La Ronge, Sask. family reunited with Coco the German shepherd who disappeared during wildfires
Coco travelled to Saskatoon and Regina before being found
A La Ronge, Sask., family is rejoicing after being reunited with their dog who disappeared during the summer's forest fires.
Coco, a one-year-old German shepherd mix, went missing a few days after the community was evacuated on July 4th, said Taylor Cowan, the dog's owner.
Although Cowan and her two daughters had to leave La Ronge, her partner, a firefighter, stayed behind and was going to look after Coco. But somehow the dog was let off her leash.
Suffered eye injury
"We were worried," said Cowan. "We started phoning every rescue place, SPCA multiple times, and nowhere seemed to have her or have any information about her." Her partner and other firefighters tried to find her, but they had no luck.
Meanwhile, Coco ended up in nearby Air Ronge, at a makeshift animal shelter. The dog didn't have tags or a collar, and she was injured. They sent her to a veterinary clinic at the University of Saskatchewan.
The veterinarians aren't sure how Coco's eye was injured, but Cowan said they believe it could have been a tree or another animal. They decided to remove the eye completely.
Treated in Saskatoon, sent to Regina
From Saskatoon, the dog was sent to a foster family in Regina.
"The woman told us that Coco fit right in because her husband only had one eye," said Cowan.
Luckily, someone began sharing a poster of Coco online. The veterinarian who treated Coco at the University of Saskatchewan recognized the animal and contacted the foster organization who contacted Cowan.
The family was reunited with Coco on July 31.
"You could just tell it was her right away because she was so cuddly and affectionate."
You could just tell it was her right away because she was so cuddly and affectionate.- Taylor Cowan
'I'm glad she's home now'
Cowan said Coco is in good health, but the dog does have some issues with her remaining eye and is receiving medication.
"She's been around," Cowan said. "I'm glad she's home now."
During the worst of this summer's wildfires, hundreds of dogs — many of which lacked identification tags or licenses — were evacuated from northern communities to rescue shelters across Saskatchewan.
As of late July, animal rescue groups in northern Saskatchewan were still working to reunite about 50 dogs with their owners.