It's rare for dogs to survive for very long in the wild. Stray dogs are often found in deplorable states, and rescuers and vets work hard to help them recover from illnesses and injuries both physical and emotional.
But Cassie the greyhound managed to live on her own in the woods for five whole years!
Cassie is not just any greyhound, though. She used to race, but was put in a foster home after retiring. Her first night there, she got spooked and ran away.
People searched high and low for her for months, but she didn't leave a trace. Eventually, they had to give up their search hoping that wherever she found herself, she was being taken care of.
Years later, a woman named Tonya Cook started feeding a stray dog in the woods behind her house. She wasn't able to catch the animal because of how fast she was, but she kept putting food out for her just in case. Tonya lived just 10 miles from where Cassie disappeared.
She sought the help of Mary McCormick with Music City Greyhound Adoption, and the organization was able to trap the greyhound and bring her to the vet. That's when they realized that they had finally found the prized dog: the tattoo inside her ear revealed who she was. Cassie had finally been found! She had likely survived by hunting small animals, but her rescuers still believe that it's truly a miracle that she made it through all those years.
Please SHARE if you love greyhounds and if you're glad Cassie is now safe and sound!
