Last February, Dylan Summers lost one of his closest friends. His dog, Athena, disappeared from his home's backyard in Bourbon, Missouri. The dog had just undergone a big operation. After being hit by a car, she had to have one of her legs amputated. She was also on medicine at the time to help her deal with her recovery.
It's heartbreaking when a dog goes missing, especially for an owner who knew these new changes and struggles were difficult for his pup. Still, he searched everywhere and put up flyers. Having only three legs, Athena would be easy to identify in a crowd. Unfortunately, nothing turned up. Nobody in his community knew where she was.
"I searched everywhere for her and posted online but no one came forward," he told Fox 2 St. Louis. "I had suspicions that she was stolen but I couldn’t confirm it. I was so worried about her."
Dylan didn't want to give up his search. For 10 straight months, he tried to locate Athena. Unfortunately, he came up short. Based on her condition, he likely assumed the search was no longer viable. But luckily, something amazing happened.
Dylan was thinking about adding a new dog to his family after accepting that Athena was long gone. But timing was everything. While looking at listings on the Gateway Pet Guardians website from Illinois, he managed to spot Athena on the list of adoptable dogs. After all this time, he finally got a lead.
Finding Athena was even more of a miraculous discovery, as Dylan doesn't live very close to the shelter in question. It's about one hour away from where Athena was last seen. Alisha Vianello, Gateway Pet Guardians program director, was the one who got the voicemail from Dylan, and she couldn't believe the incredible story.
"It was about 9 p.m. on the night of December 30th and I just happened to check my voicemail before bed and there was a call from Dylan stating that we had his dog! I called him back immediately and was so happy to learn that the dog we had named 'Miss-A-Toe' was actually his missing dog, Athena," she said to Fox 2. "Miss-A-Toe," otherwise known as Athena, was found at the St. Clair County Animal Control in Illinois.
Athena had been kept with other dogs in an unhealthy situation at a woman's house. When animal control arrived, one dog had unfortunately died due to the poor conditions. Athena, thankfully, was still healthy and able to be transported to the new location.
"Everyone involved in her rescue had been so puzzled as to how a dog who not only was spayed but was also healthy and had received a life-saving surgery was on the property with other dogs who seemed likely to have never received veterinary care," Alisha said. "All the missing pieces really came together when I spoke to Dylan. The next day I contacted her foster family, who was thrilled for her and arranged a time for everyone to meet at the GPG facility."
The reunion happened on New Year's Day. "I was so happy to hear that she was safe and doing well, and being reunited with her was incredible," Dylan commented. "She is already settled back in at home and it's like she never left. I am so appreciative of Gateway Pet Guardians for getting her back home to me."
It's a good reminder for everyone out there who's actively looking for missing dogs. It's always good to check shelters that may not be in your general area. Constantly looking at new listings may lead to finding dogs who have been taken and then abandoned or who have run away.
Gateway Pet Guardians felt like the sweet reunion was the best way to ring in the new year. Staff helped make the story go viral by posting on Facebook about what happened. Of course, included are photos of Dylan and Athena's meetup after almost a year apart.
"Two days ago we received a call from Dylan, her original dad!" the post stated. "She had been hit by a car about a year ago, and he had paid for her surgery only for her to suddenly disappear from his yard in February. He was devastated and posted everywhere for her, but she was never found. He suspected she was stolen but couldn't confirm it."
This actually isn't the only reunion that Gateway Pet Guardians has witnessed this year thus far. There was also Boeh, who was initially picked up by volunteers after they saw him wandering the streets. Sadly, none of the neighbors were able to recognize or identify him at first.
"Our volunteers filled out the St. Clair County Lost/Found Pet Form which goes to multiple organizations in the area, including St Clair County Animal Control, so we can better communicate lost and found pets and help them get back home," the shelter explained. "James, Boeh's owner was worried sick about him and called SCCAC in hope he had been picked up. They were able to match his description of his lost dog with the form regarding the dog we found, James provided proof of ownership, and now this big handsome lug is back home- where he belongs!"
For Dylan, the story was miraculous. If he didn't look at that listing on that particular day, it's possible the reunion wouldn't have happened. And it's great to know that Athena didn't seem to be too traumatized from what happened. Hopefully all of the other dogs taken from the home are also able to find great households to call home.
Shelters provide such a great service for animals. If you're looking to add a new addition to your household, you should check and see what animals may be available nearby. Not only would they be so grateful to be welcomed into your home, but they may end up making your family feel more complete.
