Every now and then we hear heartwarming stories about how Used.ca has helped a person, a family, a pet. This story comes from Caroline Stengl, a local artist and illustrator here in Victoria (you can see her website here), who used UsedVictoria.com to reunite a family with their lost dog, Koda.

Lost and found by Caroline Stengl

Last week I was driving home from work in the late afternoon, from Brentwood Bay to Langford. I take Prospect Lake Road because it’s pretty, there’s no traffic and I like to take a country drive to relax after teaching all day. That afternoon I spotted this handsome dog right next to the road, eating some road kill.

Something told me I’d better stop and check this out. I got out of my van and approached the dog. He was a foxy red colour, medium sized, pointed ears and golden eyes. As dogs go he really was a looker! He greeting me with barking at first but then was quite friendly, allowing me to give him an all over scratch and a hug. “Where are you from, boy?” I asked him. He had no collar on and no other sort of identification.

I didn’t want to leave him there in case he was lost or homeless or in trouble. He jumped quite happily into my back seat and cuddled up on a blanket. I walked to the nearest driveway and knocked on the door of the house. No, they didn’t recognize him. So we drove up a side road and checked at a couple more houses. No one had seen him around before. By this point it was almost closing time for the local animal pound so reluctantly I called Saanich CRD pound. The animal control officer was kind enough to meet me halfway, back up West Saanich Road at the Red Barn Market. Driving there I stopped every jogger and dog walker I saw to ask if they knew the dog. No luck.

While in the parking lot waiting for the CRD van I got in the back seat with “Foxy”, as I had nicknamed my new handsome friend. I asked him to sit in my lap and he did, lapping up the cuddles and reassuring words. “You’ll be alright boy. We’ll get you home again.” The officer arrived and asked me to put the leash on him and get him into the van since I already had a rapport with the dog. He was a little scared to get in the van but I lifted him up and in he went without a hitch. “Good luck Foxy, ” I said as a good bye. Someone in the parking lot told the officer about an injured stray cat spotted moments ago. So as he went to investigate the cat situation I left for home, hoping the dog would get claimed.

I posted a notice on UsedVictoria.com about finding the dog hoping that someone would see it and reunite him with his family. As luck would have it the ad worked! Someone who knew the dog notified the owners. They went to the pound the next day and claimed him. Now Foxy, a.k.a. Koda, was back where he belonged. Hurray! Unfortunately the owners had to pay just over $100 to get their dog back, but still it was a happy ending. Now his owners have replaced his lost collar and tags.

What I learned from this is it’s always a good idea to check things out if you spot a loose pet. Don’t just leave them to fend for themselves. But also be cautious. Not all dogs are as friendly and safe as Koda. Another important point is that it’s better to surrender the animal to the pound (if it’s a no-kill facility) rather than take it home because you could get in trouble for abducting someone’s pet. The animal stands a better chance of being reunited with family when taken to the proper facilities, plus the pound is already equipped to care for animals. You may not be ready for the responsibility of an unexpected animal guest.

Koda’s owners sent me a message via usedvictoria.com to say thank you for finding their dog. It felt really good to help him out and to know he went home again, safe and sound. I hope if my pets ever go missing that someone will do the same for me.

Thank you for sharing Caroline!