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Rescue dog takes Hollywood-like, four-month journey from Ponoka to Stettler

A dog by the name of Boo has just finished a journey worthy of a Hollywood story.
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Sightings of Boo began to pop up on Stettler social media channels around Feb. 19. (Photo submitted)

A dog by the name of Boo has just finished a journey worthy of a Hollywood story.

Around the middle of February, social media reports began emerging in Stettler that a black dog had been noticed all over the community.

Unfortunately, the dog proved skittish and tough to catch, which is when Animal Haven Rescue League got involved.

Volunteers with Animal Haven were contacted about the dog and it was quickly agreed that something had to be done to help her due to the prolonged cold spell.

“I spoke with my board,” said cat coordinator and treasurer Michelle Fisher.

“We agreed to figure out what we can do.”

The dog kept on the move, and over the period of a few days the volunteers were able to narrow down the areas the dog was frequenting, but still managed to elude the volunteers.

That was when Animal Haven secured the services of Darlene Burt and K9 Recovery Services of Strathmore, Alta.

Burt, with the help of volunteers, began tracking the dog on March 11.

Using social media, the volunteers solicited sightings of the dog on social media but asked people not to follow the dog and further spook it if it was spotted.

Early on March 15, the dog was tracked to a fenced yard in Stettler.

The rescuers were able to trap the dog in yard, finally catching it.

According to Fisher, the dog took to the rescuers and was easily carried to Burt’s truck.

While the dog’s ordeal was over, questions remained. Where did the dog come from? How long had it been on its own?

The story doesn’t end with the rescue; the canine was taken into Animal Haven’s care and photos were posted on social media, where the dog was recognized as Boo, a female that had run away from a Paws and Claws Animal Rescue foster home in Ponoka four months earlier.

To confirm the identification, Burt offered to drive the dog to Paws and Claws Animal Rescue in Lacombe.

After arriving, it didn’t take long to confirm that the Stettler animal was in fact Boo.

Boo was one of nearly 40 dogs rescued by Paws and Claws Animal Rescue from a hoarding situation in Fort Smith, in the North West Territories in November.

Once they made their way back to the Lacombe area from up north, Boo was paired with a foster family in the Ponoka area.

Unfortunately, barely 24 hours after being placed in the foster home Boo escaped.

Paws and Claws Animal Rescue began searching for the Boo, however despite sightings they were unable to find her again.

In time, sightings declined and the rescue believed the worst had happened to Boo.

“They were heartbroken, thinking they would never see her again,” said Fisher.

“Boo survived darkness, cold, and predators for four months. They are very happy to have her back in care. It is a very happy ending to the story.”

Boo disappeared from her foster family near Ponoka on Nov. 11 and wasn’t brought back into care until March 15 in Stettler, just over four months later and nearly 100 kilometres away from where she disappeared.

Now that Boo has survived the harrowing ordeal, she is back with a foster family to recover under the watch of Paws and Claws Animal Rescue.

Once she gets her strength back, Boo will get fixed, vaccinated and vet checked before being put up for adoption to hopefully find her “furever” home.



Kevin Sabo

About the Author: Kevin Sabo

I’m Kevin Sabo. I’ve been a resident of the Castor area for the last 12 years and counting, first coming out here in my previous career as an EMT.
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