MAKING A DIFFERENCE: "His Tail's Wagging Again!"

Ailing Dog's Life Saved By

Donations After Viral Photo

of John Unger & Schoep

Touches Millions

Last month, the above photo of John Unger cradling his loyal dog, Schoep, in Michigan's Lake Superior melted hearts across the world. Unger had take Schoep into the lake so that the water could soothe the arthritic 19-year-old dog to sleep.   Empathetic readers felt compelled to send cards, dog treats, messages of support, and money to Unger and his ailing pet, resulting in over $25,000 in donations.  

Only two months ago, Schoep was facing euthanasia because Unger could not afford his medical bills; the worldwide reaction to their relationship, however, has given him a second chance at life.  Schoep is now receiving weekly laser therapy, pain medication and glucosamine — all with encouraging results.

 

That stunning photograph of John lulling his arthritic dog to sleep in Lake Superior has touched so many people that John Unger, 49, and his dog Schoep,  have started a foundation to help other dogs in need. The Schoep Legacy Foundation has raised more than $25,000 to help low-income families care for their aging dogs thanks to donations from people as far away as Saudi Arabia and Japan, all inspired by that gorgeous image.

Unger's good friend Hannah Stonehouse Hudson, who is a professional photographer, captured the heartbreaking moment between the man and his aging rescue dog in Wisconsin when Unger thought his best friend was at the end of his life.

Thanks to the generosity of strangers, Schoep has been receiving top-notch care and is wagging his tail more than ever before, allowing Unger and his dog more time together. 'Schoep is doing incredible right now,' Unger said to MailOnline. 'The therapies that the people have donated — it's like turning back the clock a year and a half.'

Dr. Erik Haukass, Schoep's veterinarian, said that the 19-year-old dog is doing very well and that they are optimistic the treatments will allow Unger and Schoep many more months. 'Without treatment, John and I were talking about euthanasia at the end of July,' Dr. Haukass said.

Dr. Haukass was on the front line when the donations to Schoep's care came in, shocked by their magnitude. 'I've never seen anything like this before,' he said. 'We realized we had received more money than we would reasonably spend on Schoep's care.' Together with Unger and Mrs. Hudson, the three formed Schoep's Legacy Foundation.

'The idea is to pay it forward; give it to other organizations, to help out other animals in the area and use the money in the spirit it was given,' Dr. Haukass said. The $25,000 will be used in a variety of ways to help low-income families care for their animals, both in the care of older pets and the spaying and neutering of new pets. 'It could help another 30 or 40 Schoeps,' Dr. Haukass said. 'It's incredible to be in a position to help others,' Unger said.

But beyond helping other animals, Unger said that he's found himself counseling people who have had to deal with a devastating loss in their lives. Along with donations, people have been sending Unger their personal stories of woe. 'They're going through some depression of their own. They're very deep and emotional letters. Those are the ones that hit home a lot,' Unger said. 'But they look at the picture that Hannah took and it helps them have a better time with it. That's pretty extraordinary.'

Unger knows firsthand about love and loss. He and his ex-fiancée adopted Schoep 19 years ago, but when the relationship ended, Unger was on the brink of suicide. 'To be honest with you, I don’t think I’d be here if I didn’t have Schoep with me (that night). He just snapped me out of it. I don’t know how to explain it. He just snapped me out of it. … I just want to do whatever I can for this dog because he basically saved my ass,' he said.

PUPPY LOVE: HOW JOHN & SCHOEP
BECAME BEST FRIENDS

John Unger, 49, adopted Schoep, who is named after a famous brand of Wisconsin ice cream, when he was just a puppy and it was love at first sight. He and his ex-fiancée had been searching for a rescue dog for a year, going to dozens of humane societies. 'We wanted every single dog,' Unger said to the MailOnline. 'We just hadn't found the right one.'

His then-fiancée spotted the pup at the Ozaukee Animal Shelter 19 years ago. 'We fell in love with him immediately.' Schoep was in a cage with another dog, possibly his mother, crouched in the back quietly staring at the corner with his back to Unger. 'I knew — that's him,' Unger said.

