was putting on his boots, he looked up and saw two big, dark familiar eyes staring through the window from outside his door step.

But Jubby was not the same dog that left him. The dog was emaciated — his bones sticking through his small frame — and he was limping around. But he seemed happy to be home.

“I was instantly in tears,” Rebello said. “I brought him into the house. I went to open a can of wet dog food. He was gimping around trying to follow me. It hurt me to see him limping around, but he didn’t make any kind of pain noise. He was wagging his tail.”

Rebello then called his fiancée to tell her the good news and ask her to accompany him to a veterinarian. She was just as excited as he was.

“Jubby is like a member of the family,” said Colleen Fernandes. “You don’t realize how awkward it is to be in your own house when he is gone.”

Rebello took the day off from his job at a power plant in Somerset and took Jubby to New England Animal Medical Center in West Bridgewater. There, Jubby was given an IV and treated for cuts. It was discovered that Jubby had a dislocated right hip and had suffered muscular atrophy.

Dr. Karen Moulin, a member of the senior emergency staff for the animal hospital, said something bad must have happened to the dog.

“We’re assuming it was some kind of trauma,” Moulin said. “Maybe he was hit by a car or fell from something.”

Moulin added that Jubby could have slipped on some ice and injured himself.

Rebello and Fernandes initiated a search as soon as Jubby went missing, plastering local shops and restaurants with flyers carrying a photo of the dog and offering a reward for his return. Rebello said he can only imagine what Jubby went through during those 11 days.

“I’m just surprised he survived with all the odds against him,” said Rebello, noting the recent snow storms. “All I know is he wasn’t eating. He’s just swimming in his collar now. He lost so much weight.”

Rebello said he feared that hungry coyotes had gotten to Jubby.

On Thursday, Rebello said he got a call from neighbors saying they saw a dog matching the description on his flyer a day earlier. The neighbors said they tried luring the dog in with some food, but he ran back into the woods.

Rebello said Jubby went missing from his Maycomber Street backyard. Rebello was building a fire while Jubby was retrieving wood. At some point, Jubby took off.

Rebello and several neighbors combed the woods late into night, but the dog was nowhere to be found.

Growing up with foster parents on a Berkley farm, Rebello said he has always loved the companionship of animals.

He said it is different when you have a dog, though. To Rebello, 23, Jubby is his best friend and losing him was devastating.

Thursday’s sighting brought the search for Jubby back to life, Rebello said. Prior to that point, Rebello was starting to speculate that someone took the dog.

“I went out and looked for him more,” Rebello said.

In the end, Rebello didn’t find his dog. Jubby found his way home.

“You had a rough trip, huh buddy?” said Rebello, embracing Jubby at the vet’s office. “A lot of people are very happy he has come home. He’s the greatest dog. The most playful and friendly dog. He would never hurt a thing.”

Source: http://www.wickedlocal.com/raynham/fun/pets/x1409897921/Missing-dog-has-tearful-reunion-with-owner-in-Taunton#axzz1ML5rNRAO

Sandy, chihuahua terrier mix

Happy reunion - Dog missing since last week shows up at owner's work place today 20 miles away
Steve Adamson - Source: KSBY News
Updated: Apr 4, 2011 9:48 PM

Last Thursday when Janine Elich went to visit her daughter in Grover Beach, something happened she wasn't expecting. Her dog jumped out of the car while it was parked in a driveway. The window was down far enough whereas the dog was able to jump out. While inside her daughter's home, the dog pulled a disappearing act.

Soon the search was on, as signs went up in the Grover Beach neighborhood in the vicinity of 4th Street and Trouville Ave. The weekend came and went and no signs of "Sandy," the six year old Chihuahua-Terrier mix that Elich has had since she was a puppy.

Then this morning, something totally unexpected happened. At around 8:15am, Sandy came prancing through the doors of the Apple Farm restaurant in San Luis Obispo....about 20 miles from where she jumped out of the car back in Grover.

Aubree Charlesworth was the hostess working this morning when it happened. "Well, I was standing right outside the door and I was just getting some fresh air because it was a bit hot in there, so I turned and I went back inside and as I turned around to see if there were any customers waiting, the dog was just standing there right behind me."

After checking out the dog's tags, she called the number on them and spoke to the veterinarian's office where the tags came from. They gave her Janine's number and she called her. The story gets more interesting because of what happened next.

"And I call her up on the phone and I said I have your dog and she asks where we are and I told her we're at the Apple Farm and Janine says, well I work there....And I say who's this? And then Janine's daughter Kaylee came out and said that's my mom's dog!"

Turns out, that the dog found her way to the place where her owner worked. Her daughter works there too and just happened to be working when the dog arrived. It all led to a happy reunion once Elich made it in for her shift.

Elich said, "She's a hound dog, she found her way...She didn't want to give up the friendship, that's for sure. She came looking for me." Elich said the dog had been to the Apple Farm before, but only briefly on a couple of occasions when she stopped in when she wasn't working.

A happy ending to a story that could have turned out much different.

"Sandy was a bit weathered from the four-day, 20 mile journey. About a hundred ticks had to be pulled off her and she lost a couple of pounds. Still, all things considered, in pretty good shape and in very happy spirits to be reunited with her owner again. Elich was planning on bringing Sandy to her vet for a check up to make sure all else was ok with her.

Source: http://www.ksby.com/news/happy-reunion-dog-missing-since-last-week-shows-up-at-owner-s-work-place-today-20-miles-away/
Video: http://www.ksby.com/player/?video_id=10319

Asher, Australian Shepherd

Canine, missing since recent tornado, reunited with family
by Mike Landis, KY3 News
January 23, 2011
 

 
FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. -- One of "man's best friends" brought some hope to a community recovering from the New Year's Eve tornado outbreak. Asher is a 3-year-old Australian shepherd that disappeared after his family's home was swept away.

