This dog tale has a very happy ending
Published: March 6, 2007
After withstanding bone-chilling weather conditions for 10 weeks, Spencer was, not surprisingly, dog-tired when he was captured Friday night.
The 4-year-old shepherd/hound mix had bolted from the parking lot of a Keene veterinary clinic on Dec. 22. The ensuing search involved his family from New York City, the Monadnock Humane Society and Town and Country dog boarding house, where Spencer and his littermate Matty had been staying.
“Spencer had a history of being afraid of the vet’s office,” said Lisa LaFontaine, CEO of the Monadnock Humane Society, which volunteered its services to help find the lost dog. The society tracked sightings of Spencer; as of last week most of those reports were coming from nearby Troy.
“The key to lost and found cases is making sure it stays in the public awareness,” said LaFontaine, who described Spencer’s return as a source of hope for those with missing pets. “We’ve known dogs that have survived being out for 11 months.”
The secret to Spencer’s survival was finding a safe, dry place away from the wind and receiving a steady supply of food and water, which was eventually what led Spencer to his safe capture.
According to LaFontaine, Spencer’s wild run in the countryside was brought to an end by his constant nibbling on a Troy resident’s compost. After getting calls, the society set up a large trap on the property at 6:30 p.m. Friday. Spencer’s capture came shortly thereafter, at 8 p.m. He was more than 10 miles from the vet’s office parking lot he bolted from.
Though 10 pounds lighter, Spencer appears relatively healthy and has rebounded from his initially timid behavior to his normal personality, said LaFontaine.
“Animals are pretty amazing about getting back to the basics to survive,” she said.
After a quick visit to the same veterinary clinic that previously scared him away, Spencer was reunited with the Covino family over the weekend.
“He was howling at us from the second we walked in the door,” said owner Scott Covino. Along with family members, Spencer’s littermate, Matty, also received a warm welcome.
“Spencer started jumping on him like he’d never been gone,” said Covino.
Now resting up back at Town and Country dog boarding house until a party this weekend at the Monadnock Humane Society, Spencer is enjoying a little relaxation by plopping himself on the comfiest pillow in the place, said Town and Country owner Marion Thomas.
After the party, Spencer and Matty are expected to return home to New York.
“He decided civilian life is much better,” laughed Thomas.
A transplant from Manhattan, Thomas has catered to city pets for years and has cared for Spencer and Matty since they were puppies.
She said Spencer had enjoyed hikes in the woods and was a well-mannered, friendly dog until he got to the vet.
Worried every night since his escape, Thomas said she could now rest easy.
“It was a very happy ending,” she said. “It’s like having the sun come out.”
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