At the time Schoep was named Tramp by the shelter staff and showed signs of abuse. 'He didn't even know what toys were,' Unger said. 'I really wanted this dog because I wanted him to enjoy life.'  The couple worked hard to establish the trust of the dog and eventually brought out its 'full potential'.

Now, 19 years later when Schoep was in so much pain, it was Unger's time to return the favor. Suffering from excruciating arthritis, the animal was not sleeping through the night and could barely walk.

‘Schoep falls asleep every night when he is carried into the lake. The buoyancy of the water soothes his arthritic bones. Lake Superior is very warm right now, so the temp of the water is perfect,' Mrs. Hudson explained.

Unger could not afford the costly treatments, which at $200 dollars a session, would ease Schoep's pain. But after Mrs. Hudson's photograph traveled across the world, thousands of dollars came pouring in.

Schoep has been getting joint laser treatments, which reduce pain and swelling while healing the animal's limbs, as well as pain medication from the Bay Area Animal Hospital.

'He's walking so much faster,' Mr Unger said. 'His stride, his gait, is longer. It's unbelievable.'

Dr. Haukass has also seen a change in the animal. 'He sleeps through the night. He's interested in going for more walks during the day,' Dr. Haukass said. 'He walks with less of a limp. His ears are standing up and his tail is wagging better.'

JOHN AND SCHOEP: 

THE STORY BEHIND THE PHOTOGRAPH

 Inspired: This image has touched thousands After professional photographer Hannah Stonehouse Hudson took this photo of her friend John Unger and his 19-year-old  rescue dog, Shoep, taking one of their therapeutic evening swims in Lake Superior, she posted it on Facebook and it went viral. 
Courtesy of Hannah Stonehouse
 Hudson/StonehousePhoto.com

 'I took Schoep in for a check up because he was limping,' Unger said. The doctor recommend pain medication, but said that it may be temporary or not help at all. Then, Unger said, the doctor told him, ' "If there isn't any improvement, we should probably..." a good vet won't say "put him down," but he said at that point I may start to want to think about it.'

Faced with the possibility of losing his best friend, he called up Mrs. Hudson for an impromptu session. She met the pair at sunset on Lake Superior, because Schoep's cataracts prevent him from seeing in sunlight.

'She couldn't believe he fell asleep in my arms,' Unger said. Mrs. Hudson watched the man and his dog float around the lake for maybe five minutes before Schoep began to get cold and shake. Unger said he had to take him out of the water to let him warm up and was worried she hadn't had the chance to snap an image. 'I didn't think she even took one picture,' he said. 'But then she told me she got what she wanted.'

Schoep Today 

"It's our turn to give back," Unger told Yahoo News. To honor the outpouring of support that they received, Unger began the Schoep Legacy Foundation for other struggling pet owners. http://www.johnandschoep.com/

VIDEO: 
 http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/dog-photo-schoep-arthritic-lake-180953849.html

MOMENTS THAT MATTER: Doggy S.O.S.

Clever Canines Call For Help...

George the Basset Hound
was choking — so he dialed
the emergency operator...

After George, the two-year-old Basset Hound from West Yorkshire, England, got so tangled in a phone cord that he began choking, the frantic pup somehow managed to alert authorities by dialing 999 — the British equivalent to 911, the Sun reports. Concerned by the heavy breathing on the other end, the emergency operator dispatched police to the home.

COPS who raced to a house after hearing desperate heavy breathing during an emergency call found a DOG had rung 999 while strangling itself with the telephone wire. George, the two-year-old Basset Hound, had knocked the phone to the floor and got entangled in the wire — winding it round his neck.

And he panicked so much he incredibly managed to ring 999 as he pawed at the phone trying to free himself.  The emergency operator alerted police who dashed to the empty home of driving instructor Steve Brown and his daughter Lydia, 18, on Saturday night.

They were preparing to smash down the door when a family friend from a nearby house ran out with a key to let them in. Four officers sprinted through the house in South Hiendley, West Yorkshire, searching the rooms.