"There was one missing link to our family that held us back from moving on," said Norma Mitchell, owner of the dog.

There were scattered reports of Asher being sighted on the post. The Mitchell family eventually secured new housing, and began the search for Asher. Posters for Asher were plastered across the fort and a Facebook page was set up for the cause.

Soon, the search grew into an affair involving at least 100 people. Volunteers from the fort banded together to help find the dog. For three weeks they combed woods, fields, and neighborhoods.

Late last week, Mitchell family decided to drive by the site of their old house "one last time." That's when they found that Asher was back.

"I got down on my hands and knees and I was like begging him, 'Asher, come on, come on, come to me,'" said Mitchell.

The dog had lost at least 11 pounds, which Mitchell jokingly said was a good thing. A veterinarian gave him a clean bill of health.

"He didn't obviously didn't give up on his family, and they sure didn't. What wonderful pet owners that they didn't give up on him," said SFC Julie Paramore, who helped organize the search.

Those who spent time searching for Asher believe his story has brought a little bit of hope to the community, which will be recovering from the tornado for some time.

"From the Humane Society standpoint, things aren't always positive and we are not always dealing with happy endings. This is definitely one of the good things," said Kim Fuhr, president of the Pulaski County Humane Society.



Many of the volunteers met Asher for the first time on Sunday at a homecoming party held in his honor.

Source: http://articles.ky3.com/2011-01-23/asher_27045739

Noel, yellow lab

Dog finds her way back home after 6 months
Dann Cuellar
Wednesday, February 02, 2011


SOUTH PHILADELPHIA - February 2, 2011 (WPVI) -- It's a story Hollywood could not have scripted any better and this one has a happy ending.

Noel, resting at home, where she showed up as suddenly as she disappeared, six months later

Noel is a 10-year-old yellow Labrador Retriever. Her best friend is 11-year-old Toby, the Bernese Mountain Dog,.

They've been friends ever since Toby and his owner Raymond Godfrey of South Philadelphia stumbled upon Noel 7 years ago; she was abandoned under the Walt Whitman Bridge.

"She was very elusive, she went up to Toby...they started talking, what dogs talk about, I don't know what they talk about," Godfrey said.

Since then, the dogs did everything together. They were inseparable.

Then last summer, Toby was stricken with cancer. Last August 2nd, Godfrey was taking Toby to the vet and inadvertently left the front door of his row home partially open.

"And [Noel] ran looking for us, thinking we were going somewhere. I wouldn't normally go without her. I was taking him to the vet and she didn't know this," Godfrey said.

Godfrey put out hundreds of lost dog leaflets all over South Philadelphia.

He went on the internet and recruited dog rescue groups and others to help.

Many did, including Governor Ed Rendell who gets his hair cut by Godfrey, but it was to no avail.

But then at 12:27 Wednesday morning, 6 months to the day, Godfrey and his wife were asleep in bed when they heard a dog howling outside.

"We rushed downstairs, hurried to open the door, Toby walked out with me, [Noel] saw him, ran in the door and that was it," Godfrey said.

Noel had lost about 30 pounds, but otherwise appeared to be OK.

Through it all, Godfrey says he never lost faith that he would see Noel again.

"Faith. Got to have faith and what you believe in and hopefully, you'll know that your animal will come back," Godfrey said.

And Toby never gave up hope either.

So after 6 months, Noel and Toby, two old friends, essentially joined at the hip, are finally reunited again to enjoy what in dog years are the golden years of their lives.

It is a story of hope, faith and a bond between a dog and his family that led to a remarkable happy ending.



Source: http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news%2Flocal&id=7936464

Simba, husky

After missing for 13 years, Simba the dog returns to SC family
By Andrew Dys, heraldonline.com
Posted: Friday, May. 14, 2010

Sunni Baker, 10, kneels with her grandparents' Siberian husky, Simba, at their home in Richburg on Thursday. Owners Terry and Blaine Horne said that Simba disappeared 13 years ago and returned home recently.

RICHBURG, SC Terry and Blaine Horne had to go to a church meeting 13 years ago this summer on a beautiful hot evening.

"It was still daylight, and we could hear Simba out in the back, running and howling like Husky dogs howl," Terry said. "Huskies, they don't bark. It is more like a howl."

Simba was their beautiful, less than a year old, red-coated Siberian Husky with the ice-blue eyes.

Blaine paid $100 for Simba when the dog was just a pup.

That night, the Hornes left their Richburg home in rural Chester County and went to church.

They came home, and Simba, with a tag around his neck that identified him as having shots at a certain place, with an ID number, was gone.

"Vanished," said Blaine Horne.

Heartbroken, the Hornes looked all over for Simba. They checked with neighbors, to no avail. Days, weeks, they looked.

"Just gone," said Terry's son, Chip. "I had a husky once that was stolen, so we figured somebody grabbed him."

Blaine said his wife was inconsolable and never gave up hope.

"She kept thinking somebody would find him," Blaine said.

Terry said sometimes, late at night, she would think to herself, "Keep looking. Simba will turn up."

About a year ago, the Hornes got another dog, a little Shi-Tzu named Bebe. Every morning, Bebe had to go outside to do what dogs do outside.

About three weeks ago, on a Tuesday morning, Blaine let Bebe out on the way to work at his auto body shop behind his home. A few minutes later, Terry called Bebe to come in.

She looked outside, and there in the grass, rolling in the morning dew, was the skinniest, sorriest looking excuse for a dog that might have once been red anybody ever saw.

Terry's throat constricted.

"The dog was limping, and hungry and thirsty, so I gave it water and called Blaine to ask if I should feed it, and I asked him, 'Do you think it could be Simba?'" Terry recalled.

