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Missing for months, Yorkie back with family
McCOOK, Neb. — A dog that has been missing for nearly six months has finally been reunited with its family.
One late afternoon in September, Bella, a 2-year-old Yorkshire terrier, slipped out of a backyard gate that wasn’t fastened properly, said her owner, Olivia Cappel of McCook. Later in the evening, Olivia found out that Bella was missing and spent the next two hours in her car, combing the neighborhood streets looking for her.
Not finding the dog anywhere, Olivia immediately posted on Facebook about Bella. She contacted the police and the local animal shelter, hoping for the best.
Day after day, she continued to post on several Facebook pages, that were shared hundreds of times. “I kept thinking there was someone out there who would see her,” she said. She spent two to three hours each day looking for Bella and posted fliers in gas stations, restaurants and anywhere else she could think of.
Her two children were heartbroken, Olivia said, especially her 7-year-old daughter who slept with Bella every night. “She just cried and cried.”
As the days stretched into weeks, Olivia continued to post on Facebook and found many sympathetic to her plight. “So many people were out looking for her,” she said. A fundraiser, started by a person who owned Yorkshire terriers, was used toward reward money. “We all kept thinking, surely someone had to have her.”
The repeated sharing of her posts and the outpouring of support from the community showed her she was lucky to live in a small town, Olivia said. “One of the reasons why I love McCook is that everyone was so willing to help, at the drop of a hat,” she said.
Weeks turned into months, the holidays came and went and Bella remained gone. Then, this week on Feb. 24, she got a call from Dr. Brianna Teel, a veterinarian with Red Willow Animal Clinic.
“She called and said, I think we may have Bella,” Olivia said. Teel told her she had seen the multiple Facebook posts but wanted to ask two questions about Bella: was she spayed and was her tail docked?
Olivia said no to both. Teel said a Yorkshire terrier had been brought into the clinic that matched Bella’s description asked Olivia to come in and see.
Once there, she was brought into a room and the dog instantly recognized her. “She came over and started licking me, her tail wagging like crazy,” said Olivia, who confirmed it was her dog.
The older woman who brought her in was upset and crying, telling Olivia that she thought the dog was a stray. “She said she had just lost her female Yorkie and that when she found Bella, it was meant to be,” Olivia said. The woman also had a male Yorkie and told Olivia that Bella had had four puppies in December, with the woman showing pictures of the puppies. Apparently, the woman had brought the dog in for rabies shots, said Olivia, who signed some papers and brought Bella home that day.
Her children were ecstatic when they saw their dog, her daughter bursting into tears as soon as she saw Bella. “She was literally jumping in joy,” Olivia said. As her daughter’s birthday is in less than a week, “she said it was the best birthday present ever.”
Everyone still is in a little bit of a shock, Olivia said. Bella has already been taken in for a haircut, as when she was brought into the vet she had not been groomed since her disappearance. Olivia plans to microchip her and above all, make sure the gate is shut. Most of all, “She’s home and the kids couldn’t be happier.”
Olivia credits the happy ending to the community, for sharing her posts and keeping the word out about Bella. She also hopes others will learn from her experience.
“If you’re missing your dog, don’t give up hope,” she said. “And if you find an animal, even if you think it’s a stray, please call the police or shelter. It could be someone’s pet that they are missing dearly.”