Pals ... George and owner Lydia

And then neighbor Paul Walker walked into the living room and found terrified George choking — with the phone lead wound tightly round his neck.  Paul, 41, ripped the phone apart to wrench the wire from George's throat.

He said: "The police split up and ran through the house thinking someone had either been attacked or was desperately ill. I went to look round as well and walked into this room and saw George choking.

"He was absolutely terrified and could not free himself. I knew I had to get him free quickly so I just ripped the wire out. Incredibly you could see where his paw print was on the phone to ring 999 — he literally saved his own life.

"When the police came into the room and realized what had happened they burst out laughing. They told me they had been sent out because of a 999 call in which the operator could only hear heavy breathing and gasping. They thought someone had collapsed or been attacked."

Lucky escape ... George managed
to paw the emergency number

Paul had been left a key with college student Lydia to feed George later in the evening while she went out to do an evening shift as a waitress.  Lydia said: "By the time I got back the police had gone and George was looking a little sorry for himself."

"It is just so lucky that his paw managed to ring 999 otherwise he would have died. We still don't know how he managed it. It's one of those old-fashioned phones with the dialing ring. He's not usually very smart. He's really dopey and just likes to chew socks."

Singing sensation Patches the Pup,

is saved from death because he 

could howl 'Happy Birthday'

Last year, 15-year-old Patches saved his own life by singing "happy birthday," the Daily Mail reports. Up until then, the pooch was reportedly on death row after accidentally ending up at the pound. They say that every dog has its day, but the days of Patches the mongrel seemed numbered — until he was able to sing Happy Birthday. Patches was due to be put down at a dog pound because no-one who could prove they knew him had come forward.

That was until a dog foster caregiver called at Mildura pound in Australia, where 15-year-old Patches was being kept on death row and tried to get him to sing Happy Birthday. He obliged — and his life was spared.

Patches' elderly master, Eddie Vassallo, an Italian migrant living in northern Victoria, used to spend hours sitting with his pet on his knee. But when 82-year-old Eddie died three months ago, Patches got caught up in the confusion that followed and ended up in a pound.

Working on behalf of Mr Vassallo's daughter, who lives in far-away Sydney, Kaye Grivec, a Victorian Dog Rescue foster caregiver, helped in the hunt for the much-loved pooch. When she arrived at the pound, Miss Grivec was asked if she could prove that Patches belonged to someone.

'There's only one way to find out,' said Miss Grivec,

and started singing Happy Birthday to the dog.

"At first, he had a sad, faraway look in his eyes, just like he was thinking about something or missing someone," said Miss Grivec. "Then he just put his head back and started howling along with me, and I just burst into tears of joy," she told Melbourne's Herald-Sun newspaper.

Marie Vassallo, daughter of Patches' late master, was overjoyed when she learned that the dog's enjoyment of Happy Birthday had saved his life. "When they finished singing, Dad would say, 'Bravo, bravo, Patches' and Patches just loved it," she said. "Also, when it was anyone's birthday, Dad would telephone them and he would sing Happy Birthday to them with Patches singing along. "It was Patches' favorite song and it became a family tradition for Dad and Patches to sing it together."

When she learned that Patches had disappeared following her father's death, Miss Vassallo was heartbroken. "He'd been impounded for quite a while and his time on death row was almost up. Thank goodness he's been found and saved and it was all due to that song. We're now arranging to have Patches brought up to Sydney to live out his life with the family."

Max the Chocolate Lab

saves his own life after being

mistakenly left inside a hot car

A very clever canine left in a dire situation decided to take matters into his own paws and it saved his life.  Two years ago, Max, a chocolate Lab from Macungie, Pa. saved his own life after his owner, Donna Gardner, accidentally locked him in her car in 90-degree heat.

11-year-old Max loves a good game of catch and what dog doesn't. But his owner Donna Gardner of Macungie, Pa. says she knew from the moment she got him that he wasn't like most dogs.

"He's just a strange dog, he does things that normal dogs don't do," Donna said. Max can climb out of swimming pool using the ladder and he rings a bell when he has to go out. But on a steamy summer day when Donna accidentally left him in the car, Max needed to send out an S.O.S.

