Duke, chocolate lab

Lost Dog Reunited With Family After A Month Long Adventure
Chocolate Lab Goes Missing From Backyard
Posted on Sunday, November 20, 2011

Now that Duke is sleeping on 8 year old Jackson Bakken’s bed each night, everyone in the Bakken house is sleeping a little easier. Duke took quite a journey to get there.

Jackson Bakken holds his dog Duke sitting next to his father, Dale Bakken

Jackson’s father, Dale Bakken, had given up hope of ever seeing the Chocolate Lab again.

Bakken came home early on Oct. 14, to find Duke missing from his kennel in the backyard. How he got out of the chain link kennel was a mystery. Duke was hit by a car as a puppy, as a result has a limp and can’t run far.

Bakken searched the neighborhood and surrounding area, but turning up nothing he alerted neighbors and called the shelters around town.

Over the next few days, Bakken filed a missing dog report with Animal Control and posted multiple Craigslist ads. Weeks passed. Still nothing. He was angry with himself for neglecting to get a tracking chip and new identification tags for Duke.

Jackson Was Always On The Look Out For Duke

Delivered by Santa Claus on Christmas, Duke, the pick of the litter came to live with Jackson and Dale five years ago.

The Chocolate Lab is quick to give kisses even to strangers. He loves crawling on laps and is easy going to a fault.

“If somebody breaks in, he’d probably help them,” said Bakken.

When Duke went missing, Jackson lost a wrestling and tennis ball-fetching buddy. Bakken lost a loyal and talented birding partner.

Jackson was always on the look out for Duke, hoping he’d come home soon.

But Bakken admits that after a while he gave up hope that they would ever see him again. He canceled his bird hunting trips — it just wasn’t worth it without Duke.

“There was a lot of heartache and headaches not knowing where he was for a month,” Bakken said. “To not hear anything from anybody, I was a little disappointed in humanity.”

A phone call from a stranger, Stephanie Lewis changed all that.

Duke’s Adventures Away From Home

For five days of the month long absence, only Duke will ever know where he went. On Oct. 19, Duke was taken in at the Parker and Pets Rescue shelter after someone in Charlo called and said they’d had found a stray Chocolate Lab.

Duke was at the shelter for about a month until the PetSmart adoption event led him to Stephanie and Sonny Lewis’ Corvallis home, where he turned out to be a good fit with the Lewises five other dogs, one of which is a 14-year-old Lab near the end of its life.

Duke would come to a whistle, but always seemed to be heading off somewhere. Stephanie Lewis was convinced he was looking for something.

“We adopted him and brought him home, he was such a good dog. His manners were so good, you knew someone was missing him. If he was my dog, I would be out looking for him,” Lewis said.

On a hunch, she contacted two other chocolate Lab owners who listed lost dog postings on Craigslist. Both were a dead end. She decided to make one final call to Bakken.

An Emotional Reunion

Bakken was stopped dead in his tracks by Lewis’ call. They connected by phone Monday afternoon and reunited with Duke that night.

“I sat down and he just sat on my legs and put his head on my shoulder. I felt a little silly I got emotional in front of somebody I hardly knew,” Bakken said.

Bakken is still baffled about how Duke got from Missoula to Polson to Corvallis and back again.

He can’t say enough about the Lewises’ and what their kindness means to him.

“The big thing I got out of this is there are good people out there that do the right thing for no reason other than it’s the right thing,” Bakken said.

Lewis said she was happy to help and hopes someone would do the same for her.

“Never stop looking for your dog. Somebody knows something and there has to be somebody out there who will return it,” she said.

Bakken reimbursed the Lewises’ adoption fee and took Duke home, where he is happier than ever.

Before his trip, Duke slept outside. Now, “I give him most of the bed,” Jackson said.

Source: http://www.aplacetolovedogs.com/2011/11/dog-reunited-with-family-after-a-month-long-adventure/1486624852/

Knuckles, miniature schnauzer

Couple reunite long-lost dog with owner
By Eddie Jimenez / The Fresno Bee
Posted at 11:06 PM on Tuesday, Apr. 19, 2011

Thanks to a couple's compassion for animals and a microchip, a former Fresno woman will be reunited with her dog, who had been missing for more than a year.

A Fresno couple found Knuckles, a miniature schnauzer, last weekend and took him to an animal clinic to check for an identification microchip.

Knuckles, a miniature schnauzer, got away from his owner almost a year ago in Fresno. He was found and will be reunited with his family this week after a long flight to Florida, where the family has relocated.

Sure enough, employees at the Animal Hospital & Bird Clinic in northwest Fresno discovered the identification device in Knuckles and contacted his owner Monday. She has moved to Florida.

"She was overwhelmed with joy," said Jaclyn Mendoza, a clinic employee. "She had given up hope."

Knuckles became lost about 14 months ago, before his owner moved away, Mendoza said. The owner did not want to be identified. Much to Knuckles' good fortune, he crossed paths Sunday evening with Kristine Perez and Jason Hunt, who rescued him from the streets on Palm Avenue south of Herndon Avenue.

The couple had just left their home in the area about 6 p.m. to run errands when they came to a stop sign at Palo Alto Avenue and Palm.

Knuckles was running around wildly. They feared he might be hit by a car, so they picked him up.

"He was really scared, shaking and nervous," Perez said.

Perez and Hunt contacted neighbors and placed an ad on Craigslist, but could not find the dog's owner.

The couple, who have two cats with identification microchips, took care of the miniature schnauzer overnight Sunday before going to the clinic Monday morning.

A microchip is about the size of a grain of rice and is injected between an animal's shoulder blades, said Daphne Hill, a veterinarian with the Fresno animal hospital.

"A collar and a name tag with telephone number can be removed or lost, but the implanted mircochip remains to identify your pet," she said.

Knuckles is scheduled to fly out of Fresno to Florida today, Hill said. His owner will pay for her pet's medical care and the flight, though the clinic's staff is donating some of its time for costs. Perez and Hunt's reward is knowing they helped reunite a dog and his owner.

Said Perez, "A man who was in the clinic when we took the dog said, 'You really did your good deed for the day.'

Source: http://www.fresnobee.com/2011/04/19/2357270/couple-reunite-long-lost-dog-with.html

Bori, yorkshire terrier

Story on websites helps reunite Stamford dog with owner
Monday, April 18, 2011

This dog was found wandering northbound on Post Road in Darien on Friday, and was spotted as far south as the exit 9 interchange of Interstate 95 in Stamford.

DARIEN -- Two days after finding a stray dog wandering along Post Road, Kristin Calve decided to take to Twitter in hopes of finding the dog's owner.

Calve, a real estate agent from Darien, had contacted animal control officials about a small, Yorkshire terrier named Bori that had no tags and no microchip. But Bori's owner hadn't come forward as of Sunday night., and Calve began to worry.

"I started to think `do I own this dog now," she said. That's when Calve posted a photo of the dog on her Twitter page, along with a plea for help.

