Thanks to twists of fate, a scary situation had a happy ending for eight-year-old Fiona, a havanese-shih tsu who escaped from her foster home on Feb. 24.
The dog came from Heaven Can Wait in High River and was living in an Okotoks home as part of the animal rescue centre’s foster-to-adopt program. This allows pets and owners to ease into their relationships with one another – an important part of adoption for a timid dog like Fiona.
She had been in the home for little more than a day or two when the door was left open while her foster owner took out the garbage and Fiona bolted.
“He tried to catch her right away, but she had only been there for a day and didn’t really know him,” said Kim Hessel, founder of Heaven Can Wait. “He called me and said he couldn’t find her.”
Heaven Can Wait quickly spread the word about the 11-pound pup through social media and list of volunteers. Once it hit Facebook, the tips came pouring in, said Hessel.
“People were reporting sightings of her crossing roads and walking pathways and in parks,” said Hessel.
The last reported Fiona sighting was at Crystal Shores Drive, so volunteers and staff narrowed their search and began walking throughout the neighbourhood, looking for the small dog.
As it grew darker, Hessel returned to High River to care for the other animals in the kennels. Shortly after she arrived, she received a phone call from Doug, a man who had recently adopted a dog from her. He said a small dog had just been pulled out of the Sheep River in Okotoks.
“I told him to send a picture,” said Hessel. “I couldn’t believe it would be her, but I needed to know.”
The photo proved little Fiona had been found. Another man, Paul, had been walking his dog, Monty – who was also adopted from Heaven Can Wait two years before – in a secluded area down by the river.
When Monty started barking at the river, Paul stopped to take a look and saw a tiny dog standing on the ice.
“She wasn’t too far out, but she was scared and wouldn’t come to him when he tried to call to her,” said Hessel. “So he just stretched out as far as he could and plucked her off the ice.”
Fiona’s lower half was wet when she was retrieved from the river, and the Paul did not have a phone with him to get help, so he stood on the pathway holding her. That’s when Doug came along, drawn by Monty’s incessant barking at the small dog, and made the call to Heaven Can Wait.
“I was so relieved,” said Hessel. “So incredibly relieved. We were all looking in entirely the wrong direction. We never would have found her that night.”
Fiona was brought back to the shelter, where she was welcomed with open arms, warmed up and cared for after her adventure across town, she said.
The dog was cold and scared, said Hessel, but was okay.
Fiona is now waiting for a new home after the incident. Hessel said she remained at Heaven Can Wait, because the man who had been fostering her was not prepared for such a timid dog. She said they are lucky no harm came to Fiona, especially since the search team was on the wrong end of town and the dog was found on the ice, unwilling to move.
Owners should be aware of the dangers of the ice, she said, because dogs will often be drawn to the river but will freeze up with fear once they’re on the ice making it difficult to lure them back.
She said they were lucky Paul was able to stretch out to get her before the ice cracked and the day had ended in tragedy.
“I was quite emotional when I saw her safe and sound knowing where she was found,” said Hessel. “The way everything and everybody just came together, everyone in the right place at the right time.”
