British Columbia

Lost puppy nightmare ends happily for Chilliwack family

After being missing for nearly 10 days, Frankie approached mail carrier April Breslin in rural Chilliwack on Wednesday. As fate would have it, Breslin's own dog had passed away the day before.

10-month-old pitbull Frankie ran away from her dogsitter and was hit by a car 10 days ago

A photo of Frankie taken soon after she approached mail carrier April Breslin in rural Chilliwack. As fate had it, Breslin's own dog had passed away the day before. (submitted by Dan Levinsky)

A lost puppy that escaped from its sitter and was hit by a car 10 days ago has been found alive in Chilliwack thanks to an observant mail carrier.  

Frankie, a 10-month-old pitbull, caught the eye of April Breslin while she was out on her route in rural Chilliwack Wednesday. As fate would have it, Breslin's own dog had been put down the day before. 

According to Frankie's owner, the puppy approached Breslin near an abandoned trailer.

"April said Frankie kind of walked up and let herself be seen and just sat there shivering. So [April] thought something's not right here," said Kim Levinsky.

"Her dog had just passed away the day before she found Frankie and she was devastated dealing with that. Then, the very next morning, she saves our family pet. So, yeah, this a big cry fest."

According to the vet, it appears Frankie suffered only minor injuries during her nearly 10 days on the loose. (Kim Levinsky)

The Levinsky family was en route to a long-planned Mexican vacation on Nov. 11 when they learned their dog had been hit by a car after jumping the fence of the sitter they had hired using the online platform Rover. 

Speaking from Mexico, Levinsky says Frankie is now at the vet and appears to have suffered only minor injuries and no broken bones. 

"She's lost a ton of weight and probably has not eaten in 10 days, but she's had water because it's been raining a lot," said Levinsky. 

The family is looking forward to reuniting with Frankie later today when they arrive home from Mexico.

Frankie the pitbull puppy was found by a mail carrier in rural Chilliwack more than a week after escaping from a dogsitter hired over the online platform Rover. (Kim Levinsky)