Wayward dog comes home two months later
A lovely local woman who has endured not one crisis but two in the same week can still keep her sense of humour. Leanne Faber is a single mother of two children with two cats and one dog. On July 23, she and her family lost their home in a devastating fire. Everyone, including the pets, got out safely, with Faber receiving minor burns and a concussion. The family was successful in getting one of the cats and the dog out safely. Firefighters retrieved the second cat and saved its life.
Faber found temporary accommodations for her family, but their dog, Todd, had to live elsewhere until they moved into their permanent home. She found temporary lodging for Todd, but two days later, he escaped from his temporary home in Waverley and never returned. Faber desperately searched and followed every lead to find him with no luck. The Nova Scotia Lost Dog Network (NSLDN) stepped in to assist her.
Faber said she was shocked by how far Todd travelled in the two months he was lost. Several neighbours documented his travels with pictures and night motion cameras. From what she knows, Todd travelled from Waverley to the Guysborough Road by the airport, then off to Sackville. Some
body then saw him on Rocky Lake Drive, finally settling in Bedford by Shore Drive and the Eaglewood Subdivision.
With all the stress Faber has encountered, she kept her sense of humour. She said she feels Todd must have been taking taxis or public transportation because of the miles he travelled. She also said Todd is a better dog since his big adventure as she finds him even more social than before. Todd celebrated his second birthday on the road, by himself.
Faber and her family are thrilled to have their beloved dog safe again. She is also very thankful to all the animal lovers who dedicated their time to looking for Todd.
Janet Chernin is the cocreator of NSLDN on Facebook, and she is well versed in the trials and tribulations when trying to find lost dogs.
Chernin said,” It certainly was an educational time for all those in the community that wanted to assist – getting folks to understand that dogs do not act 'normally' when in full and sustained flight/fright mode – making sure people did not chase or yell out for Todd. And most importantly, not to feed him.”
“Todd was finding food sources and water and hence he was harder to capture. Persistence and patience certainly paid off, but the unique and unstoppable aid from Mike Chapman and Nikki Marie was outstanding. In these types of cases, it is essential to not flood the area with people searching as you can push a dog out of a safe comfort zone that had been well established in the Bedford area. We were heartened that so many people in the community offered assistance.”
If Todd could thank everyone, he certainly would because he is finally safe at home with his loving family.
Please be kind to animals.
Tracy Jessiman is a pet portrait artist who lives in Halifax with her husband and their three pets. She is a volunteer with Animal Rescue Coalitions of Nova Scotia. She has been rescuing animals most of her life, but more intimately, animals rescued her.