The tweet, it turned out, paid off. Calve said the neighbor of Bori's owner, who lives in Stamford, saw the story, which had been posted online by the Darien News and The Advocate, and called Calve's cell phone number to claim the dog. At 9:55 a.m., Calve tweeted the good news. "Thanks to @StamAdvocate!" she tweeted. "Your story helped us find the dog's owners! I just dropped him off."

Calve was driving along Post Road on Friday when she saw the dog, which had no owner in site as it wandered north on Post Road near Hollow Tree Ridge Road.

Calve got out of her car and picked up the dog at the intersection of Post Road and Hampton Road at around 4 p.m. on Friday.

When she picked up the dog, she said she was approached by a woman who told her she had followed the dog from Stamford, near exit 9 on Interstate 95.

Calve took care of the dog until Monday morning, when the owner was alerted to the story and came forward, prompting Calve to drive to Stamford to drop the terrier off.

Source: http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/Tweets-story-help-reunite-lost-dog-with-owner-1341450.php
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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

Stinky, chihuahua

American reporter & return dog-napped pooch to its family 6 years later
Sandra Jordan, The St. Louis American
Posted: Tuesday, March 22, 2011

It's a day she hoped for when Amy Meley's Chihuahua, named Stinky, returned to her rightful home in south St. Louis. It's a shame dogs can't talk like humans, because Stinky had quite a journey.

After hearing a gunshot on Memorial Day weekend, Stinky ran off family property into the woods and made her way into the middle of Highway 143 near Edwardsville, Illinois. Witnesses told Meley that vehicles pulled over to keep from running over the pint-sized pet. But one person, described by witnesses to the canine caper as a blonde woman in a white Dodge Durango, did more than pull over.

"'I saw a woman with her on Sunday night driving down 143 right by the VFW Hall,'" a witness told Meley a few days later. "This woman picked her up and put her in the window of her car. We were all talking to her, saying ‘oh this dog is so cute - this has got to be someone's dog. The woman reportedly said, ‘Oh, she's so cute I might just keep her.' When witnesses protested, the lady reportedly said, ‘I'm just kidding.'"

But she wasn't kidding.

"She went into the VFW, turned around and went back into 143 and she said she turned into Ginger Lake Estates complex," Meley said.

That was the last time anyone saw Stinky.

"I started putting flyers up in the neighborhood that said thank you to the woman in the white Durango who picked up Stinky...please contact me if you need a reward ... I would drive and go back through Ginger Lake a few hours later and they'd be pulled down."

That was in 2005.

Meley was heartbroken. Someone stole the dog she rescued from a shelter in Chicago. Meley and her family plastered the subdivision and the Edwardsville area with laminated flyers; she put ads in the newspaper; she visited veterinarian offices; St. Clair and Madison County animal control offices; she posted her lost dog online; bugged the crap out of the police department and even offered an award at one time, but no Stinky. She became known as ‘The Stinky poster lady."

Photos of Stinky remained on her bedside nightstand, on her refrigerator and even on her mom's refrigerator. Meley kept her beloved dog's bed, her clothes, and her toys - all in hope that one day she would return. Stinky was 8 years old when she was reported stolen.

Meley now has - four big dogs - all pit bulls - all rescued animals, although two are foster dogs. Everyone who knows Meley, a seventh grade science teacher at Ritenour Middle School, also knows about Stinky, long gone and ever present at the same time.

Meley also began volunteering at Stray Rescue, in hopes that what she experienced would never happen to another family.

Fast forward to midday Sunday March 13. My husband and I were driving home in North St. Louis County when I noticed what at first appeared to be a weird looking squirrel foraging for something to eat from a yellow food wrapper. Upon closer approach, the squirrel turned out to be a little dog - a Chihuahua. Not only was it strange to see a food wrapper on the sidewalk in that particular area, it was even stranger to see a tiny pet without a leash or its owner.

It seemed the dog was oblivious to being only a few feet from a well-traveled road with fast-moving cars. My husband was thinking something would eat this dog up, because it's so small. As I was thinking it, my husband, Cardell Jordan, asked if I thought we should go back and get the dog and find out who it belonged to. We made a u-turn to grab this little fellow out of harm's way and get it back into the yard or house it escaped from - probably in one of the nearby subdivisions.

Or so we thought.

"I went over to where we saw her. She was walking in the grass, so I called her and she turned around and she started coming to me, like she was really needing some help," Jordan said. "So we kind of met, and she let me pick her up and I brought her back here."

He could feel all of her little rib bones.

"She was really shaking like she did not have a lot of balance," he said.

When he got back into the vehicle, we wrapped her in a towel and took her home. She had no collar, so our best hope was that she had a microchip that could identify her owner on Monday when the shelter and the vet's offices were open.

The dog may have been on its last leg because her eyes were red and looked very weak. It was starving - and ate every morsel of dog food we put in front of her and she drank plenty of water as well. The dog must have been out in the elements for a long time. Her nails were quite overgrown, but they were cut evenly across.

She didn't make a sound - and she slept on the towel in a crate that belonged to our little dog, which kept returning to the crate to check on the visitor's well-being.

In the meantime, our daughters created "Dog Found" posts on Facebook and I posted the same on lost pet websites. I also searched online for any missing Chihuahuas fitting her description within 50 miles of the St. Louis area. On fidofinder.com, I found a tan female Chihuahua missing from Dunlap Lake, Illinois. I thought I had a hit, until I clicked only to find that dog, named Stinky, disappeared in 2005.

"It couldn't be the same dog," I thought at the time.

The weather was nice on Sunday during the day, but the temperature dropped very cold that evening and produced a pretty good snowfall. We don't think this dog would have made it through the night.

Back in St. Louis that same evening, a friend visiting Meley asked her about the dog's photo on her frig, which stood out among all of the pit bulls.

"That's my original baby - that's Stinky. Someone took her six years ago," Meley explained. "I don't have to worry about her because Stinky is always here with me."

Microchip check

Promptly handling the most pressing item on his "Honey Do List," Monday after work, my husband took the dog to be scanned for free at St. Louis County Animal Control North, located on Seven Hills Drive. The dog did have a microchip and the owner was called and a message was left. Rather than leave the dog at the pound, my husband decided to bring her back home, at least for the rest of the week, where we could work on fattening her back up and helping her regain her strength while the shelter worked on contacting the owner.

I asked my husband if the shelter said who the owner was.

He said "No," by this time looking annoyed at what he suspected was the start of an inquisition.

I asked if the shelter mentioned what was the dog's name.

"Oh yea - it's Stinky," he said.

"I saw that name on one of the web sites, but the dog was reported lost years ago," I told him.

"The shelter said she was reported stolen in 2005 or 6," my husband said.

My husband was right.

I did have more questions, but not for him - they were about the dog.

Where had she been all this time?

How did she get from Edwardsville, Illinois to North St. Louis County in Missouri six years, 26 miles and one state away - not to mention crossing the Mississippi River?

This explains why she had no collar.

This explains why there were no missing dog flyers in the neighborhood.

This pooch is a "hot" dog!