Blaine said he almost dropped the phone and came rushing out to see for himself.

This dog, clearly old, back leg limping, close to skin and bones and covered with fleas, walked right up on the deck and sat in its old spot.

"Just like Simba used to," Blaine said.

The dog then walked to the carport, circled a few times, and lay down.

"Just like Simba used to," Terry said.

"It made me think he was penned up all these years, somewhere, and just couldn't get home. Then he got loose, or somebody let him loose, and he just came home like nothing happened."

The Hornes took the dog to a veterinarian, who said it was possible that the dog was Simba. It was about the same age, but there was no identification.

The dog was given shots and wormed, and it came back to the Horne house.

The dog immediately took a shine to Sunni, the Horne's granddaughter, who lives next door.

The two have been inseparable ever since.

"I think it is Simba," said Sunni. "I play with him and pet on him. It is like he knows me."

Even though Sunni wasn't even born when Simba vanished 13 years ago.

Blaine Horne says it sure could be Simba, but Terry Horne says there is no doubt.

Their daughter, a fourth-grade teacher at Westminster Catawba Christian School in Rock Hill, polled her class. Each kid said it was Simba.

"A miracle," Terry Horne said. "Like the movies. 'Homeward Bound,' think it was. The dog comes home."

So now most afternoons Simba waits for Sunni to get home from school.

He sits in a dirt patch and on the deck and in the carport, just like the old days.

Then Simba follows Sunni everywhere she goes.

When it rains, Simba rolls in the grass like Simba did 13 years ago.

Is it the same dog that vanished 13 years ago?

"If you believe it, it is Simba," said 10-year-old Sunni. "I say so. I believe. This is Simba."


Source: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2010/05/14/1435023/after-missing-for-13-years-simba.html

Nicky, sheltie

Lost dog finds way back home
By Donathan Prater
Published: August 31, 2010

He came home a few pounds lighter and a shade darker.

Fortunately, those are two things a bowl of dog food and a good bath could fix for Nicky, a four-year-old Shetland Sheepdog, that had been missing for nearly six weeks since being lost from an Auburn animal hospital in July.

Shortly after going missing, Nicky’s owner, Christy Hines, 33, offered a $500 reward for his safe return home.

It turns out that all that while, Nicky didn’t actually find his way home; he did the next best thing by showing up at Hines’ mother Charlene Hines’ home at approximately 7 a.m. Thursday.

“As my mother pulled into her driveway, he came up the car, she opened the door and Nicky jumped in the car,” Christy said.

The time between the call from her mother that Nicky was OK and when she drove over to her mother’s home to get him was an emotionally tense one for Christy.

“When I saw him for the first time, I just started crying tears of joy and relief at seeing him,” Christy Hines said. “I pulled him into my lap, held him for a while and gave him a hug and kiss on his nose.”

With the recent string of hot days and being alone, Hines at times feared the worse for Nicky.

“I was afraid that he had not been able to survive, but he’s obviously much tougher than I gave him credit for,” Hines said.

Later that same morning, Hines took Nicky to the veterinarian where other than being treated for a few bug bites and given an IV for dehydration, he was given a clean bill of health and a much needed bath.

Over the last few days Nicky has been getting reacquainted with his favorite toy, a stuffed owl and catching up on his sleep, which he enjoys doing at Hines’ feet.

“The (Nicky) stuffed owl is his favorite toy, but he pretty much likes anything that squeaks,” said Hines, who continues to be grateful for all those who spent time looking for him and kept him in their prayers.

Comment Posted by chines on Sept. 1, 2010 - 8:36 a.m.
I would like to thank everyone who spent their time looking for Nicky, posting flyers, and keeping him in your prayers and thoughts. I was overwhelmed at the generosity of people who were strangers, but were offering help and support. That meant more to me and my family than you could ever imagine. I have lived here for 3 years, but I truly understood the meaning of Auburn family over these past weeks. Thank you all from the bottom of our hearts!

Source: http://www2.oanow.com/news/2010/aug/31/lost-dog-finds-way-back-home-ar-774234/

Max, an Airedale Terrier

Lost dog finds way home to Coventry
By Michelle Brown
Published: October 2, 2008

COVENTRY, R.I.—A tenacious 2-year-old Airedale terrier was lost following an accident Sterling, Conn. But somehow, he found his way back to Coventry. The dog apparently walked along highways and back roads all the way home, and his owner was thrilled to have him back.

“He’s had a long trip home,“ said Bill Clark.

Three weeks and three days ago, Max ran away when Clark, driving his convertible in Sterling, was struck by another car.

“The dog jumped out the back through the trunk and ran into the woods,“ Clark said.

Clark began a three-week search for his beloved terrier. There were many sightings, but no luck. That was until Tuesday, when Clark said he came home and found Max sitting in the back yard. The dog had apparently found his way home from Sterling, about 45 miles away.

“I couldn’t believe that he came home,“ Clark said. “All that way." Even the experts can’t explain it.

“We don’t really know how they do that. We do know that dogs’ memories are very detailed, very sense-oriented,“ said Jim Barry, a dog behavior consultant.

Whatever it was, Clark is just happy to have Max home. He put up a sign thanking all the people who helped looked for him.

“The vet said he hasn’t been injured. He lost 11 pounds,“ Clark said. “I lost seven.“

Experts recommend that pet owners implant a microchip in their dogs so they can be tracked in case they get lost. Max did not have one.

Also, make sure pets are secure in a vehicle so they don’t get thrown loose in case of an accident.