No, he didn't bark. To get his owner's attention, Max laid on the horn — much to Donna's surprise. "He did it twice ... two times," Donna said. That's because the first time Donna looked out, she didn't notice anything, so Max laid on the horn again. "I'm thinking 'Who is blowing the horn out there."

"I went out on the porch this time and there is Max

sitting in the front seat of my car. Well,

obviously it was him that blew the horn."

Max's life-saving stunt has made him a celebrity of sorts, but Donna says at the time it was pretty scary. Max had been in the car for about an hour and it was 90-degrees outside. "I was hysterical. I could not call the vet, my daughter had to call the vet because I couldn't talk," Donna said. "I was crying. I just couldn't believe I did that to him."

After getting Max water and cooling him off with wet towels, Donna rushed him to her vet — Dr. Nancy Soares, whose office had gotten the emergency call and was ready for anything. "His cooling mechanism, which the only one dogs have really is panting, was pretty severe," Dr. Soares of Macungie Animal Hospital said. Dr. Soares says Donna did all the right things and Max did not need much medical care.

Still, she says Max is a lucky dog. Dr. Soares says even with the windows rolled down on a 72-degree day, the car temperature can hit 100 to 120-degrees in just 10 minutes. "The mortality rate in dogs that suffer heat exhaustion is about 50-percent. It's a pretty high number," Dr. Soares said. "Lucky for Max, he saved his own life."

Donna says she doesn't know where Max learned to honk the horn. She says she is not a honker, but obviously she is very glad he figured it out. Of course he wasn't the least bit interested in showing us his honking skill during our recent visit.

REPRINTED FROM:

www.thesun.co.uk

ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE

NO
FRONT
LEGS,
NO
PROBLEM ...

Born without his front legs, Kandu, a Jack Russell Terrier, could barely move. His owner felt his quality of life was in jeopardy and took him to the Evergreen Animal Protective League to be euthanized. But that’s where this little powerhouse of a puppy’s life just began.

It wasn’t Kandu’s time, and after a story on Denver’s CBS4 — he was given a second chance. Ken and Melissa Rogers from Colorado were selected out of more than 100 applications and interviews to adopt the energetic dog. And with his new guardians came new opportunities.

Once Kandu was safely in the Rogers’ arms, the couple started working on devices to help Kandu move around. First came his everyday wheels: Ken Rogers molded plastic to fit Kandu’s 10.5 pound body. He then used rollerblade wheels to get the device rolling. With this, Kandu is able to run around and enjoy the outdoors completely on his own. And while inside, the Rogers use a sleeve from a sweatshirt to help protect his chest and assist him in sliding around the house.

Martin Kaufmann, from www.Orthopets.com , designed Kandu's wheels — and even added a cool mono ski weighing less than two pounds (photo above). The bottom of the ski is waxed up and Kandu can ‘fly’ down hills! The wheels weigh 6.5 lbs. which is a lot to carry for a 10 ½-lb. dog, but Kandu’s spirit is undaunted and it seems like nothing can stop him.

Kandu didn’t stop with his second chance at life and new form of transportation; the energetic dog is also giving back to the community. Through the Healing Friends program at Yampa Valley Medical Center, which takes animals to hospitals as part of the patients’ therapy sessions, Kandu and Ken Rogers team up to visit patients.

Ken says, “He's got an infectious personality; when he goes to a hospital he brings a smile to everyone's face. Kandu doesn't think of himself as being handicapped. Kandu's can-do spirit even helped a woman who had not spoken since she suffered a stroke. One cuddle from Kandu and she found her voice.”

Life for this little cutie pie, his human guardians, Ken and Melissa and the hospital patients who get to cuddle with Kandu (named for his attitude!) was changed forever. (Photo: Kandu relaxing with his pal Bob)

Ken’s wife, Melissa, says, “He's just joy. That's all he is, he's just pure joy.” Kandu’s life is full of discovery and fun. He is showered with love from his human caregivers, his fellow dogs and cats and the caring community around him. But there is also has a job to do. Kandu works with the Heeling Friends group www.HeelingFriends.org, which takes animals to hospitals as part of the patients’ therapy sessions. His patients love him. They smile, laugh, cuddle and everyone feels better.

