Perseverance and a bit of luck help Ceely return home

It was a close call in California, but Ceely is back home in West Vancouver.

The four-year-old Jack Russellpit bull has had a tumultuous year.

Ceely was the pet of Amora Berenjian, 18, who died of a fentanyl overdose at home early last October. She was found with Ceely by her side.

Afterwards, Berenjian’s mother Holly Wood said that after her daughter’s death, she and Amora’s father Adel Berenjian (from whom Wood is separated) agreed to share custody of Ceely. Later, she said, Adel decided to take Ceely south to Los Angeles where he gave the dog to a homeless couple.

Initially, Wood couldn’t believe that he would give Ceely to strangers. Wood thought Amora’s father was hiding Ceely.

But after Ceely’s story and photos were posted on missing dog sites, Wood was notified of sightings. The most recent one was in early September.

When Ceely was reported in North Hollywood Park, Wood felt this was her chance to bring her daughter’s dog home.

Wood flew to Los Angeles. She was on her way to North Hollywood Park when she was sent a message by the woman who had seen Ceely. The message said the homeless couple that had Ceely was heading to the bus station to go to Arkansas. If that happened, Wood feared she’d never see Ceely again.

But because it was such a hot day in Los Angeles, the homeless couple stopped in the shade a block from the bus station.

Wood said that gave her enough time to arrive where they were taking a break and make a scene. When the police came, they listened to Wood’s story. Instead of saying it was a matter for the courts to decide, police agreed to take Ceely to a clinic so that the microchip implant she had could be read.

Wood was confident it would prove that Seely was hers.

It did.

“The main, incredible thing is that if I didn’t go down after the third sighting on that day at that time, I would never have seen her again (because) they were taking her to Arkansas,” Wood said.

“It’s a miracle story. God and my daughter guided me to (Ceely) to save her. It’s a beautiful happy ending.”

On Sunday, Wood marked a year since her daughter’s death with a ceremony at the pier in John Law- son Park in West Vancouver.

Wood along with family and friends all gathered and tossed pink roses into the water in remembrance of Amora.

FRANCIS GEORGIAN Holly Wood, of West Vancouver, has been reunited with her daughter’s dog, Ceely. Her daughter, Amora Berenjian, died a year ago at the age of 18 after a fentanyl overdose.