Source:
http://www2.turnto10.com/jar/news/local/article/lost_dog_finds_way_home_to_coventry/5883/

Bailey, labrador mix

Incredible journey
On a dark and stormy night, an old dog finds a new way back home to Mom
By Monica Collins, Globe Correspondent January 30, 2005

Anyone who has ever loved a dog imagines the animal's memory begins with human touch. We like to think domesticated dogs don't pine for birth families, nor do they yearn for the comforts of their first home because we humans provide all the home they need. Nicole Walsh believed this of her Bailey, the lean Labrador mix she got from her college roommate nine years ago when the dog was a puppy -- until the night last month when Bailey found his way back to his birthplace.

The story of Bailey is one of those weepy film features, except this true tale of love, loss, and reclamation happened in Hyde Park and Milton. The saga brings renewed respect for the profoundly mysterious call of the wild. What else don't we know about them, our pets?

The tale begins on Dec. 7 in Hyde Park's Fairmount Hill neighborhood on a weeknight notable for ferocious weather. All the witnesses remember it was raining cats -- and dogs.

After Thanksgiving, Nicole and Jay Walsh had just moved with toddler Emma and dog Bailey from West Roxbury to Hyde Park. They were in a tumble of resettlement chaos. Their phone hadn't been hooked up yet. Stuff was scattered everywhere. When nurse Nicole, 33, left for her usual 3 to 11 p.m. shift at Brigham & Women's Hospital, Jay, 34, who works in neighborhood services for Mayor Thomas M. Menino, minded the baby and the dog. As he hurriedly carried Emma into the house to get out of the rain, the dog ran out the open door and disappeared.

No big deal. Bailey usually comes when called. On this night, the dog didn't respond. He had vanished. Jay Walsh kept yelling for him through the rainstorm. When Nicole returned at midnight, she "wasn't overly nervous," she said, at first. She figured Bailey was in a new neighborhood and must have gotten lost. She got in her car and drove up and down Fairmount Hill looking for her dog. After awhile, she began to cry. "Oh my God, it was awful," she recalls. "I said to my husband, 'Jay, I fear the worst has happened.' " It was too late to call animal shelters. To complicate matters, Nicole had recently put a new collar on Bailey with no tags or identification. She and her husband finally went to bed without the dog who usually sleeps on the bed with them. She was desolate.

Across the city line in Milton, over a mile away, Maureen Little, 33, remembers hearing the scratching at her front door. Her dogs, Jesse and Molly, were roused by the sound. They usually bark at intrusions and are hostile to other dogs at first. On this fierce night, the animals did not seem disturbed. Maureen and her husband, Chris, 43, a Milton firefighter, peeked out at the forlorn soaked black dog on their front stoop. "We tried to tell him to go home and we went up to bed," she says. Later, they heard another scratch at the slider to the back porch. The stranger in the night wasn't going anywhere. "My husband went down and put one of our old dog beds outside on the porch [under an overhang] with some water and biscuits. We were hoping he would go home and we just felt bad for him because it was pouring buckets."

But Maureen couldn't sleep. Pregnant with her second child, she had undergone a disquieting medical test that day. About 2:30 in the morning, she heard more noises and went downstairs to find her dog Molly lying up against the slider where the black dog was just behind the glass. Molly usually sleeps in a bed upstairs. "She was lying by that door, which was very unusual," says Little. "And the dog was lying out back next to the door. I couldn't believe he was still there. It was very, very strange."

In the morning, the rain had stopped and everyone saw the light. Maureen went downstairs. Her husband had opened the slider, letting Molly into the backyard. "I came downstairs and saw the two dogs sitting out in the backyard. They were sitting side by side, facing toward the house. And I just knew. My husband said, 'Do you think that's Bailey?' And I said, 'Oh my God, that is Bailey.' I just knew because they were so peaceful and calm together. Molly is never like that with another dog immediately."

Bailey had been born under a neighbor's shed on the same street nine years ago. Purebred black Labrador retriever Jesse had been impregnated by a rogue mutt when she was 8½ months old. She produced eight puppies. Maureen gave the puppies away, but kept a golden-haired one, Molly. She allowed Nicole, her former roommate at Bridgewater State College, the pick of the litter. Nicole chose the black puppy that looked the most like its mother.

On recognizing their next of kin, the Littles invited Bailey into the house where, over biscuits and lots of reassuring sniffs, the prodigal dog continued his reunion with his sister, Molly, and his lookalike mother, Jesse. It had been at least five years since they had all been together briefly in Milton for a visit. Since then, the Littles had drastically renovated their house from a one-bedroom ranch into a four-bedroom Colonial.

Maureen Little dialed her friend's cellphone. She knew Nicole had recently moved nearby, but they had not had a chance to get together yet.

Across the Milton line in Hyde Park, it had been a bleak morning for Nicole and Jay Walsh. Baby Emma cried for Bailey. They called shelters with no result. And then Nicole's cellphone rang around 8:30. Her former roommate's number popped up on the screen. "I was bawling," she says. "When I saw Maureen's number come up, I couldn't answer it. I said to my husband, 'Jay, I know she has Bailey. We need to go get him.' " Maureen left a message and called again. "Nicole," she says, "was hysterical when she picked up the phone."

The Walshes went to retrieve their dog, but everybody knew this exuberant reunion left more questions than answers. How did Bailey find his way back to his mom and sister? In the pouring rain? In foreign territory? "It's just so remarkable," says Nicole, "that he picked up the scent. He lived in West Roxbury for most of his life. We had just moved to Hyde Park. I can't imagine he would ever remember."

"I'm just amazed at their innate sense of smell and belonging," says Maureen. "I never knew they would have such a connection to each other. My dogs did not have the same reaction to Bailey as they do to other dogs. There's definitely something between these dogs," she says. "There's definitely some kind of real feelings there."

According to renowned "dog whisperer" and author Elizabeth Marshall Thomas, canine familial feelings are very real and strong. "They wouldn't be able to love us if they didn't learn it from somewhere," says Thomas, speaking by phone from Texas. "You have to be able to love members of your own species before you can branch out and apply that to other species."

