Patty (The Dog)
Patty is a Husky/Lab/Pitbull cross who’s just been through the tremendously harrowing ordeal of being lost. Her story began when Patty was a one-year-old pup. Both she and her sister Ann had been living with their family in Qu’Appelle. But as often happens with a litter of puppies, the family decided to re-home the two. That’s when someone in Regina Beach chose to adopt them.
Both Patty and Ann then made a car trip from Qu’Appelle to Regina Beach at the end of January. Patty must have been paying attention to the route. Almost immediately after arriving at her new home, Patty bolted, still wearing her red leash and collar. She ran along the lakefront and towards Highway #11. Patty’s original owner Laurie Baht wonders if maybe the dog was trying to find her way back to Qu’Appelle, where her heart calls home.
Within minutes of Patty’s disappearance, an appeal went out to residents. It was on a Facebook post on the Regina Beach and Area Lost and Found Pet Alerts, and the post described Patty as a timid, large, short-haired dog still wearing a red leash. Dozens responded and for days kept track of where they saw her running loose. Baht calls those five days of Patty’s disappearance ‘disturbing’, “I told my husband, Darren Klassen, that Patty was missing, and we were off to Regina Beach right away. We were told that she had run away. Patty bolted, and the community search for her began. Because of the lost pet FB post, all sorts of people got involved.” It was the talk of the Town. Residents worried about that short-haired dog running loose and lost in extreme cold. Nighttime temperatures were already dropping below minus 40.
By February 5th, the dog was spotted on the west side of Lumsden valley, miles away from her new adopted home in Regina Beach. “It’s like a story of a dog making her way back home.” Patty Ran down Highway #11, where she had travelled before in a car, and away from the only owners she’d ever known.
Soon local Regina Beach Critter Gitter Perry Reavley and his daughter Sara were involved. Perry arranged to set up humane traps close to where Patty had been spotted in the Lumsden area close to an old farm. “Early Saturday morning, my husband and I were out searching for tracks. Because Patty was dragging a red leash, it was easier to spot her tracks. Perry from Critter Gitter came out as well to help track her. By Saturday evening, Patty finally was lured into one of those traps.” Baht’s husband was there right away. As he put out his hand, the dog smelled his familiar scent and gave it a lick. Darren Klassen then took her out of that trap and drove Patty back to the only home she’s ever known, to Qu’Appelle, which is where she is safe and living again today.
Baht says Patty wouldn’t be home if it weren’t for the caring of a whole community. She was found just in time. Later the Polar Vortex set in, taking nighttime temperatures down below minus 50. Now that she’s back in Qu’Appelle, Baht says Patty is doing well. A little skinnier, but she’s home and happy “Patty has some minor wounds and some frostbite and windburn on her nose, but her paws are good. Minor things. We are so very thankful for everyone’s support, especially to Perry and his family from Critter Gitter and to Kelly and Karen Sweitzer of Regina Beach, for their constant assistance with tracking and sightings. Really everyone’s support in that part of the valley. Without all these truly wonderful people, we would have never been able to bring our fur baby home.”
Patty, the lost dog, prompted a whole community to pull together to help, demonstrating compassion and caring in times of need.
-By Carol Rose GoldenEagle