The phone call

Weley's husband Riley heard the message first. It was the call his wife had waited almost six years to receive. When he eventually got Amy to listen to the message, she had a hard time believing what she was hearing.

"This is ridiculous that this animal control would call me - how did they get the wrong number?" she said to her husband, who said to her "They didn't. It's the microchip. They scanned her - it's like a barcode."

Meley then asked, "Could they have taken her microchip out and put it in another dog?"

He said, "No, they wouldn't do that. You are talking crazy - it's Stinky.'"

The next ring was a second call from St. Louis County Animal Control.

The big reveal

Needless to say, my husband received several happy, tear-filled messages and conversations with Amy the next day, who eagerly wanted to arrange the pick up.

Parent teacher night at her school delayed the reunion until late in the evening.

No problem - we would all end the evening on a high note.

Amy Meley came to the door and gave each of us a big hug. Then we brought out her now 14-year-old little furry bundle.

"Oh my God," as she covered her mouth then held out her arms. "Stink! What's up, girlfriend? Hi Momma!" Meley said as she finally got to cuddle her long lost family member. "I never, ever thought I would see her again."

Meley just sat on the floor with her dog and shed tears of joy.

Back home

"The pit bulls love her," Meley texted the next day. "She's still a little hesitant. She slept with one of our dogs on Thursday night."

On Friday, Stinky visited the veterinarian, and Meley said although she probably has lost some hearing and vision, she looked pretty good, considering everything.

I hope Meley believes in microchips for pets again. Losing Stinky made her a cynic over the years.

She would tell people "those chips don't do any good unless somebody good finds them."

Microchips are good.

And so is my husband, even if I am biased.

And what a lucky dog.

Source: http://www.stlamerican.com/news/local_news/article_ad800016-54d5-11e0-9f96-001cc4c03286.html
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Toby, Australian Shepherd

Tweet brings Toby home
Dog lost in Kennedale

Social media leads to bull fighter's tweet reunion!
Written by Tammy Jones
Mar 15, 2011 at 12:19 PM

Toby, is an Australian Shepard who was rescued from an abusive situation over a year ago.

He's now best friends with professional bull fighter Jesse James Vick and son Cutter of Burleson, TX.

Toby and Cutter. Friends reunited.

On Wednesday March 9th Toby & Jesse drove to Kennedale to buy horse shoes at Texas Ferrier Supply on New Hope Road. It was a warm day, so Jesse rolled the windows down on his pick up truck, left Toby in the cab and went inside Texas Ferrier Supply.

When he returned to the truck, Toby was gone. He'd run off.

Jesse went home to Burleson without his dog.

On Thursday, I saw the frightened Australian Shepard running across New Hope Road dodging cars. I could tell he looked lost and felt really guilty for not stopping to help him; I thought he was an unfortunate victim of dumping that sometimes happens out near my home and I have enough animals.

When I pulled in my own driveway I was a little sad thinking about the scared Australian Shepard I'd just seen; and I mentioned it to my kids. I actually had to squash my 23 year olds attempts to find him.

On Friday, I was monitoring Twitter as I always do for tweets about Kennedale.

To my suprise there it was @Dallas_CL: Lost Austrailian Shephard Kennedale Texas: Lost black tri colored Austrailian Shephard on 3/9/11 in Kennedale.

To make a long story short, I replied to the tweet poster telling them when and where I'd seen their dog.

That evening Jesse's mom, Reedee Vick called me and was on New Hope looking for their dog.

"My sons a professional bull fighter and this is his traveling buddy. He travels rodeo."

"We rescued him from a breeder about a year ago and he's just become his little traveling buddy."

She was unsuccessful in finding Toby that evening.

The next day she sought help from Russell & Debbie Fincher, who live in the area. As it turns out she's known the Fincher's for many years saying they used to race cars together. [small world huh?]

Reedee said the Fincher's reported seeing the dog, and Russell got on his four wheeler to look for Toby. Still they couldn't find him.

Jesse lives on his ranch in Burleson Texas with his 4 year old son Cutter James Vick where he raises Black Angus Cattle and Quarter Horses.

The next day Jesse took his basset hound with him to search for the missing shepard. Having a general idea of where Toby was; Jesse parked and hollered for the dog. Just when he let the basset hound out of the truck Toby stuck his nose out of the woods. When Toby saw the basset hound he ran straight to them and was so glad to see Jesse; and vice versa.

Reedee used various social media outlets like CraigsList and PetFinder to try and locate Toby. Saying now she needs to go back and cancel her postings.

The Vick's were very happy to be reunited with their lost friend, and he was very hungry when he got home.

"He ate five bowls of food. Bam, bam, bam, just as fast as he could eat it."

"He was a mess - he was full of ticks and he was a mess. He was gone four days. From Wednesday to Sunday."

"I’ve got that basset hound; they’re buddies. He sleeps with that basset hound. They were sure glad to see each other. He don’t leave our side."

"He’d been real timid when we got him. He’d been abused at that breeder. He’s akc registered. He was real timid with men and I don't know why."

"I gave him to Jessie; he’s a good little old dog, I just hated to lose him."
Thanks to smart use of social media, she didn't.

Source: http://www.kennedalenews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1252&Itemid=9
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Maizey, yellow lab

Lost dog reunited with owners thanks to good samaritans
By Maria Lindsay
11/18/2010 - South Side Leader

Jesse Carvill and his daughter Avery are shown after being reunited with their dog Maizey, who was lost for about five days. The dog was found by Quick Clean Car and Pet Wash owners Paul and Linda Doerr, who took Maizey in and put signs in front of the business in an effort to find her owners.

GREEN — A lost-dog story has ended well for one Green family, thanks to a little luck and a dog lover who happened to find the pooch.

Paul and Linda Doerr, owners of Quick Clean Car and Pet Wash Store, found an older female yellow Labrador wandering on Ashwood Road Oct. 20 at about 9 p.m.

“We are dog lovers and we could not turn our backs on one wandering around, so we took her in,” said Paul Doerr, adding that he and his wife own two Labradors — a yellow one and a chocolate one.

Paul Doerr said someone had come to his home earlier in the day looking for the owner of the dog and had apparently let her loose when they failed to find its owners.

Doerr said the dog was well fed and cared for, but she had no collar, just a red “shock collar” worn by pets contained by an electric fence.

“Someone cared enough to keep her contained, but she was dirty as if she had been running through a stream,” he said.

The Doerrs washed and cleaned her at their business.

“My wife wanted to call her Daisy,” said Paul Doerr.

Paul Doerr said he and his wife called three veterinarians in Green to see if anyone had reported her lost and to find out if the dog had an identifying microchip but were unsuccessful in identifying the owners.

He decided to put large signs about the dog in front of the business, which is located at the corner of Mayfair and Massillon roads.

“Our pet groomers at the business wanted to adopt her, but we decided to give it some time,” said Doerr. “The owner apparently was on Craig’s List and saw notes about the dog posted at our business.”