Thomas, an anthropologist who has written books about dog behavior, including the tender classic, "The Hidden Life Of Dogs," savors the saga of Bailey. "I think this story is of the best and it's very indicative because it shows you what dogs are going through." Thomas's basic premise in her writings holds that dogs experience truest happiness when surrounded by their own kind.

During our conversation, she recounts a reunion between a mother and daughter dog. "They took to each other immediately and they were very peaceful together," Thomas says. She describes that calm as spiritual -- "Oh, at last, you're here." It sounds like the same serenity seen by Maureen Little when she glimpsed Bailey and Molly sitting quietly together in her backyard.

Since that first journey in early December, Bailey has escaped the Walshes' house and run away three times to his birth family in Milton. The Walshes are somewhat embarrassed about their dog's escapades because they know they should keep better control over their pet. Bailey now wears a current city license on his collar. Still, the owners thought they knew their dog's habit of simply hanging around if he should get out of the house unleashed. Now they know better.

It's become routine for Nicole or Jay to call the Littles asking after their dog. Bailey has shown up there three times, hanging out with Mom and Sis. A couple of weeks ago, the dog almost made it a fourth time until Nicole got in her car and followed him en route. She discovered Bailey doesn't take the Mapquest straight shot, but has developed his own doggy back road strategy. The trip is 1.3 miles one way. "When I finally stopped and told him to get in the car, he looked at me like, 'Oh no, you're here,' " says Nicole.

She worries about her relationship with her dog. "Part of me feels so guilty. Am I not providing a good home for him? If I had the money, I would hire a dog psychologist."

Dr. Nicholas Dodman, director of the Tufts University Veterinary Center Animal Behavior Clinic, is a national authority on dog psychology. He has written books on the subject, including "The Dog Who Loved Too Much" and the recently published "If Only They Could Speak: Stories about Pets and Their People." Hearing the story of Bailey, scientist Dodman says, "It's important to realize different animals have different gifts. [Dogs] are almost savants in certain areas. We can only be in awe of their sense of smell."

Canines also have an acute ability "to make mental maps," says Dodman. "Whether it's [magnetic] or some other mechanism, a dog can find its way from point a to point b in a pea soup of fog if it really wants to." Obviously, Bailey had a powerful impetus. "When he came back for that visit [five years ago], it must have been deja vu all over again."

Dodman suggests there could have been a jarring "gap" when Bailey was taken from the litter that compels him to seek out his kin. "This dog may have had some experience that predisposed it to very fond memories," he says. His advice would be for the Walshes to "paddle the canoe in the same direction. The dog has indicated it likes to return to its family. So I would schedule regular visits, playtimes, and reunions. Maybe there should be a permanent reunion. If it went down to live in Milton, they might find it would be making its way back home."

Nicole Walsh doesn't like to hear Bailey might prefer living with his dog family, but she will soldier on, because her pet means the world to her. She and Maureen have agreed to give their animals regular playtimes together. "Is it a huge loss to dogs not to have their people? I don't know," says Thomas. "Obviously [dogs] have the ability to be happy and enjoy and to override the longings they have, as people do."

On a recent morning, Nicole Walsh loaded Emma and Bailey into the car for a canine confab in Milton. She followed Bailey's walking route. When she turned onto Metropolitan Avenue, the dog started panting with excitement. When they pulled into Maureen's house, Bailey bounded out of the car to greet Jesse and Molly. Tails wagging, with no barks exchanged, the dogs romped in the snow together. Later, they came inside for biscuits and bonhomie.

We humans sipped our coffee and expressed our amazement at the whole thing. The blood-relation rovers carried on comfortably, weaving into our midst for treats or pats, but circling back to each other for reassuring sniffs of noses or hindquarters: "Oh, at last, you're here."

Source:
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2005/01/30/incredible_journey

Lucky, the foster dog

Amazing story of lost dog finding her way home today in Santa Fe
Posted by Julie L on June 6, 2009 at 9:09pm

For those who have lost dogs in the past you may appreciate this story.

I've been fostering a dog for about 3 months now and today took her to a potential adopter's home in Tierra Contenta (Airport Road & Country Club), which is about a 6 mile drive from my home near Yucca & Rodeo. They are a great young couple with another dog and a cat, and I felt a GREAT home for this dog. We spent about 30 minutes there and I felt they needed a feel for how she'd do without me there, so offered to leave her there for one hour while I ran an errand. That was the first time I've done that with a foster dog but at the time I felt the couple needed a better feel of the dog's personality without me there.

30 minutes later, at noon, they called; the dog had gotten spooked and scaled a wall. She'd never jumped a fence since I've had her. She was wearing a collar and bright pink and yellow scarfs so I was hopeful she'd be easily spotted.

After searching for an hour I went home to print fliers, filed a lost dog report with the Shelter then spent the rest of the afternoon until 7pm posting fliers around Airport - Jaguar - Paseo del Sol - Meadows.

For 7 hours today I was trying to think like this dog. Where would she go? Would she follow Arroyos? Would she avoid neighborhoods and stay in the open spaces? She's very shy, so I guessed she'd avoid people and playgrounds. She wasn't starving so she probably wouldn't be coaxed into a car with a stranger.
 At 2:30 she was spotted by two helpful teenagers at Airport & Paseo del Sol, but by the time I got there, no sign.

At 7:30 tonight I pulled into my driveway and THERE SHE WAS! This dog who has lived with me for only 3 months, who has never been west of Richards, must have headed east down Airport Road, crossed Cerrillos, continued down Rodeo to Yucca, then south and back to my house all in one afternoon.

So, I wanted to share a happy story. Shame on me for that momentary lapse in judgement. Lucky's still available for adoption (the couple are still thinking about it) and will be at the big multi-shelter adoption event at San Ysidro Plaza on June 14.

