In Ashland, a little Shih Tzu named Maggie found herself on an unexpected adventure after slipping away from her home next to Central Park. It happened on a sunny Monday afternoon, right around 3 p.m., when Maggie managed to escape the safety of her fenced yard. Her family, particularly Allie Wears whose uncle owns Maggie, was filled with worry, not knowing the fate that had befallen their beloved pet.
The story took a hopeful turn when a kind-hearted individual spotted Maggie just two blocks away from her home. Despite the family’s growing concern that Maggie might have been injured or taken by someone unwilling to return her, fate had other plans.
Barbara Compston Albert from Hanging Rock found herself in an Ashland medical facility’s parking lot, waiting for her daughter, when she encountered Maggie. With a background in rescue work, Albert could tell right away that Maggie was well-cared for, noting her smooth paws and clean fur.
Albert took immediate action, checking for a microchip and scouring Facebook’s lost animal pages to post about finding Maggie. Her efforts paid off when, just after 9 p.m., she received a message from Allie Wears. Wears had seen the post on Ashland KY Lost and Found Pets, a page run by the Ashland Animal Rescue Fund (AARF) designed to help reunite lost pets with their families.
Thanks to Albert’s kindness, Maggie was safely returned to her family by 10:30 p.m. that same Monday. This story is just one of many successes facilitated by AARF and the community’s collective effort to support lost and found pets. The page has become a vital resource, not just for Ashland but for surrounding areas as well, in connecting lost pets with their worried owners.
Another touching story involves a Boston terrier named Maddie from Grayson, who is blind due to cancer. After escaping through a fence gap, Maddie was missing for 18 hours. Her owner, Mary Dawn Selby, was terrified, knowing Maddie’s quiet nature and tendency to shake when scared. Fortunately, Selby found Maddie close to home, exactly as she had feared, shaking but safe.
Rick Keelin of Catlettsburg shares a similar tale of his dogs, Hamilton and Peanut, who have a knack for escaping their yard. Despite the anxiety each escape brings, akin to losing a family member, the dogs have always found their way back home. Keelin himself has contributed to the community’s efforts by using the lost-and-found page to reunite another dog with its family in Huntington.
The Ashland KY Lost and Found Pets page emphasizes its purpose is to reunite pets with their owners, not to find new homes for found animals. Nicole Bryant, an AARF volunteer, and others involved urge pet owners to microchip their pets and equip them with collars bearing their name and contact information, increasing the chances of a happy reunion should they ever wander off.
Through stories like Maggie’s and Maddie’s, the importance of community support and resources like the Ashland KY Lost and Found Pets page shines through, proving time and again that a little effort can bring immense joy by reuniting pets with their loving families.