Kent rallies to bring Buddy home

KENT — Buddy, an 18-month-old golden retriever, is home after 16 days on the run, thanks to a search that combined drones, residents’ sightings and a humane trap.

Volunteers from Connecticut Dog Gone Recovery led the effort, while residents helped by reporting sightings, sharing updates on social media and putting up posters throughout the area.

The ordeal began Sunday, Aug. 30, when Charmian Place and Ken Cooper welcomed Buddy into their Upper Kent Hollow Road home. A breeder had brought him from Chicago and was heading home when he escaped.

“We had him out on the deck. Before we knew it, he took off,” said Place. “We took off after him.”

The couple thought Buddy had headed into the nearby woods, but they could not find him.

A neighbor suggested calling Lee Sohl, the town’s animal control officer. She recommended Connecticut Dog Gone Recovery, a volunteer group that helps reunite lost dogs with their families. Its motto is “We Bring Dogs Home.”

On Monday, with Buddy still missing, Place and Cooper contacted the group and put up posters around town. Volunteers arrived with a tracking dog and a drone operator.

On Tuesday, residents reported hearing a dog barking in the neighborhood, and Buddy was spotted in the woods. But he remained elusive.

Volunteers used sightings and drone findings to decide where to place cameras, feeding stations and humane traps. Bears and opossums were also spotted in the area, adding to the couple’s worries.

Painting contractors later caught glimpses of Buddy in Spectacle Ridge, far from the couple’s home.

Finally, on the night of the 16th day, Buddy entered a large humane trap at Spectacle Ridge, lured by the food inside the trap.

Place and Cooper praised the volunteers who helped bring him home safely.

“The Dog Gone volunteers were nothing but full of hope,” Place said. “They are the most humane people in the world. Their commitment to the dogs is nothing short of humanity.”

At times, the couple were tempted to take steps that went against the volunteers’ advice, but they recognized the importance of following their guidance.

“Talk about feeling helpless with no direction,” Place said. Still, she added, “We never gave up.”

Cooper called Dog Gone Recovery a “great service to the community.”

“Their expertise, dedication and level of service are incredible,” he said. “Their whole sense of reward is based on finding the animal and reuniting it with its family.”

He was also struck by the support of residents who put up posters and shared sightings on social media.

“The whole community put their arms around us,” he said.

Buddy returned home with only a few scratches. Part of his coat was shaved so the scratches could be treated.

He remains a bit skittish and follows Place closely, but she and Cooper hope he will become more social with time.