“I feel an obligation to give him everything I can give him,” said Ken Rogers. “Kandu doesn't seem to know that he is different from other dogs.” Ken is now working on something for the water so Kandu can swim.

Kandu also has his own website,  www.Kandu.us where you can see lots of pictures and read more about all the forces that came together to beat the odds.

Kandu is an inspiration to all who meet him. He shows the world that with support, determination and a smile on your face, anything is possible! (Photo above: Ken and Melissa Rogers with Kandu and Bob)

REPRINTED FROM:
http://www.guideposts.org/

WATCH KANDU'S VIDEO:
 www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1w1XDrhrVE&feature=player_embedded#at=24

..... UPDATE .....

TWO-LEGGED DOG TAKES TOP HONORS AT MUTT CONTEST

Kandu, the dog who took home "Best in Show" at the annual Nuts For Mutts dog show, shows off the affection that won him top prize in the "Best Kisser" category with owner Ken Rogers.

Steamboat Springs — The annual Nuts for Mutts dog show in Woodland Hills, Calif., isn't quite on the same level as The Westminster Kennel Club. Luckily for Oak Creek pet Kandu, Nuts for Mutts isn't trying to be elite. On June 1, the two-legged Routt County mixed breed took home "Best in Show" at a contest that boasts categories such as "Mystery Mutt," "Most Vocal" and "Fastest Eater."

"It was great. We had seen a little piece last year on Animal Planet that sort of featured it, and it just looked like fun," said Ken Rogers, who adopted Kandu in fall 2006. "And it is, because it's just for mutts."

Kandu, who also won for "Best Kisser" and "Best Physically Challenged," was born without front legs. Rogers applied to adopt the dog - who was set to be euthanized before being saved by the Evergreen Animal Protective League - after seeing a story on Denver's CBS4 news.

"I got to thinking. At the time, we had a dog who was in the Heeling Friends program at the hospital, and we thought this would be kind of cool, that Kandu might make a good therapy dog," Rogers said.



"He actually has a little monoski for the winter time. Living in Steamboat, you've got to have something to ski," Rogers said. "It's like a whole different dog. He had such great spirit to begin with, but he just loves being able to roll and go fast and be with other dogs."

Through the Heeling Friends program at Yampa Valley Medical Center, Kandu and Rogers team up to visit with patients. Kandu gets animated when he sees the door of the hospital, but he calms right down when he's out of his wheels and snuggles up with a patient, Rogers said.

"He really seems to understand. Many dogs do, they seem to sense when somebody's sick. They just get mellow and snuggle up to the patient," he said. "It's really neat to watch."

Ken Rogers
with Kandu

Ken Rogers poses with his dog Kandu, a Jack Russell mix at the 8th Annual Nuts for Mutts Dog Show held at Pierce College's Shepard Stadium in Woodland Hills, Calif., May 17, 2009. Ken Rogers became Kandu's new owner in 2005 in Oak Creek, Colorado, where Kandu makes visits to hospitals, schools, and rehabilitation centers "to bring comfort and smile to all those visited."

REPRINTED FROM:
http://www.steamboattoday.com/


O YES U KANDU:

For more information about Kandu, the award-winning therapy mutt, go to http://kandu.us . The Web site includes a background story and pictures, as well as a selection of special Kandu apparel — emblazed with the slogan,     "O YES U KANDU" — that includes T-shirts, jackets, buttons and thongs. The funds from the items sold on Kandu’s website are donated to Heeling Friends and the Evergreen Animal Protective League www.EAPL.com/kandus_story.html .



(Contributed by Hilda who lives in Auburndale, Florida) 

THE POWER OF LOVE

PETS
WHO
RETURNED
HOME —
From
Remarkable
Distances






For many people pets become treasured members of the family, so when they are lost it can be extremely stressful as tragic endings are common. Often, after searching high and low, placing fliers in public places and checking shelters families are forced to give up hope of ever seeing their furry, feathered or scaled friends again and imagine the worst has happened to them out in the world on their own.

