'I didn’t give up': Five-day search for missing dog ends with tears of joy
A Saskatoon woman and her dog, Bella, were reunited after five days of searching, with the help of Facebook and the kindness of strangers.
Bella, a 4-year-old Pomeranian mix, escaped from a downtown groomer on Friday when a customer mistakenly opened a door.
Tamara Fournier searched day and night and took to Facebook with live videos in hopes of finding Bella.
The groomer also paid for a drone to assist with thermal imaging.
One of the videos shows Fournier singing one of Bella’s favourite songs, Hallelujah, while standing in the downtown core, hoping the song would coax the scared pup out of hiding if she was.
The video alone garnered over 3,000 views, which Fournier claims helped catapult the search and spread the word even more.
After five days of being out in temperatures that hit -36 C with the windchill at times and a storm that dumped 25 centimetres of snow Sunday, Bella was found alive and well on Tuesday.
Fournier credits the help she received from strangers as the reason she found Bella.
“We found her, and you guys were part of it. Thank you,” she said while being reunited with her prized pup.
“This one really resonated with me. Tiny, little and they needed help. So, following all leads and everything and being supportive with one another, it's been huge,” said Lisa Shutiak, who volunteered to help in the search.
While Fournier was searching the riverbank based on a tip, her mom followed another lead to the Holiday Park neighbourhood.
Then, near the old Sanitorium property at the end of a dead-end road, Bella was sitting on a driveway of a lone house facing what is now Holiday Park.
Fournier’s mother calmly sat on the road, coaxing Bella who was obviously scared and timid.
The person with the tip that ultimately led to finding Bella declined the $2,300 reward that Fournier put forth.
Bella was taken to the vet immediately following the reunion. The veterinarian only saw a minor cut and ordered lots of rest for the pup.
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