An animal shelter in Ohio was expecting a 68-pound Dobberman pinscher dog called Monty, but the canine got loose and then lost while in transport in Kentucky. Fortunately, the dog was later found by a Kentucky State Police Vehicle Enforcement officer and the dog was able to reach his final destination.
Monty had been recently rescued from living as a stray in North Carolina. He was picked up by animal control and taken to a high-kill shelter, but fortunately for him, the Doberman Assistance Network pulled him from the shelter and planned to send Monty to Ohio for a new lease on life.
Jeanine Mattison was transporting Monty from North Carolina to Kentucky, and while she stopped at a London, Kentucky, weighing station to give the dog a potty break, the canine slipped his collar and got away.
“As a dog transporter, it was the worst day of my life,” Mattison told The Times Tribune. “[Monty] was on his own long enough that he also likes his freedom.”
It was noon on August 25, 2013, when Monty got away. Mattison stayed in the area searching, posting fliers, talking to locals, and looking for signs of Monty, but the dog was nowhere to be found. When it got dark Mattison had to stop the search and resume it the following morning.
“I knocked on doors. I flagged down pizza delivery people, approached people mowing their yards. I just knew I had to find him,” Mattison said.
Two days later Mattison received the call she had been waiting for. Monty had been found.
KSP Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Officer Randy Rader was near the London weighing station on Tuesday, August 27, when he noticed a dog in a nearby field. Rader had seen the plastered “Lost Dog” fliers and immediately recognized the stray dog.
The officer fed Monty and kept him close until Mattison arrived to recapture the dog and continue their trip to the Ohio shelter.
For Mattison, being able to safely transport every single dog entrusted to her care is very important. Having lost Monty was a devastating mistake that could happen to the most experienced transporter. She is just happy that Monty was found and his transport saga has a happy ending.
Mattison is grateful that Officer Rader found and kept Monty safe. She was also touched by the compassion and genuinely concern locals showed while Mattison searched for the elusive dog.
After a very long trip from North Carolina to Ohio, with an extended stay in Kentucky, Monty is now safe in Ohio, waiting to find his forever home.