However, in some cases, the will of the lost animal to return to its family is too strong to give up, and against all odds, they find their way home no matter what it takes. Call it luck, determination, the power of love or a mix of all three; here are 10 inspiring examples of happy reunions of lost pets and their families ...

1. Giggle-Blizzard the Cat

Giggle-Blizzard — say that three times quickly. Without laughing. They say that cats have nine lives, but they only have four legs, and the ineffable Giggle-Blizzard managed to travel home two legs down over the course of what must have been an agonizing 11 days. The cat’s owner, Tracie Steger, put up posters all over her area and organized search parties to find her beloved cat, but to no avail. She heard stories of a car hitting and killing a cat in her area, and saw a vulture with a whisker protruding ominously from its beak. Neither of these victims turned out to be Giggle-Blizzard; he was way too much of a badass.

It turns out the feisty feline had had its back legs crushed by a car, but in what must have been an extreme example of ‘pfft’ he dragged his mangled body all the way home to his still-hopeful mom. It’s uncertain exactly how far Giggle-Blizzard traveled, but given the fact that it took him 11 days to return it’s likely it was quite the trek. Down two legs, and who knows how many lives, the Florida cat somehow arrived home on Thanksgiving night.  After two operations, he's back in Steger's menagerie, sporting Christmas-colored splints.  It cost $3,000, but Steger can't contain her joy.
 

2. Moon the Siberian Husky

If there’s any breed of dog that would be able find its way home over rugged terrain and great distances, it would be the Siberian husky. The only other dog that would even come close is Muttley from the Hanna-Barbera cartoon Wacky Races, but he gets about in a racecar, making it a contentious issue. In saying that, there are many detractors of Moon's greatness who insists that the only way the dog could have found his way to his home in the town of Ely, Nevada would be to hitchhike. Their speculation stems from the fact that Moon traveled a staggering 77 miles to find her way home to his owner, Doug Dashiell.

Dashiell had taken his three dogs on a trip and on the way back, at Railroad Valley, briefly let them out of his truck to stretch their legs and do their business, when Moon suddenly bolted. After hours of fruitless (or dogless) searching, Dashiell was sure he would never see Moon again. Dashiell was wrong. Amazingly, Moon managed to travel the distance back to Ely. The dog crossed desert, the White River, and the Ward Mountain ranges. Dashiell postulates that she probably survived for the week she was missing by feasting on rabbits, although he also mentioned that she absolutely stank of skunk when she finally arrived home. 

3. Kuzya the Wondercat

It’s hard not to feel bad for the other animals here when you realize how badly Kuzya (henceforth Kuzya the Destroyer) has trounced them all. Kuzya ran away from his owners, the Efremovs, when they took him with them on vacation from their native Olenyok to Yakitsk in eastern Russia. In Soviet Russia, cat loses you! They searched for the cat for weeks, but eventually were forced to return home without little Kuzya the Destroyer in tow. But three months later the Regnum news agency reported that the cat turned up on the doorstep, tired and thin but otherwise healthy. One of the Efremov family said: "He is nervous now about going outside - and always seems to be looking for a safe hiding place."

It took the Destroyer an entire three months to find his way home to his family. If that sounds like a long time, consider this: Kuzya the Destroyer traveled 1,300 miles across Siberia to finally reach his family, crossing woods, rivers, and lakes. When he finally arrived home, his only problems were a few bite marks on his tail, a bit of weight loss, and the fact that his claws were worn down to nothing, probably from slapping around too many predators. Kuzya is a poster-kitten for awesomeness.
 

4. Sage the German Shepherd

Sage the German Shepherd didn’t travel very far in comparison. She did, however, do it with a stomach full of shotgun shrapnel, which is amazing. After she went missing on his huge 40-acre property for over a week, her owner, David Lechan, didn’t hold out much hope that five-year-old Sage would make it home. It was common for Sage to go wandering around on Lechan’s huge property in search of adventure, but she was unfailingly there waiting for him at his doorstep when he arrived home from work. On December 2nd, 2009, she wasn’t.

