It Took a Village to Find Our Lost Dog
Dear Bay Weekly:
When my Mom, Margaret Asquith, passed away, her dog, Katie, remained with my husband Don and me. Although 14 years old, with hearing and vision issues, Katie could still run like a pony and had her own mind about things. But one morning in the predawn darkness, Katie disappeared. Panic quickly set in and the search began on foot and by car.
After reporting her missing on the County Animal Control website, I was contacted by Anne Wills of www.DogsFindingDogs.com. In addition to offering her tracking services with K-9 Heidi, Anne encouraged me to contact www.FindToto.org and send out a pet Amber Alert.
A neighbor, Mina Work, responded to the alert and positively identified Katie. With that information, Anne and Heidi picked up Katie’s scent, narrowed the search area and the hunt began.
Katie’s picture was also posted all around Deale. With Connie Hirschman and Dan Walter, we knocked on doors, stopped people in the street, and began an intensive dog hunt.
The outpouring of support and boots on the ground effort kept our spirits high and our resolve strong. Evelyn Dolan and Jackie Cleary searched every day and took turns restocking the wooded feeding stations. Mina, Michael and their mom, Tracey, continued to search.
A couple of weeks later, waterman Eddie Howes called to say he’d found Katie’s body in his fishing nets off Broadwater Creek. Eddie was kind enough to return her to us, and she’s now buried in the yard she called home.
Our sadness and loss are only tempered by the overwhelming support and kindness of friends, neighbors and strangers. DogsFindingDogs and FindToto are amazing organizations. If your beloved pet is missing, call them.