Hearty reunion for dog, owner
Carolyn Smith has been reunited with her British Bulldog, Hearty, who was was taken from her kennel four months ago.it was a reunion that Carolyne Smith had almost given up on.
Four months ago, her British Bulldog, Hearty, was taken from her kennel at Smith’s property in Tokoroa.
‘‘We were devastated. She’s a part of the family and we just couldn’t carry on.’’
Smith, 35, and her two sons scoured the streets every day looking for her.
‘‘We never sort of gave up, but always in the back of head I thought, we might never get her back.’’
On Friday, she received a phone call from the South Waikato District Council animal control. They told her they needed to see her, and to come down to the council building.
She saw Hearty and broke down in tears, greeting her dog with plenty of hugs and affection.
‘‘They were unsure it was her, and I guess they didn’t want to get my hopes up over the phone.’’
‘‘But I knew straight away. It was her.’’
The emotional moment was captured and posted on the SWDC Facebook page. The video has received over 2000 likes, 470 shares and hundreds of comments.
Hearty was uplifted from a property in Tokoroa after animal control received a tip off.
The 7-year-old bulldog has been with the family since she was a puppy.
‘‘When she was a puppy she had a perfect heart shape on her back, near her bum.
‘‘It was the cutest, perfect shaped heart ever, so we called her Hearty.’’
Smith said they will now take her to the vets for a full check-up.
‘‘She is a changed dog at the moment. I’ve picked up a few little things, she’s lost a lot of weight, has a big cyst on her chest and has been ill-treated.
‘‘But the boys are stoked to have her home and we’ve given her a really good bath.’’
She said Hearty is now never left alone, and is being kept inside for now.
Advice from the SPCA: If your pet goes missing it’s important that you try a variety of methods to get them back home safely and don’t just rely on one method to work.
Make sure your contact details are up-to-date on the microchip.