Searching for Montana

On March 24, the Erie Morning News ran a story about a gray miniature Schnauzer named Montana. Montana disappeared from her home in Erie's west side on March 5th. Her owner, Mr. Miller, was devastated.

Mr. Miller ran ads, contacted area veterinarians and groomers, posted fliers everywhere, even went door-to-door in his search for Montana. Desperate, he even consulted a psychic. The psychic told Mr. Miller that Montana had been taken by some children who really liked her. The Schnauzer was safe, the psychic said, and was being cared for not very far away.

Several days after Montana's disappearance, Mr. Miller received a phone call from a security guard at Gannon University: Montana's collar and tags had been found on the campus. Many other phone calls followed from people who thought that they found the dog. Every lead was a dead end.

On April 25th, a little gray Schnauzer was brought to Northern Chautauqua Canine Rescue by local dog control officers. She had been found in the road on Route 5 in Ripley, NY. We were certain that she had to be someone's lost pet because, in spite of being dirty and tired, she was still so sweet and loving.

She had no collar or identification, and unfortunately, no homing chip. We settled her in and began speculating on where she may have come from. Calls are always made to the offices of local veterinarians when strays arrive. This time, luck was on our side.

One of the girls at North East Animal Hospital remembered the name of someone who had been missing a Schnauzer, but he lived in Erie. We wondered. Could this possibly his lost dog?

Brenda Luce, Co-Director of NCCR, contacted Mr. Miller on the 26th. Mr. Miller was doubtful at first, because he lived more than 35 miles away and certainly didn't need yet another disappointment. After hearing more details and a description of the homeless dog, his hopes began to rise. With hesitation and mixed emotions, Mr. Miller paid a visit to NCCR's facility. Perhaps, even if it wasn't his Montana, he might consider adopting this homeless Schnauzer.

Only seconds passed after Mr. Miller got out of his car before both owner and dog recognized each other. We were witnesses to a too-rare occasion: a homeless dog was reunited with its original family.

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