By the way, the people in the Tierra Contenta neighborhood were all very kind and helpful. Tomorrow I'll be back out there removing fliers.

Source: http://santafescoop.ning.com/profiles/blogs/amazing-story-of-lost-dog

Shya, a hound

Bothell search party finds lost dog
posted on Tuesday, June 16th, 2009
by Baci

My dog friend, Shya, was rescued a few months ago after being abandoned by her owner. She had been neglected and abused and was very shy around people. She lived her entire life outside attached to a chain or in a small kennel. She never went to a park or rode in a car.

Since her rescue she moved into a new home and is extremely connected to her owner. Now Shya enjoys swimming and running at local parks. She smiles and soars like the wind through the park trails.

Disaster struck on Sunday, June 14, when Shya escaped from her dog-walker at Penn Tell Park in Bothell, WA. Her leash was still attached, which added the concern that she would get it caught on something.

Within minutes of her escape dog owners visiting the park began searching for her. The search party grew to over 10 people, plus me…my job was to find her scent and sniff her out. Unfortunately, as daylight gave way to night, Shya was nowhere to be found. I miss her so much.

This is Baci, missing Shya

Monday, June 15, the search continued. Signs were posted and neighbors were alerted. Members or the search party scoured the neighborhoods by car and by foot all day Monday. Finally there was a ray of hope when somone called and reported a sighting of Shya back at the park at abouth 12:30pm Monday. I was so happy we might find my friend.

By Monday evening everyone was worried we would never see Shya again. She didn’t know the area at all and because she was always locked up she doesn’t know anything about life on the streets. Her distrust of people only added to the worry. Boy! I really need my friend back.

The search continued into the evening. Shya’s owner stayed at the park while friends of Shya refused to give up. We drove around the neighborhoods and talked to everyone out walking their dogs. We gave our cell numbers to about 50 people. The search party included Tracey and Jeff, Wanda, Marilyn, Joey, Crystal & Brian, Rick & Elizabeth, Mo and me. It was getting very late and dark and I worried that she didn’t have any food or water.

And then, a miracle happens, while the search party was out searching for her, Shya returned to the park and sat by her owners car. Everyone in the search party was called with the good news.

The lost dog Shya in the background; the author Baci in the front

As for me, I was never so happy to see my friend. I’ll never take her for granted again. And I was amazed by all the people willing to look for her. Thank you.

Source: http://dogsonblogs.com/?p=22

Jarvis, jack russell terrier

Shaggy dog story: Lost dog Jarvis hitches his way home on the ferry
By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 10:02 PM on 03rd August 2008

Jarvis the Jack Russell stunned his owners after getting lost on a day out miles from his home - and finding his way back alone on a ferry.The owner of the six-year-old pooch, Vivienne Oxley, was frantically searching for her pet after he disappeared into undergrowth while walking on a country estate.Vivienne, 56, had taken Jarvis along with her two-year-old granddaughter Kaytie for a day out at Mount Edgcumbe in Torpoint, Cornwall, when the dog bolted into undergrowth.



After half an hour of looking for him Vivienne enlisted the help of a warden and together they spent over two hours scouring the grounds of the 865-acre country park in vain.

Devastated, she decided to take her granddaughter home and they started making their way back to Plymouth, Devon - situated across a stretch of water where the River Tamar meets Plymouth Sound.But before Vivienne arrived back she received a call from the warden to say that staff on the ferry that runs between Devon and Cornwall had reported seeing a Jack Russell Terrier like Jarvis onboard. She set off to find him but then had a second call from her astonished husband Tony, 58, who said Jarvis had turned up alone at their home.

The plucky pooch had found his way onto the Cremyll passenger ferry, where he had made several crossings before hopping off on the Devon side and trotting the two-miles back home.Pharmacy worker Vivienne said: 'I was totally, utterly astounded when I heard Jarvis had come home without us. I rushed back to the house and there he was sitting in the window, wagging his tail as if nothing had happened.


This is the ferry that Jarvis took to get home ahead of his family.

'The cheeky little thing had me out of my mind with worry, I thought we'd lost him forever. I was very upset.

'Although he has gone off a couple of times before he never goes out of my sight - something must have spooked him.

'I didn't think we'd see him again because I was sure he'd get run over, I was so relieved.

'The staff on the Cremyll ferry - who said he had made several trips back and forth - just laughed and said "Isn't he clever?"

We don't quite know how long he was sailing around for, or what route he took home. It's a big journey for a little dog though.'The foot ferry runs every 30 minutes between Mount Edgcumbe and Cremyll Quay in Plymouth and the crossing takes around 10 minutes.

Source:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1041228/Shaggy-dog-story-Lost-dog-Jarvis-hitches-way-home-ferry.html#

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Bailey, a small white dog

Don't try this at home, only because you can't. This is extremely unusual, if this dog really did walk home. The story doesn't mention if the dog had a tag, but if he did and if the tag has the home address, this dog may have been picked up and dropped off. But we'll go with he figured out the way and walked home. Oh and I just have to say, there's no way this dog is a bichon frise, at least he's not a purebred bichon.

Dog logs 7 miles in trek home in North Huntingdon
By Paul Peirce, TRIBUNE-REVIEW

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

He may be tiny, but Bailey, a bichon frise, trudged more than seven miles to come home.

Bailey's hike from Darragh to North Huntingdon covered seven miles over three days. "You could tell he is still a little sore, but he's so happy to be home. He jumped the whole way up into my arms when I went out to the front to see if it was him," said his owner, Janet Staigvil.

Janet Staigvil, of North Huntingdon, was so upset over her missing pet that when she heard a dog crying on her front stoop Tuesday, she thought she was hearing things.

