At just about 14 months old, Remington was a gentle, but curious young shepherd mix who joined his new family in January. His previous owners needed to find him a new home after receiving noise complaints along with those related to him wandering to other yards. In fact, Remington came upon his new home as his now dad is a police officer who interfaced with the owners related to the complaints.
He was quickly neutered and microchipped, and his fenced in yard seem to eliminate his need to bark as he was not frustrated by being contained. However, when the fence was damaged due to a tornado, it gave Remington the opportunity to wander. Such was the case one day in April when he wandered off without being noticed. By the time he did, his mom Brook and her husband Aron couldn’t find her.
Remington’s parents searched continually, posting flyers, checking shelters and posting on lost pet sites. She then received a call from a neighbor who was able to approach Remington since he was so friendly, and called the number on his tag. Remington was safe …. for now. Aron contacted Brook who was scheduled to go by the neighbor’s home later in the day to get him. The neighbor had agreed to keep an eye on him. But when Brook arrived, no Remington. She learned that a lady in a truck had apparently driven by and called out to the dog and put him in her truck. The neighbor assumed it was Brook!
Part 2 of the search begins!
The story of Remington soon got “Curiouser and curiouser!” as Alice in Wonderland would have said.
A woman from a guard booth at a facility some distance away called Brook to say that someone had found a collar with a tag on it with her phone number. While giving Brook new hope that Remington was likely safe, but likely taken in by someone, the search started all over. She posted more fliers near the area where the collar was found.
Fast forward to last week, when someone who works at a veterinary clinic saw a dog in a high school parking lot. It had a collar with no tags. The worker took him into the clinic where the dog was scanned for a microchip and bing bing bing, info about Remington wandering off and likely being taken in by somebody came up!
Brook and Aron were elated to receive the news. Aron drove to pick Remington up, where dog and dad were mutually excited to see each other!
Kelly happily reported:
“After 23 days, Remi was located 50 miles away in Houston, TX. He was seen wandering around a high school parking lot by a worker on his way to work … Remi was wearing someone else’s collar with no tags. When the guy got Remi to the vet, they scanned his microchip which immediately notified my husband. The vet checked Remi, and other than being skinny, he is in great health and spirits.”
Forest West Animal Clinic successfully scanned Remi, and his microchip led to an email from
Found Animals where his chip was registered. Turns out that Remi seemingly befriended RJ, a kennel tech from Forest West AC , during his ROTC marching practice in a local high school parking lot! According to RJ, Remi ran right up to him and he patted him. Then Remi decided to just lay down in front of him.
Since he had a collar on, RJ immediately felt the dog surely had an owner looking for him. (Turns out the collar that was found on Remington did not have any tags (and clearly not his since his old one had been found). One might guess that he had been taken in by someone, but followed his usual instinct to wander yet again. This time for the better!)
RJ called his mom who quickly came by to pick him up with the dog and take to his work to be scanned for a microchip. At first no microchip was detected, but Michelle who was doing the scan repeated it very thoroughly. A chip was detected in Remi’s chest area and the company the chip was registered to was contacted.
It all happened quickly from there with Aron receiving notification from Found Animals and then connecting with the vet’s office in happy disbelief that Remi was safe and sound!
The fence surrounding Remington’s yard is being fixed this week, but he will likely soon get a GPS collar “just in case”!
While having lost weight during his time away, Remington is otherwise healthy. His nutrition will also likely help get his coat back into better shape as well.
Ironically, his fur sibling Cloie a min pin has GAINED weight while he was away, as she had no competition in eating the food served up. Although she is known to eat from the bigger bowl and Remington from the smaller. Such a gentle soul indeed.
While the process of trying to find Remi was a harrowing one, Kelly shares that the support they received from their local Sheriff who filed a police report when Remi first went missing, to all of those who responded to her flyers and posts on social media, was a real comfort.
Remi’s story is another reminder for people who find a pet on the loose to report them as found and work to locate the owner.
We are so thrilled that Remington is safely back home and returning to normal!
Remi, you need not wander any more.