It’s unclear why she was shot or by whom, but luckily, Sage made the trek home despite her grave injuries. Lechan said that dogs like Sage go into something called “wolf mode,” a state where their body shuts down and allows them to muster all of their strength and avoid becoming exhausted, even without food. “The only reason that she did come home was her devotion to me because we are pretty much inseparable,” said Lechan of his faithful pet. It took seven days for Sage to recoup enough energy to make the journey home, bouncing back from the sort of trauma that would stop most humans in their tracks. “I came home from work Wednesday afternoon, I walked in the barn, and there she was. She stood up, looked at me, took two steps, and fell down,” said Lechan. Sage is now back at home where she belongs and is expected to make a full recovery.

5. Skittles the Cat

Skittles the cat may not taste like a rainbow (though it’s hard to be sure), but he definitely traveled from one end of it to the other to be reunited with his family. His owners, the Sampsons, lost Skittles while they were vacationing in the Wisconsin Dells for Labor Day, 350 miles from their home in northern Minnesota. While they were packing up to leave, they realized they couldn’t find Skittles anywhere. After some frantic searching, they were forced to give up and return home. Because of the distance between their home and the area where Skittles was lost, the Sampsons weren't optimistic about being reunited with their feline friend.

There was one false alarm when a cat who strongly resembled Skittles appeared at their door, meowing to be let in. After an initial burst of joy, the Sampsons sadly realized that the cat was in fact “M&Ms”, a kitty belonging to the neighbors across street, who bore a striking external resemblance to Skittles despite being a completely different candy cat on the inside. It took the real Skittles 140 days to return home across a distance of 350 miles. When he arrived home, Skittles’ paws were raw and his ribs were actually protruding from his body. His owners declined to rename him “Skeletor” and nursed the cat into a full recovery.

6. Jarvis the Jack Russell

Jarvis the Jack Russel doesn’t just have a clever name, he also knows how to use one of the most obscure forms of public transport: the ferry. His owner, Vivienne Oxley of Devon, England, lost Jarvis while she was out strolling the Cornish countryside with her granddaughter. Jarvis, realizing that he was a bit too awesome for the situation, ran off in the bushes for an adventure while his owner searched for him. After an entire two hours of searching, Vivienne gave up and returned home to Devon.

Jarvis, however, was not really lost. He was just hanging out for a while, partying with the woodland creatures. When he was done showing them how to kick it Terrier style, Jarvis decided it was time to return home, and settled on the ferry as the optimal form of transport back to Devon. Jarvis was caught without a ticket but managed to avoid paying the fine by using the classic ‘I am a dog’ excuse.  Luckily, Mrs Oxley, got a call to say a dog like Jarvis had been seen on the ferry they had taken across Plymouth Sound to reach Cornwall. Minutes later, puzzled husband Tony rang to say Jarvis had turned up at home alone – having trotted the 3km from the ferry at Cremyll. Mrs Oxley said: 'I rushed home and there he was, sitting in the window wagging his tail as if nothing had happened.'

7. Max the Airedale Terrier

Max the Airedale Terrier travelled an amazing distance to return to his loving owner, crossing harsh terrain and managing to not get eaten by predators. Two-year-old Max was lost when his owner’s convertible was involved in an accident in Sterling, Connecticut. Bill Clark’s car was struck by another vehicle and in a moment of panic Max ran from the back seat of the car, through the trunk, and off into the woods. After returning home to Coventry, Rhode Island, Clark launched a search campaign for Max that spanned weeks, but to no avail. There were many sightings, but no luck.

Then, one Tuesday, Clark returned home to find Max sitting in his back yard, having found his way home from 45 miles away, crossing the state line while having to avoid any toll roads entirely due to his lack of change and the pockets in which to keep it. Upon examination from a vet, Max was discovered to have no injuries whatsoever, and the only mark of his nearly month-long journey was weight loss. “He lost 11 pounds,” said owner, Bill Clark. “I lost seven.” Calm down, Bill – it’s not a competition.