After three days of frantically searching for her pet, Staigvil didn't want to answer the door for fear of being disappointed again.

But Staigvil and her husband, Lou, soon discovered their 10-year-old dog -- who was lost more than seven miles away -- had managed to find his way back to his owners near the village of Rillton.

"I was starting to worry we'd never see him again. You know when you have a pet this long, it's really part of your family, and when you lose it, that's all you can think about day and night," Janet Staigvil said.

"We're so happy. And we're really amazed he was able to find his own way home," she said.

The dog's odyssey began Saturday when Lou decided to take Bailey along on a wood-splitting trip near his sister's home. Frieda Bogec and her husband, Bill, live near Madison Cemetery in Darragh, Hempfield Township.

"I thought he should take Bailey along so he could play with their golden retriever while they split wood," Staigvil said.

About 9 a.m. Saturday, the Bogecs' dog came running out of the woods. Bailey was nowhere to be found.
A daylong search by the Staigvils and the Bogecs proved fruitless. On Sunday, they continued the hunt and tacked up wanted posters. They placed an advertisement in the Tribune-Review seeking help to find the dog.

"We found out that there were sightings, but nothing substantial when we went out. There was even a sighting in Crabapple Park in Herminie (Sewickley Township)," Janet Staigvil said. Bailey's return stunned Janet's sister, Shirley Biancheria of North Huntingdon.

"Bailey's no bigger than a white powder puff. That's a lot of walking on those tiny little legs," Biancheria said. Bailey's journey ended about 8:15 a.m. yesterday.

"He was crying, and you could tell he is still a little sore, but he's so happy to be home. He jumped the whole way up into my arms when I went out to the front to see if it was him," Janet Staigvil said.

Bailey rests on the family sofa in North Huntingdon.

Source: http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/westmoreland/s_529383.html

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Chance, a yellow lab

This lost dog was found because he was able to smell his way to the family car -- even though the car was displaced after a tornado. Now that's a good sniffer on that dog! Enjoy the story.


June 9, 2008
Dog found 9 days after Parkersburg twister
By Juan Perez Jr, Des Moines Register

Parkersburg, Ia. - There's a story people tell in Parkersburg about a dog and its family.

It's a story that has become an Internet sensation and one that stands out among Parkersburg's stories of survival and loss. It's a story that circles around a frisky yellow Labrador named Chance, a fitting title for a dog who was lost after last month's tornado, but sniffed his way to their car nine days later.

Chance, undoubtedly a very lucky pooch, is staying with Parkersburg veterinarian Russ Stickley until his owners, Pam and Dan Bleeker, get back on their feet. The Bleekers were hit hard by the May 25 tornado, losing Dan's mother and their house. Both their dogs disappeared, too, but Chance turned up nine days later.
(ANDREA MELENDEZ/REGISTER PHOTOS)

He belongs to Dan and Pam Bleeker of Parkersburg. Dan, originally from New Hartford, married Pam in 2002 and moved into her modest, tan-colored house on Iowa Highway 57. Their lives changed after an EF5 tornado destroyed their house and hundreds of others.

Their losses weren't only material ones: Dan's 71-year-old mother, Leasa, died in her New Hartford home during the storm. As the couple try to stitch their lives back together, Chance has become a bright yellow spot in a grim story.

"It's nice to see a little bit of life come back, you know?" Pam said. Dan crouches near Pam on her parents' front porch as he helps recall the story.

They ran for the house once they saw the massive wall cloud that birthed one of Iowa's deadliest tornadoes.

Pam took Andrew, the couple's 5-year-old grandson, straight to the basement. Dan stayed in the garage and tried to coax Chance and Buddy, the family's Rottweiler mix, inside. Neither dog budged. Dan had to leave them and barely got downstairs in time.

The family emerged after the twister to a changed world. In the chaos, the couple didn't immediately realize Chance and Buddy were missing. "I wasn't even thinking about the dogs," Dan said. Flying debris had cut Pam's foot badly and forced her to seek medical attention.

Dan wandered around Parkersburg in a daze, stopping to help anyone he could. Pam got the worst news while she was headed for the hospital: Her sister called to say Dan's mother had been killed. The couple eventually moved into Pam's parents' intact Parkersburg home and tried to get their lives back together.

Pam did what she could despite a cumbersome protective boot on her injured foot. Dan assisted with Parkersburg's cleanup efforts by helping cap the dozens of damaged gas lines.

Then the Bleekers' insurance company called Pam on Tuesday afternoon to say a salvage worker had found a yellow dog in one of the Bleekers' vehicles. The remnants of the family's vehicles were in a group of ruined cars lined up near Parkersburg's fire station. Pam called Dan, who hitched a ride from work to the fire station to investigate.

Sure enough, he found Chance seated quietly behind the wheel of Pam's white Pontiac Bonneville. The dog wasn't "having anything to do with anybody," Dan said, until he called the dog's name.The yellow Lab saw his best friend and went crazy.

"He jumped out of the car, and he was all over him, just all over him," Pam said. Chance was fine, except for a couple of sores on his face. He'd lost 12 pounds during the nine-day ordeal, "but he needed that," Pam said.

Nobody knows the details of Chance's adventure, such as how he survived and found Pam's car hundreds of feet away from the remnants of his home.

"We don't know if (the dogs) got taken away by the tornado, or if everything came crashing on them and they took off, or what," Pam said. Russ Stickley, the veterinarian at Parkersburg Veterinary Service, where Chance is now staying, is pretty sure he saw Chance running near the totaled vehicles a week after the storm.

Stickley said some people tried to catch him, but Chance would have none of it.Two weeks after the tornado, Parkersburg is gradually rebuilding.Buddy, the Bleekers' second dog, is still missing. Pam's phone rings every now and then with a call from someone who might have seen or found the dog.The Bleekers continue to hope the second dog will come home.Having one of the dogs back, however, has helped the couple as they work to start over.

