Missing deaf dog walked an amazing 5 miles, then things got scary, NC rescuers say
A deaf 15-year-old dog managed something of a feat when she slipped out of the house and walked five miles, but her incredible journey nearly turned tragic.
After two weeks missing, Lucy was found trapped in a water-filled drainage ditch near West Arlington Boulevard in Greenville, North Carolina.
The ditch is a steep 7 feet deep, and the water was nearly knee-high, Greenville Police Officer Maya Ormond told The Charlotte Observer.
“She was frightened. You can tell she’s an old girl and my first reaction was: ‘How did you get down there?’” Ormond said.
“She could have been there a couple of days. She didn’t move, didn’t respond to anything. She was just shaking the whole time. She couldn’t walk until we warmed her up.”
Ormond entered the water, realized Lucy showed signs of hypothermia, and carried her out of the ditch like an infant. The senior dog was then taken to a vet for medical attention, police said in a May 19 Facebook post.
Lucy was not wearing a collar, but Ormond had recently seen a series of “lost dog” posters around town, and was sure this was that dog.
“When the officers contacted the dog’s owners, they found out that the owners had been desperately searching for their missing 15-year-old dog, Lucy, who they had last seen on April 27,” police said.
Haley Witmer of Greenville was desperate to find Lucy, noting they have been companions since the dog was a 9 months old. “We do everything together, and I don’t know what I’d do or where I’d be without her,” Witmer wrote May 4 on Facebook.
The ditch where Lucy was found is about five miles from where the family lives, Witmer told The Charlotte Observer.
“She did not suffer any life-threatening injuries, but has lost a lot of weight and has wounds that are being treated and cared for,” Witmer said.
“She came back home with us (Tuesday) and is already looking more like herself. She is expected to make a full recovery! We are so grateful to everyone that helped her come home.”
Greenville is about an 80-mile drive southeast from downtown Raleigh.