8. Dusty Simon the Beagle

Dusty Simon sounds like the name of some sort of folk-blues-country singer from the 50s, conjuring up images of the lone traveler, bedraggled-yet-wise, making his way through the countryside, his guitar slung over his back and the soles of his boots worn to the leather. Perhaps this is what the real Dusty Simon’s caretakers were thinking of when they named the pooch, who was often seen wandering casually around their subdivision — a stray despite his pure breeding. Dusty Simon had become a great friend to the residents of the subdivision, especially the children, and was a familiar sight and staple member of the community until he suddenly disappeared for several weeks. The subdivision’s residents searched ceaselessly for Dusty, but failed to find the lost Beagle. After two weeks of searching, the neighborhood’s hopes were beginning to dim.

One afternoon, Amanda Ramey, who was particularly close with Dusty, returned home to find the dog lying in her front yard. Unlike some of the luckier animals on this list, poor Dusty was a little worse for wear: his back legs were broken and his pelvis was severely fractured. Vets hypothesized that Dusty had been hit by a car and had dragged himself for several miles using only his front paws and determination. The surgery bill to reinstate Dusty to his former glory was estimated at $2,000, and the community happily banded together to pay for his full recovery. Viva la Dusty!

9. Smokey the Cat

A cat that was shot 13 times in the head with an air rifle has remarkably survived the ordeal. Smokey, had gone missing from his home in Maryborough in Victoria, Australia, for over a week. His owners were distraught and did whatever they could to try and find their lost nine-year-old moggie. If they knew the horrors that were being inflicted upon their poor pet they would have been even more panic-stricken.

Sergeant Craig Pearse from Maryborough police said it appeared Smokey's memory was not affected by the attack as the animal was able to find its way home. "This is just a shocking incident where someone either working alone or in a group has shown no regard for animal life and left Smokey for dead,'' Sgt Pearse said. Despite his severe injuries, Smokey managed to travel all the way to his front doorstep. Smokey has been heavily medicated and is recovering at home after a vet removed the gun pellets from his head.

 

10. Jack the Whippet-Terrier Cross

In a story reminiscent of 1940s film Lassie Come Home, a family who had given up their whippet-terrier cross Jack for dead looked outside to find him asleep on their doorstep. The mongrel dog – exhausted and sore-pawed, but very much alive – had walked 15 miles along an unfamiliar route, apparently untroubled by obstacles including a four-lane bypass and one of the country's busiest motorways. The dog's bravery is all the more remarkable for the fact that he suffers from a fear of traffic, and walks with a limp, after being knocked down by a lorry five years ago. Jack was lost by his owners, David Cooper and his wife Liz, while they strolled through Dearne Valley Park, 15 miles away from their home in Penistone (yes, Penistone) near Sheffield, England. Jack was spooked by other dogs and scurried into the woods. Mr. Cooper said: "He had been missing for a day-and-a-half and we'd all but given up. We'd had dozens of friends and neighbours out looking for him but decided to call off the search. On a whim, I had one more look outside the back of the house just in case he had returned. I glanced down through the window of the door and did a double take, because there he was."

From what the Coopers have managed to piece together from people who spotted Jack on his circuitous adventure, Jack had to cross four major roads and a four-lane highway – facing his doggie fears head on – as well as miles of dangerous moorland.  Mr Cooper said: "We really have no idea how he got across. There are a couple of pedestrian subways, but he would have no idea where they were so it's possible he just made a dash across the traffic." The final leg of his journey took him a few miles north to his owners' home, where he curled up in a ball on the back doorstep. Mrs Cooper, said: "I’ve asked all my colleagues at work if they can tell me how dogs can navigate when they’ve never been somewhere before, but they’re just as baffled as me. Everyone thinks it’s quite amazing.” Jack is now recuperating with the help of Coopers' two sons Adam and Rob. Mr Cooper said: "We bandaged his legs but he's out walking again now, although he is staying a little closer."

REPRINTED FROM:
http://brainz.org/15-pets-who-returned-home-remarkable-distances/