Dog Goes Missing But Then Appears In The Most Unexpected Way
Animals aren't just pets; they're family. And it hurts when they are lost, doesn’t it? It’s sad that many separations happen without a good ending; however, today we have a wonderful story, proving that no matter how hard the situation is, when our hearts connect, reunions can always become possible.
When the Calteaux family planned their trip to Carowinds Camp Wilderness in Charlotte, North Carolina, in April 2023, they were looking forward to a great time. Little did they know that their vacation would become a rescue mission when their dog, Lucy, got scared and broke her leash during a fireworks show.
Source: Tucker K-9 Search & Rescue
Dana and Glenn Calteaux, with their kids, searched Charlotte high and low for Lucy but had no luck finding their golden retriever. Sadly, they had to head back home to Buffalo, New York, without her.
Dana told a local news station, WCNC, 'We just need her back. She needs us, and we need her.'
Source: Dana Becker
Luckily, people in Charlotte came together to find Lucy even when her family couldn't be there. Community members scoured the woods around Carowinds Camp Wilderness, put up flyers, rode bikes around green areas while spreading the word, and even dressed up as dogs in local parades to raise awareness about Lucy's disappearance.
They set up a Facebook group to report sightings or leads, and it quickly grew to over 2,900 members, all keeping an eye out for Lucy.
Source: Dana Becker
Tucker and Chatman joined forces with the community to expand the search to nearby states, follow up on leads, and keep the search going.
Since there were no sightings of Lucy, Tucker, and Chatman thought someone had found her and was keeping her.
Source: Tucker K-9 Search & Rescue
The Facebook group shared many leads, and pictures of lost and found golden retrievers from various parts of the state were posted regularly. Sadly, Dana had to keep saying that these goldens weren't Lucy.
"Not Lucy," she wrote in one post. "I'd rather say no a million times than miss a yes... Please keep sharing." Then, to be more specific about the features of Lucy, Dana shared that she had some dark spots on her tongue, which made her easy to identify.
Source: Dana Becker
"Please, if you've seen a golden retriever with two black spots on her tongue, make the call," Dana pleaded in another post in May. "You will remain anonymous and help us reunite our family."
Then, in August—five months after Lucy first went missing—the Calteauxs got some incredible news during an interview with WCNC. Lucy had been found.
Source: Tucker K-9 Search & Rescue
The Calteauxs had no idea that Tucker and Chatman had received a tip from someone who had spotted Lucy and called the number on the flyers. It's believed that Lucy had been with someone but may have run away again during a storm in the area.
When Lucy came back, she was a bit thinner and covered in ticks, but overall, she was in good health. The Calteauxs immediately drove to Charlotte to reunite with her.
"Oh, sweetie, you're going to get microchipped, GPS," Dana said in the heartwarming reunion video. "You don't even know what's gonna happen."
After returning home, Lucy had several visits to the vet, where they found out she was very malnourished. She got some medicine, and her diet was changed, and now she's feeling much better.
Source: Dana Becker
After being apart for so long, Lucy and the Calteauxs have lots of happy moments to catch up on. And it's all thanks to the kind people in Charlotte, North Carolina, and the hard work of Tucker K-9 Search & Rescue.
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