Owner Jesse Carvill contacted Paul Doerr Oct. 25, and soon the dog, which actually was named Maizey, was reunited with him and his young daughter Avery, who live about half a mile down the street from where the dog was found.

“When they were reunited, the dog perked right up and was overjoyed to see her owners,” said Paul Doerr.

Paul Doerr said Carvill told him he had been having problems with his electric fence, and the dog somehow got out.

Carvill could not be reached for comment by presstime.

“They were lucky. This was one of the few good-ending stories,” said Paul Doerr. “It emphasizes the need for why dogs should have a microchip or wear a collar with a license or identification tag at all times so it can be identified when it goes missing.”

Source: http://www.akron.com/pages.asp?aID=10859

Shorty

Man Saves Paralyzed Girl's Missing Dog
Filed Under: Inspiration Dog Rescue Amazing
February 11, 2011
Here's some happy news to warm your heart.

Heather Siebert lost the use of her body from the neck down after a paralyzing car accident last June and if it wasn't for one man's act of kindness, would have lost her dog and best friend Shorty.

Gregg Stokes was driving down a country road in North Carolina when he spotted the injured dog and immediately pulled over to help the animal.

Luckily, the animal wasn't severely injured and Gregg was able to take the animal home.

While asking around the community for the owner of the dog, he happened to bring it to Heather's former high school where everyone immediately recognized the dog.

Heather had just about given up hope and thought Shorty was gone for good when the kind stranger reunited her with the dog.

"When I'm having my bad days, my mom and dad just put Shorty on my bed and let him lay here with me," Heather told reporters after the reunion.

Her mother was appreciative of the stranger's act of kindness and overjoyed with their good fortune, saying:

"It just seems like every time something negative happens, there's something positive that brings a ray of sunshine back into our lives."

We're SO happy for the Seiberts and Shorty!

We wish Heather the best as she continues to live a full and happy life, even after such a tragic accident, with Shorty by her side.

Watch a video of the story HERE
Source: http://teddyhilton.com/2011-02-11-man-saves-dog-from-the-road

Lucy In South Carolina

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nancy White
Pet Shack Of Northside

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

Koby, malamute/husky

OLIVER ALERT FANS HELP GET DOG BACK AFTER SEVENTEEN MONTHS!!!
Dawn H Wilson, Oliver Alert

On July 28 at 11:29pm, Denise Wirth Stover uploaded a picture onto Facebook’s Oliver Alert page of a dog that had been lingering around their neighborhood. Denise posted, “This Malamute/Husky has been wandering around the south Paulding County area of Ridge Road/Seals Road area for a couple of weeks. He finally just came up to us tonight and asked us for some food and water. We let him in and obliged. Let me know if you have any idea where he belongs.”

Less than 24 hours later, an official Oliver Alert notice was published onto Facebook. Oliver Alert has almost 2,000 fans that help share postings of lost and found animals. On that day, Tracy Lee Yates reposted the Oliver Alert information of the found Husky onto her personal Facebook page.

On July 30 at 5:55am, Royce Underwood noticed the Oliver Alert posting on his Facebook News Feed made by a former high school friend of his, Tracy Yates. The dog looked like his son’s lost Husky who had been missing for over a year. Royce commented on the Oliver Alert posting, “Does this guy have a bad back leg? My son’s husky “Koby” disappeared out of our yard. We put up posters and put up signs all over. We truly think someone took him out of there.”

On July 31, I logged onto Oliver Alert and noticed an urgent plea from Kristie Brown-Underwood stating, “To Denise Wirth Stover… I have been desperately trying to contact you. My sons Husky Koby has been missing for a year. The picture you posted looks just like him. He has a tuft of white hair on his neck, and when he was a puppy he broke his leg so he limps a little. please contact me. – Kristie”

By the time, Denise and Kristie connected, the Husky had gotten away again. However, the Underwood’s had a renewed sense of hope and a specific geographic location of where to go.

Kristie Underwood’s son raced to Paulding County, Georgia, which is 2 hours away to find this dog and see if he was Koby or not. Kristie’s son found the dog and the “gentleman” who had been keeping the Husky for two weeks would not give him back. Certain that this was their Koby, the Underwood family would take whatever action was needed to bring their beloved dog back home.

After several heated conversations as well as calls to authorities and Koby’s former vet…the man keeping the husky called and said, “come get him.”

On August 2nd at 12:23am, Royce Underwood joyfully updated the Oliver Alert page with the message, “FOUND!!!!! after 17 months. Original posting from Denise Wirth Stover.”

Through veterinary records, the Underwood’s were able to verify that this husky was in fact their lost dog, Koby.

The sweet words of seeing, “He’s Home” makes this a great Success Story not only for the Stover, Yates and Underwood families but, for me as well, the girl who started Oliver Alert.

Thank you Oliver Alert fans…You might “like” Oliver Alert, but we love you!!

Source: http://www.oliveralert.com/success-stories/

Dawson, beagle

Lost dog happily reunited with owners
.CBC News
Friday, February 11, 2011 | 2:46 PM

Dawson the beagle was rescued Friday by HRM Animal Services officers after a neighbour alerted them to the lost dog, who was trapped in a Nova Scotia Power compound on Windmill Road.

A six-month old beagle had a happy reunion with his owners Friday after going missing for two days.

"Dawson" ended up trapped inside a Nova Scotia Power compound on Windmill Road in Dartmouth.

His owners had been frantically searching for him since Wednesday, putting up flyers, contacting local radio stations, and even posting his photo on Kijiji.

They were contacted by HRM Animal Services this morning after a woman who lives across the street from the compound contacted the city, concerned about the dog.

Dawson's owner Don Ellis said the dog was lost nearly two and a half kilometres from where was found. The family had been frantically searching for him since Wednesday.

She had first noticed him Thursday, and when she heard the dog barking again Friday morning, called the city.

Don Ellis said the dog managed to get off his leash Wednesday, in the snow on Victoria Road, while his son was babysitting relatives near Dartmouth Highschool. In an unfamiliar area, Ellis said Dawson just kept running.

Ellis was surprised the dog made his way nearly two and half kilometres from where he was lost.

"We concentrated our search there," said Ellis. I thought he was too timid to get this far. I thought he'd just find a place to hide, but I guess ... wherever there was food."

Animal Services officers had difficulty getting Dawson to come out of the compound, and had to call Ellis and his wife, to come coax the dog out.

There was a tearful moment as the owners thanked the neighbour who alerted animal protection officers to their pet.

"Sometimes you get lucky," said Ellis.

Source: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/nova-scotia/story/2011/02/11/ns-beagle-rescue.html

Ziggy, long-haired dachshund

Microchip helps reunite dog with man
By Kimberly Yuen
POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Aug 06, 2010

The Labuguen family of Mililani was wrapping up a weekend on Kauai at Hamura Saimin Stand when a black long-haired dachshund without a collar approached Bennet Labuguen and son Bryson Sunday at about 8 p.m.

Starr Dods of the Hawaiian Humane Society holds Ziggy, a 2-year-old dachshund who was found on Kauai without a collar.

