A Fairytale Ending For Annie The Missing Dog

annieIf you’re with me on Facebook you probably know about Annie. Annie is the pet of our former neighbors, Glenn and Margie. An open door while a worker was in the house let her escape unnoticed.

Like most pups, Annie is a member of the family. Her loss was a shock. Glenn and Margie were beside themselves wondering how to find her and get her back.

They started getting the word out as soon as Annie was gone. My post, multiplied by all of you who shared it, was one method. They also had flyers printed and posted around town.

For the first two days, nothing. Then sporadic sightings, all in Hamden and within a few miles of their home.

As soon as a sighting came in they’d rush out to look and to slip flyers in mailboxes. Margie said it began to feel like they were “chasing a ghost.”

Over 700 flyers were distributed. They didn’t give up, but over time the trail started to grow cold. No calls Friday or Saturday.

Then, Sunday another sighting. Another scramble. Another dead end.

They drove home.

annie-2That’s where they were around 8:30 when Glenn looked at their back door and saw Annie, her tail wagging! Unbelievable, isn’t it?

How did she find her way back? Annie’s not saying.

It’s obvious she’d been through a lot. Her paw pads are worn, one cut. There’s a rash on her belly. She was caked in dirt and four pounds lighter than when she left. So far they’ve removed at least a dozen ticks.

The vet has looked her over today and prescribed some antibiotics. Annie will be fine.

After nine days if you’d asked me the chances of Annie being found, I’d have said slim… maybe none. The ratio of missing to found dogs can’t be good. And yet she’s happily home.

It doesn’t happen often enough. We don’t get enough fairytale endings. We’ve got one here!

10 thoughts on “A Fairytale Ending For Annie The Missing Dog”

  1. That is the most amazing thing that she was at the door, found her way home all by herself!! That is a true miracle!! Thanks for sharing this great story!!

  2. When I was a kid of about 10 or so, our dog,Spotty,who was a wanderer in those days,before leash laws,getting dogs neutered, etc. disappeared for about a week…I remember being so sad,,thinking he got hit by a car or something…every night I’d go out and call him over and over,,hoping he would hear me…then one night,,really not thinking he would be there,,I called and called and all of a sudden there he was!! What a surprise!! This story reminded me of him. Happened with a cat in the woods of North Carolina also,,he turned up after a couple days of calling every day and night..just showed up at the back door. 🙂 Never give up hope!!

  3. Our 12 year old golden, Strider, went on a walk-about — for more than two weeks. We plastered the neighborhood with flyers, called all the vets, contacted Animal Control in 4 towns. Finally, one night about 10:00PM, I received a phone call from a man asking me to meet him in the woods by Hopkins. I was feeling more than a little uncomfortable meeting a strange man. In the woods. After 10PM. My husband was dressed in 10 seconds however and we raced to meet this man. Tromping through the snowy woods by Hopkins and calling his name, we found our poor old boy walking unsteadily towards us. He was very hungry, had lost a lot of weight and was very weak. But he was alive and glad to see his mom and dad again. He lived with us for another 2.5 years. The message? Don’t give up hope, but you really need to be proactive when your Furkid takes an extended walk.

  4. I had a kitten who used to do that. As soon as a door opened he’d shoot out and be halfway across the yard before I could close it and THEN I’d have a time getting him back. Fortunately I also had his MOM and I’d put her on a leash and she’d go after him and bring him back. As only a mom can!
    Mom and kitten were placed in another home together and I warned their new ‘parents’ about him. No idea if he’s behaving or not.
    His brother and sister still try and dash out but we live on the 2nd floor and have a deck so no one gets far before I can catch them.
    Glad Annie is home safe. Hopefully she’s learned her lesson.

  5. I couldn’t be happier for this family. I come from a dog loving family. I have had four dogs of my own. Two of my three daughters have dogs in their families. I can’t even imagine how to cope if any of our family dogs were missing. If Annie could talk just think of the stories she could tell about her adventure.

  6. Thrilled about the happy ending! Sadly, it doesn’t always turn out this way. I am so glad it did this time and so are the people who shared my post about her. 🙂

  7. I’m very happy that Annie came home. I called them one night when Annie was in our yard and they came right over. Then they asked if they could leave her dog carrier and bone in our backyard in case she returned. No problem except we never saw her again. I was worried about the coyotes in the neighborhood so I’m thrilled she made it. I just left a message with them, after reading your blog, to remind them that the carrier is still here. So thanks Geoff for letting us know the outcome of this.

  8. I had seen a report about the dog being missing, on one of the news channels, –not sure which. I wasn’t sure what town the dog was from. Thanks for your report about the dog returning, as I hadn’t heard any outcome on the news. but then, I rarely watch Ch 8 anymore–if that was who might have repoorted it.
    I didn’t know that Matt Scott was now doing weather on Fox-CT. Another casualty of Ch 8==I presume.
    Sorry for the errors–I’ve turned the lights off to go to bed–at 4 AM!–EST.

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