Miss-Delectable
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http://www.eurekareporter.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?ArticleID=26845
The prodigal pup returns.
After two weeks on the lam, an 18-year-old blind and deaf chow mix named Missy returned home Wednesday.
Missy was reported missing by her owner, Ree Snyder, July 19 after she wandered out of her backyard in McKinleyville. After an extensive search organized by family members proved fruitless, hope for her return was lost.
Snyder’s daughter JoAnn Benge said, “We didn’t think we would see her again after 10 days missing.”
Animal Control Officer Andre Hale said her office received a report Wednesday morning of a dog barking in some brush along the Hammond Trail between Vista Point and Clam Beach. Shortly after 8 a.m., Hale and Officer Jeanne Fleek took to the trail to investigate.
Toward the bottom of the hill, the two officers heard a dog barking from a distance upslope. The area is covered with dense underbrush and neither officer could find a way to secure the animal, Hale said.
As the officers tried to determine the best way to attempt a rescue, the dog stopped barking. “We didn’t have any tools,” Hale said, and help was obviously needed.
Sgt. Phil Buihner, with Search and Rescue, responded to their call for assistance and used a machete to hack toward where the animal was thought to be located.
After about 10 minutes work, Buihner located the animal. Hale was able to extricate the dog and take it back to the county animal shelter.
There, Fleek recalled a report of a missing dog with cataracts matching the description of the rescued animal, Hale said. Fleek contacted Snyder, who came to the shelter and identified the animal as Missy.
Prior to Missy’s rescue, the family wasn’t sure if they’d ever see her again. “She’s never wandered before,” Benge said. “It was completely out of her nature.”
Missy was originally Benge’s grandfather’s dog; following his death, she bonded with Benge’s father, Jim Snyder.
“They would sit out on the porch and eat a container of pistachios together,” Benge said. “He would giver her a pistachio and she would spit out the shell.” Following her father’s death three years ago, Missy went into a depression, she said.
Benge said the family was very happy to have Missy back. “If it wasn’t for some alert passersby, there’s no way we would have gotten her back.”
Benge also said she wanted to give thanks to the Sheriff’s Office. “They’re not just helping out humans but animals, too,” Benge said.
The prodigal pup returns.
After two weeks on the lam, an 18-year-old blind and deaf chow mix named Missy returned home Wednesday.
Missy was reported missing by her owner, Ree Snyder, July 19 after she wandered out of her backyard in McKinleyville. After an extensive search organized by family members proved fruitless, hope for her return was lost.
Snyder’s daughter JoAnn Benge said, “We didn’t think we would see her again after 10 days missing.”
Animal Control Officer Andre Hale said her office received a report Wednesday morning of a dog barking in some brush along the Hammond Trail between Vista Point and Clam Beach. Shortly after 8 a.m., Hale and Officer Jeanne Fleek took to the trail to investigate.
Toward the bottom of the hill, the two officers heard a dog barking from a distance upslope. The area is covered with dense underbrush and neither officer could find a way to secure the animal, Hale said.
As the officers tried to determine the best way to attempt a rescue, the dog stopped barking. “We didn’t have any tools,” Hale said, and help was obviously needed.
Sgt. Phil Buihner, with Search and Rescue, responded to their call for assistance and used a machete to hack toward where the animal was thought to be located.
After about 10 minutes work, Buihner located the animal. Hale was able to extricate the dog and take it back to the county animal shelter.
There, Fleek recalled a report of a missing dog with cataracts matching the description of the rescued animal, Hale said. Fleek contacted Snyder, who came to the shelter and identified the animal as Missy.
Prior to Missy’s rescue, the family wasn’t sure if they’d ever see her again. “She’s never wandered before,” Benge said. “It was completely out of her nature.”
Missy was originally Benge’s grandfather’s dog; following his death, she bonded with Benge’s father, Jim Snyder.
“They would sit out on the porch and eat a container of pistachios together,” Benge said. “He would giver her a pistachio and she would spit out the shell.” Following her father’s death three years ago, Missy went into a depression, she said.
Benge said the family was very happy to have Missy back. “If it wasn’t for some alert passersby, there’s no way we would have gotten her back.”
Benge also said she wanted to give thanks to the Sheriff’s Office. “They’re not just helping out humans but animals, too,” Benge said.