"My son didn't want to leave him on the street," said Labuguen, who found himself buying a pet carrier and bringing the dog back with them to Oahu on July 26.

Back home, Labuguen contacted the Hawaiian Humane Society, which discovered the dog has an implanted microchip ID. The four-legged fella had a name, Ziggy, and an owner, Ron Carvalho of Lihue. Man and dog were reunited on Kauai days later.

"I tripped out," Carvalho said. "I was so blown away when I got the call that he was in Honolulu."

He said he has had Ziggy for about a year and usually lets him run loose. He said Ziggy had chewed off his collar. While the dog has run off a couple of times, he's returned home before sundown. Just not that time.

Source: "This is just another example of why microchipping a pet is so important," said Hawaiian Humane Society spokeswoman Starr Dods. "There have been many times when an animal has lost his ID and collar."

She said if it weren't for the microchip, Ziggy probably would have been put up for adoption.

Instead, the Humane Society contacted Pacific Air Express, which agreed to return Ziggy to Kauai at no cost.

"He didn't ask for a ride to Honolulu, so he shouldn't have to ask for a ride to go home," said Thomas Ingram, vice president of operations at Pacific Air Express.

source: http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/20100806_Microchip_helps_reunite_dog_with_man.html
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Kuma, German shepherd malamute cross

KUMA'S CHRISTMAS ADVENTURE
Cathy Orde
Feb 2nd, 2011

We have been busy here in Wyoming! Just before Christmas there were three separate rollovers on the Interstate where dogs were ejected from vehicles. All but one dog was caught.

With this particular case, the dog was very afraid of people, especially men. His name was Kuma, and he was a German Shepherd Malamute cross that could easily have been mistaken for a wolf by a rancher. In our area, that is NOT a good thing!

Kuma was ejected from the family car going at least 60 mph. The family had been traveling through with their two small children and two dogs. During the rollover, the wife broke all of the bones in her foot (ouch!!) and had to have surgery. She was released from the hospital and they had to continue on and leave Kuma behind after their initial search failed to find him. It was a complete heart breaker for them. I told the husband to take care of his family and that I would take care of getting Kuma back.

So I headed out to the area where Kuma had been spotted in a 2 1/2 mile radius from the crash site. I parked along the Interstate and scanned the area with my binoculars. I spotted the dog over a mile away north of the Interstate.

My trailing dog Zoe and I started tracking Kuma, and got within 1/2 mile, but he saw us and ran!

Zoe saw Kuma and I gave her the "Bring Him Back" command. Zoe took off over the ridge, and a few minutes later she popped back over the ridge with a smile on her face, and Kuma following behind!

He saw me and started to run, so again Zoe went after Kuma and brought him back to me.

After some time I got Kuma to trust me, and he was eating out of my hand, but I just couldn't grab his collar. I worked with him 6 hours one day and 8 hours the next day. What Zoe and I did the first day kept Kuma in that area.

The next day I put out a humane dog trap in the afternoon. The owner said there was "no way" Kuma would go into a humane trap. But Zoe showed Kuma a very fun game to play with the trap. She was having a ball, and Kuma was watching her. I set the trap, covered it with blankets, and then Zoe and I went home.

I returned at 10:30 PM to check the trap and Kuma was inside of the trap!

Kuma, Cathy Orde and Zoe

This was a Christmas Miracle for the family. After I trapped Kuma, I took him to our local Animal Shelter who I have a great working relationship with. The staff at the Animal Shelter were awesome and pampered Kuma until the family returned. It was, to say the least, a very happy reunion!

Source: http://www.facebook.com/#!/notes/missing-pet-partnership/kumas-christmas-adventure/191440397540271

Jazz, foxy looking dog

I Saved A Lost Dog - Advantages To Walking
posted by Rob, Former Fat Guy - Weight Loss Blog
Sunday, June 10, 2007

As you may or may not know, I started the 10000 steps a day walking program earlier this week. I've been heading out my door and into the river valley walking trails here in Edmonton.

Well, as you DO know, walking is a great way to get and stay in shape. It's a low impact method of exercise that improves all area's of you life, gives you time to reflect on the day, or create your day. I listen to self help and motivational audios on my mp3 player, spending my time wisely for learning and motivation. Right now I'm listening to the unstoppable fat loss audio series from Scott Tousignant, otherwise known as the "fit bastard".

So yesterday I was out for my walk and I caught a glimpse of a "lost dog" poster on the edge of the trail. I had a look and sure enough, I recognized the dog. I called the number and spoke with Sonja and told her where I'd seen her dog Jazz, a few days earlier. Sonja lives about 12 blocks down the road from me as it turns out, so having her lost dog show up near me was not out of the question.

As I work from home, I take short breaks out on my back porch and a few days earlier, I had noticed a dog walk up to the garbage container, have a sniff and then proceed onwards. I watched the dog the whole time. Nice enough looking dog, kinda looking a bit like a fox.

So I continued on with my walk which was another 45 minutes, then spent 10 minutes on the back porch sipping a Fortune Delight to re-hydrate and then went in for a shower. I was then sitting at my desk working a bit when I heard a dog collar rattle coming from outside my window. I jumped up to have a look and sure enough, it was Jazz again.

I called up Sonja and then put on my shoes to race out to catch her. Sonja told me that she was pretty much right outside my door and I guided her toward the direction Jazz ran off. I called Jazz by name and she stopped to look at me kinda funny and then a thunder clap scared her off.

As I ran over to the neighboring street through the back alley, I saw a lady taking shelter from the rain under a car park and I asked her if she saw a dog run through here. She said yes, and that it looked a little "like a fox". That was her!

I kept on going, crossing the street and calling out to Jazz when my phone rang. It was Sonja. She had found Jazz based on the directions I had given her as she was coming up the street. Jazz had been missing for about 4 days, so was happy to be back with her owner. We had a hug and then I headed home to get out of the rain.

How many things played into finding this dog. I had looked directly at her when I first saw her and watched her the whole time she was in the back area of where I live. I walked the path where the posters were put up. I actually NOTICED the poster and had a look at it. I took the initiative to call the owner and give directions to where I had seen her. I was sitting at my desk and "heard" the collar rattle. Sonja had put out the posters and had the "intention" of finding her dog again and held that belief that she would find her. Sonja was in her car and less than 100 feet from where I saw the dog when I phoned her again so was able to be close and meet her on the road, and on and on. So many intentions, beliefs and focus and it all manifested itself.

You've gotta love the power of intention and belief. It was also no accident that I had been listening to the Joe Vitale interview from Unstoppable Fat Loss either, listening to Joe talk about Manifesting the body of your dreams and manifestation in all parts of your life. Nope... no accident at all.

So walking is not just about getting fit, clearing the mind, feeling better, improving lung capacity and bone density, but it's also about helping another find their dog. I love my life.

