January 15, 2008
Cross Country Trucker Reunited with His Dog
Truck driver Alan Nelson of Colorado is used to making long hauls, but not without his best friend riding shotgun, a 23-pound reddish-colored Shiba inu named Sato. Nelson and Sato were reunited last Friday afternoon, after their separation became a news story and galvanized volunteers to search for the dog who ran off from a lower Hudson Valley rest stop.
On January 2, Nelson was stopped at a rest area off westbound I-84, about 70 miles north of New York City, on his way to a delivery in Atlanta. That's when Sato slipped out of his leash and ran off. The distraught owner called his dispatcher and said that he had to go looking for his dog, but the dispatcher told him he could get a new dog after delivering a shipment of frozen bread to Atlanta or he could get a new job. Reluctantly, Nelson drove off without his canine co-pilot.
News quickly spread of the lost dog and $500 was offered for Sato's return. Reports of sightings soon started coming in from neighboring towns. Volunteer Michele Dugan was posting flyers publicizing Sato's disappearance last Monday and, by Friday, she received a call: Sato had been sighted back at the rest stop. She and another volunteer found Sato (spending two hours enticing him with dog treats) and Rob Morrison of Mahopac managed to get a leash on the dog.
Nelson said of the 2-year-old dog, who has been trucking with Nelson since he was an 8-week-old puppy, "When he walks, he just gets his little feet going so fast."
Alan Nelson and Sato, by Stuart Bayer/The Journal News
|
"but the dispatcher told him he could get a new dog after delivering a shipment of frozen bread to Atlanta or he could get a new job." wow.
glad to see it's a happy ending!
Aww I'm so happy he was found. I would lose my fucking mind if I lost my dog!
I love stories like this, specially when you see the muzzlepuff of the doggie.
Thats so great!!
My pup escaped from a sitter last May and got lost in a bordering National Forest for 4 days. Eventually we found our 11 lb escape artist and she was home safe and sound. All this just days after she had hip surgery.
These stories are truly heartwarming and i can feel for this guy and how good it is to be reunited after what can seem like a hopeless experience.
I've tasted dog in a Canton restaurant.
Yummy.
I think that is case of dog and human looking alike.
Rocknrope,
Thank you for the addition to my vocabulary.
"Muzzlepuff"
That is cute!
:)
See, there is SOME good new out there. Just not enough.
I love how the dog answers to the name "Little Toad" (in the third link, not in the Gothamist story). So cute!
I love this story! Shiba Inus are fast little dogs, so its pretty miraculous that they were able to find him.
I love this story too - someone make a children's book about this!
I'm happy for the driver (and the dog), but this completely ruins my idea for a new country music song.