Social media helps bring missing puppy home on Christmas
Dog has rare medical condition, had upcoming surgery when she went missing
A Regina woman says she is thankful for social media after posting about her missing dog and getting a call only five hours later that she had been located.
Clare Acoose said she let her puppy, Concha, and her two other dogs out on Christmas morning.
She said a little while later she heard the dogs barking and went to go check what they were barking at. She said she didn't see anybody, but went to go check a second time when they kept barking.
"Usually my puppy goes underneath the stairs, but I couldn't see her so I assumed she went off to the side," Acoose said.
She said she searched for Concha but couldn't find her. She said she reviewed the footage from her security camera and noticed two people walking by.
"As soon as I noticed [Concha] was gone, I get in my car I'm going around the block and going up and down the streets," She said. "I'm asking people who are walking if they've seen anybody with a puppy."
After having no luck, Acoose went back home and got screenshots of the people who walked past her house from the security footage. She then told her kids what had happened and they shared the photos of the people and Concha on social media, as well as printed out flyers.
"This happened about nine o'clock in the morning and we received a phone call around 2:30 p.m., a random guy called and said 'Hey, I've seen your puppy,'" Acoose said.
Acoose went to where the man had seen Concha. She said was there with a woman who matched the description of the woman in the security footage. Acoose said that when confronted, the woman turned the dog back over.
She said she is thankful people shared the post as it led to someone finding Concha within hours of her going missing.
Genetic medical condition
Acoose said Concha has a rare genetic medical condition and was scheduled for surgery on Dec. 29.
"It was kind of scary there when she was missing," Acoose said. "I'm sure anybody that would have taken her would see that she had a health condition and that she needed to get back to us."
She said Concha's surgery went well and she is currently recovering.
Acoose said when Concha was returned to her, she was very emotional.
"This was a good story, this makes you believe that there's still good in the world, there's still good people out there," she said.
"People who are just willing to help their neighbour or to help a stranger, that still exists too, you just don't hear these stories often enough."
She said it instilled in her a belief in random acts of kindness, especially around Christmas time.
"There's people of good character still."