Source: Kellie Deck Tuten
Kota's mom, Kellie Deck Tuten, shared on Facebook, “Kota has always been an escape artist. We have been through countless crates, kennels, cages, and all sorts of ways to contain her during the very few hours we needed her contained.”
She’s smart, so when she escaped, she’d stay close to home and return on her own if her parents couldn't find her. The family never had to worry about this adorable canine; however, this time was different—night fell, and Kota was nowhere to be seen.
Source: Kellie Deck Tuten
So worried about the furry friend’s condition, the Tutens quickly launched an extensive search, distributing flyers and contacting nearby shelters. Unluckily, despite their continuous efforts, a year passed without any trace of Kota.
Right when the family almost gave up all their hope, they came upon a familiar face on the Bibb County Animal Shelter's website. “They shared it with a general location in the description, and that’s when I saw her,” Tuten wrote. “I KNEW it was her.”
Source: Kellie Deck Tuten
Excited and hopeful, she contacted a friend living nearby, who confirmed sightings, but Kota always got away. But then came another helper named Lisa Wood, who had been caring for Kota and her two litters of puppies for quite a period. According to Wood, she was pregnant up to three times during her time on the street.
“[L]isa Wood … had been feeding my dog twice a day, took in her (not 1 but 2 litters of) puppies and found them all loving homes,” Tuten wrote.
Source: Kellie Deck Tuten
Unfortunately, though Wood had taken care of Kota all this time, she had no idea where her latest litter (the third one) of puppies was. So later, Wood collaborated with the Tutens to locate these little babies. They fitted Kota with a GPS collar and followed her until they saw a drain pipe.
“[K]ota ran up to [a] drain pipe and sniffed and then ran back several feet and laid down,” Tuten wrote. “[W]e were pretty certain the puppies were in there ... but we couldn't hear or see them.”
Source: Kellie Deck Tuten
Source: Kellie Deck Tuten
“She is still warming back up to us,” Tuten shared. “It's been hard for us because it just makes it seem like she's unhappy here, but I think it's more so that she's still traumatized from having to fight to be safe.”
It’s wonderful that Kota is back home, and for now, time doesn’t matter because the family will always be there, patiently supporting her healing journey, hoping that one day she will be just as grateful as their beloved Lab back then.