Source: http://www.formerfatguy.com/weblog/2007/06/i-saved-lost-dog-advantages-to-walking.asp#axzz1COxTsRf8

Max, chocolate lab

Lost Dog Found in Malverne Reunited With Owners
Two-year-old Max returns home to Rockville Centre.
By Tara Conry
January 9, 2011

There was a happy ending to the story of a dog found wandering alone on a busy street on the border of Malverne and Lynbrook late Saturday night.

Max, a 2-year-old Chocolate Labrador, had been darting across Lakeview Avenue around 11:30pm on Dec 8 when Malverne resident Ryan Conry spotted the playful pup.

Another driver, a middle aged man with a few passengers in his car, had stopped to try to retrieve the animal but the dog was much too quick as it romped around the snow and through the streets and roadways.

Conry spun his car around and came to the pooch's aid, using a few pieces of cooked chicken breasts he had been bringing home from a family party held that night to coax the dog toward him and grab the leash.
"He hopped right into the car," said Conry, who added that the other concerned driver followed him home to his house to make sure the dog was in safe hands.

Once inside the Conry home, Ryan discovered that the dog did not have an ID tag, but it quickly became clear that the dog was no stray. In fact, he appeared to come from a good home. He was friendly - licking everyone's faces- housebroken and would sit upon command. At first he enjoyed frolicking throughout every room in the house and following his new friends like a shadow, but he soon showed them he was not there for a permanent stay when he made not one, but two breakaways.

While on a walk that night, he broke the belt the Conry's had fashioned as a temporary leash and escaped down the block before two of the family members cornered him and caught him again. Then around 1am, he hopped over a small gate and pushed open a screen door to flee the house, at which point Ryan Conry found himself sprinting several blocks in the chilly night through Malverne wearing only a thin undershirt in pursuit of the dog, who kept stopping to make sure the young man was still following.

"It was like he was playing a game," said Conry, who didn't even have a coat, a leash or a cell phone on him to call in back-up.

He finally caught up to him around Our Lady of Lourdes School in Malverne, where he tackled the animal and grabbed hold of the collar.

"Once I had him, he didn't fight me...he easily walked with me back home," Conry said.

It appeared that the dog didn't know how to find his way to his actual home, but the Conrys, who had watched their beloved 14-year-old Old English Sheepdog pass away in late June, were determined to unite the lovable animal with his owners. They called the local police stations for Malverne, Lynbrook, Rockville Centre and Nassau County, but the officers said no one had reported a missing dog that matched the description.

"He's so fast, he could have come from Connecticut," Richard Conry said.

They began to post announcements on Facebook and Patch, hung flyers in some of the local stores and after purchasing a heavy-duty leash, walked the dog around the neighborhood asking passer-bys if they recognized the pure bred pooch.

Many people remarked that it was a beautiful dog, but not one they had seen in the neighborhood before. The Conrys also brought the dog into Asissi Veterinary Hopsital in Malverne, where a helpful technician scanned the dog for an identification chip but her search was fruitless. They also checked their list of patients to see if the dog matched any others that had come through their doors, but did not.

The Conrys were starting to wonder if anyone was even looking for the dog and if through their good deed they had unknowingly just brought a new addition into the family, when a call came in late Sunday afternoon from the Rockville Centre Police. An officer said they received a call from a woman looking for a dog that sounded much like the one the Conrys reported finding.

They connected with a woman from Rockville Centre, who described the dog exactly and said his name was Max. The woman said she knew the owners, who had moved to the area recently from Michigan, and had been searching with them until 3am for the dog. She explained that Max had been staying with a relative of the owners when he got loose Saturday night.

Moments later she and the owners were at the Conrys door with a camera full of photos of the same dog that had spent the night in their home. They said they had called local police stations in the area to report their dog missing, but not all were cooperative. They were very grateful to the family, even joking that they had found a new sitter, and happy to have their dog back.

While Max seemed to enjoy his adventurous trip and short stay in Malverne - where he enjoyed plenty of treats and left with a new stuffed toy - he was very excited to see his owner again and return safely home. (Although the Conrys kept the leash in case he decides to return.)

Source: http://malverne-westhempstead.patch.com/articles/lost-dog-found-in-malverne-reunited-with-owners

Tito, chihuahua

Bernards Township couple helps reunite lost pet with family in Kearny
This dog’s tale has a happy ending

By Amy Baratta, contributing writer, Recorder Community Newspapers

Friday, January 7, 2011

Tito, a 5-year-old Chihuahua who had been missing from his Kearny home since July, spent the Christmas holiday with Jim and Eileen Furst of Basking Ridge, who found the dog wandering down the middle of Pond Hill Road. With the help of Tito’s microchip and good old-fashioned telephone detective work, the Fursts were able to reunite the dog with his owners.

BERNARDS TWP. - As unexpected holiday houseguests go, Tito couldn’t have had more beautiful manners.

He seldom made noise during his four-day stay at the Basking Ridge home of Eileen and Jim Furst and he turned out to be great company for the couple.

In fact, he made himself right at home, according to Eileen Furst, who found the 5-year-old light-brown Chihuahua wandering, without a collar or dog tags, down the center of Pond Hill Road on Christmas Eve morning.

“He acted like he lived here all his life,” Furst said. “My husband fell asleep in his recliner with the dog on his lap.

“He barked maybe four times while he was here. As far as a houseguest, you couldn’t ask for anything better.”

A self-professed dog lover, Eileen Furst said she was just being a good Samaritan when she stopped her car at 9am Friday, Dec 24, to try to corral the small dog she saw wandering down the center of the two-lane road.

With the help of another passer-by, Furst said, she put the dog in her car and canvassed the nearby neighborhood, hoping to find someone searching for a lost dog.

While unsuccessful in that quest, Furst said she did come across a woman who worked for an animal shelter.

The woman was heading out of town for the Christmas weekend but told Furst that if she was unsuccessful in finding the dog’s owner by Monday, she would take him to the shelter. In the meantime, the woman gave Furst, who does not own a dog and did not have any supplies, a half a bag of dog food for her new canine companion.

Furst then headed home to Hunter’s Lane, where, while she did some Christmas Eve cooking, husband Jim took up the task of trying to unravel the mystery of the dog’s owner.

“He found another neighbor who also works for a shelter and she suggested we take him to Basking Ridge Animal Hospital to be scanned for a (micro) chip,” Furst said. “Shortly, Jim comes back walking the dog on a red leash. The hospital had given him a leash and loaned us a crate with towels in the bottom and everything. One of the girls who works there also gave us a half a bag of food.

“They were great. They even clipped his toenails free of charge – he got a pedicure - and they scanned him for a chip, which, to my surprise, he did have.”

Armed with information about the Nebraska company that stored details embedded in the chip, the Fursts tried to make contact but to no avail.

“We’re talking Christmas Eve,” Furst said. “Nobody’s around Christmas Eve.”

The question then arose what to do with their tiny visitor the next day, since they were planning to spend Christmas with family in Yardley, PA.

“We took him with us,” she said, adding that they would be gone too long to leave the dog by himself. “He was clean, very well behaved and housebroken.”

