After Josie, a Border collie mix, managed to escape from a Culver City boarding facility almost two months ago, her human mom Lori Tritel has finally received the happy ending every family with a missing member, furry or not, hopes for. A safe and healthy return home.
Missing since the 18th of April, Josie was able to hop a 12-foot-high fence around the property of Doggie Central, while in their care.
Lori was at the facility when this happened. Just a room away, she watched in horror as Josie leaped the fence, not know what was to happen next.
“She ran toward their back fence. I started screaming,” Lori said tearfully. “We just have a bond. I think people with animals know that bond… and I just want to bring her home.”
In an effort to get Josie back, Lori hired a team of people to help search. After an exhaustive effort over seven weeks, the hard work and long hours paid off. Josie was found.
“I reached out, I held more chicken out for her, and she came right into my chest. It was amazing,” Lori said.
Lori spent about $7,000 of her own money to find Josie. She blames Doggie Central for a lack of supervision and control over the situation, and feels the facility should reimburse her for the expenses related to recovering Josie.
“What I want is compensation, I want reimbursement for the cost of the search,” she said. “I think it’s a dog facility’s responsibility to have a fence that cannot be jumped.”
Faith Mantooth, owner of Doggie Central, disagrees. She feels there is no reason they should have to cover anything.
“She went out the back and scaled a 12-foot fence with barbed wire on the top of it,” said Mantooth. “I was in shock.”
Mantooth told news sources that no dog has ever done this before. Later, it came to light that a total of four dogs have managed to escape from Doggie Central in its 16 years of operation.
When asked about the other escapes, Mantooth said, “We have been a business 16 years. We have had hundreds of dogs here. To have four dogs get over or out the fence, especially in the beginning years….is to me a perfect track record.”
Doggie Central has given a total of $2,000 back to Lori Tritel, and Mantooth feels that is an adequate amount.
