The Tale of the Missing Dog

Kane County Connects is sharing a heartwarming story posted on social media of a successful rescue mission of a beloved dog. 

We've made sure to remove last names and any references that could identify individuals to protect their privacy.  With the help of a dedicated and caring community, from tireless volunteers and firefighters to kind-hearted neighbors, Lucy is home. 

While they weren't involved in this missing dog case, the staff at Kane County Animal Control works year round to reunite missing pets with their owners or find new homes for unclaimed or unwanted animals.   Learn more about their work and/or how to adopt a pet at https://pets.kanecountyil.gov/

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Here's the story of how Lucy was found as writen by her owner.

“It only takes one person to see her and call”. Those words from Rosanne, pet rescue volunteer, keep replaying in my ear. She was right. 

After 11 days, hundreds of printed flyers, hours spent searching, and days spent crying, I got the call. On the other line was Greg, homeowner who happened to look out his window at the perfect time to catch a glimpse of something blonde moving on an island in the wetlands behind his house. 

​ This was the 7th sighting call I received and my hopes were slowly fading away as each call left us feeling hopeful and then defeated with no sign of Lucy. After racing over there and reviewing the video Greg took, it was confirmed Lucy! I sobbed. Until that moment I spent 11 days not knowing if she was dead or alive.

Slowly my sisters and friends showed up to help assist with the rescue. I had my lifeline of rescue volunteers waiting on the phone directing my next steps. After calling the fire dept and a wildlife expert, both parties were gearing up and entering the marsh to get to Lucy. After an hour of attempting to lure her, their efforts were not successful. Lucy was exhausted and scared. Knowing she would only come to me, I begged them to let me go out there. I was told that I would lose my shoes at minimum, I didn’t care. 

Despite our belief Lucy wouldn’t jump off the island and attempt to swim, she surprised us all. By the time I got out to the island, the firefighter (who wasn’t happy I made the trek out there) told me she swam away and started sprinting after hitting land. From that point my phone was ringing every single second. 

Constant calls and voicemails coming in of people saying they are seeing her running up and down Eola road, a very busy road. So many calls I couldn’t use my phone because it wouldn’t stop ringing. Several homeowners were outside and screaming sightings to me of where they last saw her run. My sisters and strangers were driving their cars up and down looking for her. After seeing three women running in the field on Eola & Liberty, my sister stopped traffic while I sprinted out of the car to them with an entire rotisserie chicken (I apologize to anyone who saw this because I’m sure I looked like a maniac😂) 

A girl named Sara was among these girls. Her dog went missing and was found awhile ago so she understood what I was going through. She was able to calm me down and help me get my composure. After sprinting for what felt like an hour, Sara came running back to me (I was laying in the Oakhurst North field surrounded by chicken, again, like a maniac) and said “A lady has her on her patio!!” That lady is named Jane and I will forever cherish her and her kindness.     

I was able to army crawl my way onto her patio where she had Lucy by the collar, moving slow and making no eye contact so Lucy didn’t get scared. When I got close enough to Lucy it only took her a few seconds to smell me and immediately start attacking my face with kisses. She jumped on me and would not stop kissing my face. 

I laid there on Jane’s brick patio sobbing. My friends and family who all were apart of this crazy rescue started showing up to Jane’s backyard, them too sobbing. Jane went inside and came back out with Prosecco to celebrate. 

I was able to immediately get Lucy into the vet and she is doing great. She was overall clean for being outside 11 days, and we believe she was on the island for majority of it. She needs to put on some weight, but she is doing great adjusting back to being home and is very happy to be sleeping with her pink silk pillow again. 

I would not have Lucy today without the help of the entire community and countless people. To Rosanne, thank you for all your countless hours of support- help knocking on doors, flyering, calling businesses, putting camera down, and being by the phone for all the 100’s of questions and guidance I needed. Rosanne was on the forefront here and I couldn’t have done it without her and Deb's guidance. These ladies do this all for free and sacrifice so much of their life and families to helping strangers get their animals back. 

To my friends and family who spent the entire 11 days flyering, donating to buy flyer supplies, feeding us, making countless calls, and being by my side through all the emotions these 11 days brought, thank you. By day 7 we were all sleep deprived and losing our mind. I recognize you gave up so much time away from your own families and tasks and I am so grateful to have the support I do. 

To Mike with SmithicAir for coming out the same night I called and spending 3 hours on the thermal drone looking for her and offering to come back out for free if I needed it. To Premier Mailing & Printing for printing additional flyers for me, free of charge. 

To Greg and Lisa for making the call to me and for opening up their backyard to my entire family and firefighters to enter and begin the rescue work. I would have never thought to look on the island and it’s because of you that Lucy is home!! 

To the Aurora Illinois Fire Department for caring enough to send their engines out and try to rescue Lucy for us. 

To Sarah for being at the right place at the right time and helping me think straight, and helping me tell others how they can be help in the moment. To the whole neighborhood on Vaughn circle for keeping an eye out and allowing me to put food down on your cameras. To the other ladies who were also following Lucy’s sightings and staying alongside me. 

To Jane for being an absolute angel and holding Lucy tight for me, letting me borrow your leash to secure her (I need to get that back to you!!) and for being overall so kind and gracious during such a high stress time. Lucy ran from firefighters and wildlife capturer, but she didn’t run from Jane ❤️ 

To the entire Aurora community for being vigilant, calling me with sitings, praying, sharing my posts, and offering to help in anyway you can. I cannot tell you how many people have been so kind and gracious to us during those 11 days. 

I had so many fliers up and it’s proof that getting the word out helps, and so many people do care. & most importantly, thank you to Jesus for protecting Lucy! My prayer everyday was “Lord, put a shield of protection around her.” AND HE PUT HER ON AN ISLAND! He is so faithful to hear and answer our prayers when we ask. 

 I’m going to be making another post this week about all the things I’ve learned because I think it’s really important to share this with others because prior to Lucy going missing, I knew none of these things. To anyone else I may be forgetting, thank you thank you. I’m lost for words. Lucy is back home & we are so grateful.