Long Journey

A quick call to Nebraska on Monday morning revealed that their mystery guest was born Aug. 7, 2005, and had been purchased from The Pet Company in the Newport Centre Mall in Jersey City, Furst said.

However, when the couple called the pet store to see if they could obtain any details about the dog’s owner, she said, they were told it was closing for the day because of the blizzard.

“So there we were, high and dry again,” she said.

When they called back the next morning, they were told that a Kearny woman named Anna Ferreira had purchased the Chihuahua.

At that point, Furst didn’t know what to think.

“I mean, how would a Chihuahua get from Kearny to Basking Ridge,” she asked.

The answer is still a mystery.

When the Fursts contacted Ferreira, she told them that the dog and her cat had gone missing from her yard in July and efforts to find them – by posting fliers and contacting animal control officers and the police – proved fruitless.

She indicated she had paperwork with the chip number to prove that the dog was hers and showed up at the Fursts’ house shortly thereafter.

“She didn’t even know where Basking Ridge was,” Furst said. “But she came right away – she was here an hour and a half after we spoke.”

The woman, accompanied by her mother, who spoke only Portuguese, “started crying the minute she saw (the dog),” Furst said. “His name was Tito. It was definitely her dog.”

Ferreira told Furst that her family had had another Chihuahua that died, leaving them heartbroken, so she had purchased Tito. Her daughter had been asking to get another dog after Tito disappeared but Ferreira told her that she couldn’t bear to have another pet.

“She must have called every relative she had (about finding Tito) because she was standing in my kitchen and her phone kept ringing. She was speaking Portuguese but I could hear the word ‘Tito,’ ” Furst said.

Despite all the detective work that it took to reunite Tito with his family, Furst said the couple was only too happy to oblige.

“I kept thinking, ‘Here it is Christmas Eve and somebody has lost their dog. They’re sitting there with their family wondering where their dog was and who had him,’ ” Furst said. “Other than the fact that we had this blizzard and it was the perfect storm of not being able to contact somebody (because of the holiday weekend), it was a very happy ending.”

Source: http://newjerseyhills.com/bernardsville_news/news/article_93ed06fa-18f6-11e0-8740-001cc4c03286.html
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Jazzy, golden retriever

Dog reunited with owners in 'Christmas miracle'
Kate Ryan, wtop.com
December 28, 2010

Andi Vanko found this Golden Retriever dashing in and out of traffic on Route 140.

WASHINGTON - Andi Vanko starts her mornings with a prayer: "I say, 'Please don't let me see a little stray on the side of the road.'" Because if Vanko sees one, she'll stop for it. And that's exactly what happened on Christmas Day.

She, her boyfriend and her mom were in the car driving along Route 140 in Carroll County when she saw it - a little Golden Retriever dashing in and out of traffic. Vanko and her boyfriend were chatting and laughing while her mom slept in the back seat.

"I started screaming and he says the next thing he knows, we're flying across the turn lane and two lanes of traffic." Vanko got out of the car and called to the little dog.

"And she came bounding to me and jumped on me like, 'Please! Help me!'" Vanko says. Vanko hustled the dog into her already-full car, and drove on to her sister's house for Christmas dinner. When she got there, she explained the situation. Soft hearts seem to run in the family.

Her sister had one question: "Does she bite?" When Vanko told her no, she added "Okay, let's get a leash. Bring her in, we'll feed her."

They checked her collar and found three tags, one with the word "GRREAT" on it. Vanko thought that was odd.

"I looked at her and I said "GRREAT! What a funny name for you!'"

GRREAT wasn't the dog's name. It was an acronym for Golden Retriever Rescue Education And Training.

A call to the organization was returned quickly: The dog had been microchipped, the GRREAT volunteer was able to crosscheck a database and within hours, the dog's owners were on the way to pick up their wayward pup "Jazzy."

Vanko says a couple from Silver Spring had been in the area for a hike when Jazzy bolted and took off. They had no luck trying to catch her.

Vanko says she could see why. When she stopped to get the dog, two men approached the dog and she initially thought they were the owners. Like, her, they stopped to try to catch the dog, who had been dodging traffic on Route 140 for about 15 minutes when Vanko stopped.

Vanko says that's one reason she says that little prayer each morning.

"For some reason, stray animals have always been drawn to me."

When the dog's owners showed up, Vanko was thrilled for them, but admits she was a bit sad. She lost her own dog about a year and a half ago and had already given the dog a new name, "Holly."

"She spent the day with us and she was the perfect little creature! And I thought, I hope no one calls me back about this little dog!" But being able to reunite the dog with her owners was its own reward.

"When she saw her daddy, she was over the moon. And they were so thankful. They gave me a big, big hug. It was like a little Christmas miracle."

GRREAT is a local rescue group that offers all kinds of help and advice to those looking for a dog, and those who feel they have to surrender their dogs.

Source: http://www.wtop.com/?sid=2214992&nid=25
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Ella, chocolate lab

A Cautionary Tal
SAllen's Corner
30 Dec

A cautionary tale, my friends. (“Tale”? or”Tail”? No – “Tale”!)

Please – ALWAYS be sure to have your pet wear up-to-date ID tags.

Hubby and I were walking across Central Park the other day. We were doing our normal dog observing, when I spotted a leashless dog walking beside a gentleman. When they neared us I asked the man “Is that your dog?” and he shrugged helplessly and said “No”.

Hubby and I petted the dog, who was a Brown Lab with a very gray muzzle and tremble-dy legs. A VERY sweet dog wearing a Christmas collar with no tags. We led the dog to a nearby park bench and sat with it while hubby dialed 311 (NYC help line) – hoping to reach someone within the park.

Meanwhile, a jogger stopped and asked us about the dog. When we told her the tale, she said that she would continue jogging and would be on the lookout for anyone who appeared to be anxiously hunting for their stray beast.

Then a park ranger drove by and we flagged her down.

In my mind I was already working out how we’d take doggy home (certain our cat Sammy and Dog would get along famously!), run off some quick flyers and come back to the park to distribute. I knew whoever would put a holiday collar on their dog would not have knowingly abandoned it.

But as we’re working out details between hubby and myself, the ranger and the 311 attendee, the jogger came back into view shouting that she met someone who was helping someone else look for her missing dog.

Next, the other woman came into view. This lady had her dog on a leash and explained how she had just met someone across the park who was frantically searching for her lost dog, Ella – an 11-year-old Lab. Ella!

We all hugged, and with tears running down not just a few cheeks, with “Happy Holidays” and “Thank you so much” to the jogger and the park ranger, the dog walker put her leash on Ella and we crossed the park with both dogs in tow, searching for the rightful owner.

The dog walker said that she had spoken with the owner a half-hour earlier – didn’t get her name or number – so we were hopeful that she would still be nearby.

Before long we saw the frantic woman and we called out to her. She turned to us and began to sprint towards us. The dog walker removed her leash from Ella’s collar and Ella began running to her mistress. It was just like a slow-motion scene in a movie! The lovers (I mean, the dog and human) met in each other’s arms (I mean – oh, you know what I mean!) and happily everyone was reunited and thrilled about it. Again, hugs and thank yous were passed around, and more hugs.