"We've lost a lot in the past year," Dan said. "You just gotta keep rollin' on. Nothing more you can do."

Source: Des Moines Register
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20080609/NEWS/806090319/-1/mischeds&theme=DEADLY_IOWA_TORNADO

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Using Reverse Number Search

You know, I find stories from everywhere. I think this one is an attempt to promote reverse lookup services! But hey, who cares if it's a happy ending story, and especially if there's anything to learn from the story. It does seem like a pretty good idea to learn about how to do what's described here. I left the part at the end that looks really promotional for anyone that wants to check out the links. I'm going to do that myself later.

How a Number Reverse Search Engine Helped a Family Reunite With Its Missing Dog
Richard Ducharne, a freelance writer who's published many articles about technology
Posted: May 6th, 2009

In so many cases, we hear about the benefits of using a number reverse search engine to find a cheating spouse or to combat harassing phone calls. While those cases show that the service can be useful, they don't illustrate the happy stories that can also result from the services. The story below shows a different side of the uses for these search services.

A family had adopted a dog from a local humane society. The dog was a present for the 8 year old daughter who had been excited about getting a pet for a long time. The family was responsible enough to have the dog micro-chipped. This means a tiny chip was implanted in the dog's back. The chip contained a number that would connect the person who found the dog to a database containing the family's contact information.

Several years passed and the family had moved but did not update the information with the micro-chip company. Then the dog went missing. The dog dug its way out under the fence and took off around the neighborhood then disappeared. The family was desperate and distraught.

What they didn't know was the person who found the dog immediately brought it to the local shelter to be checked for the micro-chip. But when the person was given the contact information, it was out-of-date.

Luckily, she knew how to perform a reverse search through one of the for-fee sites. The outdated number allowed her to find their newer number so she could call them and help them reunite with their dog. Everyone ended up happy.

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Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/cell-phones-articles/how-a-number-reverse-search-engine-helped-a-family-reunite-with-its-missing-dog-904147.html

Tasha, a Schnauzer

For weeks I kept an eye, via Craigslist, on the search for a sweet little lost dog in my area, unable to help but wishing I could. I'm happy, though frankly also surprised, to be able to tell her story on my blog -- since she was recovered after about six weeks.

My local Craigslist – the Lost & Found and the Pets sections – has been carrying several postings a week from the mom of a lost schnauzer named Tasha.

Tasha’s mom takes a lot of care in posting so often, changing the subject line, the photos included and the wording of the ads so that no two are alike. If you saved every ad or remembered everything you learned from them all, you might eventually have collected a lot of details of whatever happened that she went missing. As I recall, something spooked her enough to run off, and that was it. She was gone, and has been gone since then. And her mom never stopped renewing the word she was putting out on Craigslist.

When I saw the first few postings, I did what I normally do, which is resist the temptation to reach out to the lost dog’s mom. I know that folks who post their lost pets on Craigslist get plenty of email. It’s obvious when they post that they found their lost pet that lots of people were writing to offer encouragement and advice. I figure it takes up so much time that it’s a serious challenge, so I don’t add to it.

I also don’t offer to help, which I always want to do, because I’ve learned that pretty often, people posting to Craigslist want to spread the word, but they don’t accept offers of help. And that was true in Tasha’s mom’s case, which I found out because I did eventually reach out to her. She didn’t want to impose – never mind that I’d offered, and that I tried to assure her that I would not spend time I didn’t have on it. Other than saying that and also that she was going to give up the search because it was so hard on the family, she didn’t really clarify why she would not let me help. It was very sad, but I’ve seen the response before, both from my offers to help and also others who have offered to help Craigslist posters. So I retreated after a few emails. And I continued to see Tasha postings on Craigslist despite her saying it was too hard to continue.

I also would see Tasha’s postings on other lost and missing pet websites. I know that the family tried FindToto robo calls, some fliering, check petharbor.com daily, and they considered a tracking dog but ultimately rejected that idea. I thought it was an OK effort overall, but not great and not what it needed to be. Tasha was, from what her mom had described to me, just a little spooked, not enveloped in mortal terror. She was a well adjusted pampered pet, had lived with the family in that home forever, had never fended for herself before, and her grooming level was such that anyone who found her when she was maybe scooting through the neighborhood couldn’t possibly have mistaken her for a dumped dog. I felt that a media blitz was needed to flush the dog out of whatever home she was in. But I’m pretty certain that the family never went that route. I thought that was sad, too.

Imagine how tickled I was to sign on to Craigslist today to find that I missed a posting from 2 days ago – Tasha made her way back home! My guess (and Tasha’s mom’s guess too) is that she was in a nearby home the whole time (six weeks?). She probably could have found her way home any time, but was confined and unable to do so until she somehow managed to get out. It’s easy to believe that whoever was keeping her was doing so intentionally when they could have returned, and that’s probably the case . . . but then they may also have been oblivious, and innocent. Anyway, now, today, Tasha and her family don’t care. She’s home where she belongs. It will most likely never be known where she was or just what went down, but she got back home and on her own. Here’s how her mom told the story:

So, this morning, lying in bed (windows were open) I hear a familiar howl/barking and sure enough... Tasha found her way home to us at 6 a.m. this morning. Needless to say it was a very happy, surreal reunion. She had put on some weight and the collar was on, but tags had been removed... so I think she was waiting to make her "get-a-way" to find her way back to us... this is the first sunny, nice day in awhile and she was waiting for the right time to "escape" from whoever was keeping her and find her way home. It's truly a miracle and the best Mother's Day Gift anybody could ask for! Thanks to all of you who have put up with my non-stop postings about finding our missing Tasha... look no more... she is HOME!