The distraught owned said that she had just that morning put the holiday collar on Ella, leaving the ID tags on the old collar – and Ella had slipped away.

We gave Ella one more hug and sniffled as they turned to go home. We were so happy that Ella and her mom had found each other, so very happy that so many New Yorkers cared about Ella, yet just a tiny, smidgen sad that Sammy would never know Ella.

Source: http://sallanscorner.wordpress.com/2010/12/30/a-cautionary-tale/

Cassie, Jack Russell Terrier

Terrier, owner reunited after separation during Alaska camping trip
by Reba Lean, Fairbanks Daily News Miner
09.11.10 - 08:49 am


Tommy Hirtzel is reunited with his Jack Russell terrier, Cassie, at the Fairbanks Animal Sehlter. Cassie disappered from a campusite at 161 Mile Parkes Hwy on Aug 32, and was picked up by a Fairbanks woman

 FAIRBANKS, Alaska - “What are the odds?” asked Sandy Besser, Fairbanks North Star Borough’s Animal Control manager, after a recent reunion between dog and owner defied the norm. The dog covered 200 miles while its owner mourned his 11-year-old Jack Russell terrier’s assumed run-in with a black bear.

The reunion began Sept. 1, when an Anchorage woman driving the Parks Highway spotted the dog and decided to pick it up. She brought the dog from where she found it — Mile 155 — to Fairbanks and considered keeping it for herself. Instead, she decided to hand it to Animal Control after a veterinarian convinced her that the dog might be too hard to take care of in its advanced age.

The shelter usually can identify a dog’s owner by taking a quick look at a dog’s collar. If the dog’s collar is missing — as it was in this case — a microchip embedded under an animal’s skin might have the answer. The terrier didn’t have a microchip and would normally be out of luck.

But since the woman had mentioned Mile 155, an Animal Control admissions clerk decided to Google it to pinpoint its owner.

“Mile 155” came up with a Trapper Creek result, and the shelter workers went from there.

They called the Trapper Creek Chamber of Commerce and asked about missing pets in the area. A woman at the Chamber of Commerce said she thought an Alaska State Trooper had lost a dog. The Talkeetna post of the troopers was the next phone call, and the Fairbanks shelter workers were told that the missing dog belonged to a National Park Service employee.

Another park ranger, Jason Nielson, happened to be at the Talkeetna troopers office when that call came in and gave the shelter a call back, offering to help.

The pieces of the puzzle to reconnect the owner and pet began to take shape.

The story begins on Aug. 31, when National Park Service mechanic Tommy Hirtzel went camping in a state park near Mile 161 Parks Highway with his 11-year-old Jack Russell terrier,

Cassie. During the night, Cassie ran off without her collar and tags. Hirtzel had seen a black bear the day before and assumed his dog had been eaten.

He stayed another night at the campsite, driving, walking and calling out Cassie’s name.

In a single spot at the campsite, he had enough cell phone service to send a text to his friend Michelle Logan in Healy that his dog had gone missing.

Michelle frequently baby-sat Cassie, since Hirtzel’s job takes him to remote camps where dogs are not allowed. Logan created a lost-dog ad online. She also sent a flier to Trapper Creek, where the Chamber of Commerce employee saw it at the post office.

On a whim, Logan called the Fairbanks Animal Control office to see if they had heard of a missing terrier. Her call was received shortly after park ranger Nielson’s.

Hirtzel got word his dog was in Fairbanks.

“I was really stunned and shocked,” Hirtzel said. “I owe it all to my friend.”

Hirtzel drove to the shelter in Fairbanks. Workers brought Cassie out from the kennels, where she had been moping.

“She just went crazy,” said Besser, the Animal Control manager. “She was wiggling so hard in his arms.”

Hirtzel drove back to his home in Healy with Cassie, who he’s owned for seven years. That night he dropped her off at his friend’s home and headed out to work. He’s thankful for the Internet, Fairbanks Animal Control workers, and that the person who found Cassie didn’t keep her.

And he got a microchip for Cassie right away.

Source: http://newsminer.com/bookmark/9492282-Terrier-owner-reunited-after-separation-during-Alaska-camping-trip
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Female Chihuahua

Lost Dog Is Found
What a great way to start the day!
Claudia Kawczynska for The Bark
November 17, 2010

Man cajoles his runaway dog | hero of the day, Blackjack | Lauren and Blackjack

On Monday morning, when Cameron and I were walking our dogs at local 30-acre dog park, we ran into our friend, Lauren, who told us about a Chihuahua who was lost there on Sunday. She described the poor owner, a man in his sixties with a pronounced limp, who was frantically asking for help, crying as he told people his very sad tale. He was inconsolable. We saw him there on Monday too, calling and calling to his dog—it was so heartbreaking.

On Tuesday morning, again we saw Lauren, who excitedly told us that she had “spotted” the dog but had been unable to catch her. So we decided to try to help and, after our walk, we set out to try to find her. We weren’t aware Lauren had gone back to where she had seen the dog and was trying to contact the owner.

It turned out that the little dog had wandered into a fairly remote area, outside the park boundary, where few people venture. Luckily that morning, Lauren and her Blackjack, a gorgeous German Shorthaired Pointer, decided to take their walk there, when true to his sporting dog nature, Blackjack “flushed” the small dog out from under a shrub. But the fearful pup simply scampered away.

When we arrived, Lauren pointed to the dog, who was huddled alongside a doorway of a communication tower building at the water’s edge, behind a 12-foot fence topped with barbed wire. We both tried to entice her to come but she wasn’t responding. Thankfully, after repeated attempts, Lauren got through to the man and he was on his way. A few minutes later, he drove up and we flagged him down. He ran up the path to the fence gate, crouched down and called to his dog, and magically she crawled under the gate and bolted into his arms. With tears streaming, he held her closely to his chest.

We were all very happy that we could help in any small measure, especially proud of Blackjack’s feat, and greatly relieved that a dog and her human were reunited. Even Lauren’s boss played a part in accepting why she needed to be so late to the office that day—there was no way, as she later told us, that she wasn’t going to stand guard over her “charge” until she was safely back with her owner.

There are a couple important lessons in this. #1 Teaching a solid and reliable recall is one of the main responsibilities we owe our dogs. You just never know what might spook or divert a dog, especially in unfamiliar situations. In the case of this small dog, she wasn’t used to dog parks at all and when a larger dog tried to play with her and she simply ran off.

#2 Some larger off-leash areas, especially those that aren’t fully fenced, might not be right for some dogs. It certainly seemed to be the case with this dog. She will need much more training, or simply a more secure alternative, like a nearby fenced-in dog park with an area set aside for small dogs, for her future off-leash recreation. Luckily, the man thought so too!

Have you ever lost (and hopefully found) a dog? Did you use any special strategies to find your dog?

Source: http://www.thebark.com/content/lost-dog-found