Date Missing: 6/09/18 Date Reunited: 8/17/18 Days Missing: 69
When it comes to searching for a lost dog it takes time, hard work, a lot of prayers and a little bit of luck. Especially when that dog, Miss Chocolate, ran away 40 miles from her home while visiting relatives. Her family and friends were doing everything they could to help find her. The distance made it even more difficult for them.
Miss Chocolate started her run on June 9th, 2018. She stayed for awhile in the Hobart, WI community area. We didn’t know in the beginning the distance factor the family was trying to overcome in response to a sighting. It was after about a week and several sightings, the owners could still not catch her, that Get Toby Home and some wonderful community members started helping. We had her posted to our Get Toby Home Facebook page and other social media sites, made signs, and printed and distributed flyers.
With the start of the LPGA tournament in the area Miss Chocolate went missing, she was scared out of the area and vanished. The next sighting came about 7-10 days later in Howard, WI near Velp Ave about 7.5 miles away from last sighting. We once again made more signs and printed and distributed more flyers, but once again Miss Chocolate vanished again. However, we would not give up on her.
The next sighting came about another 7-10 days later about 4 miles from the last sighting. Once again we made more signs and flyers. It was a few days later in that area after Miss Chocolate had been running for over 30 days, that somebody shared a video of her on their security camera running through their backyard. The family was relieved to know she was surviving, but still so saddened that she never stayed in one area long enough for us to set up bait and trapping. But this did renew our faith that we would get her. But then Miss Chocolate vanished yet again.
A week later, another sighting on the West side of Green Bay, 5 miles away and then another week passed and she was seen back in Howard, 3 miles away. Yet another week after that, sightings of her came in near Lambeau Field. The owner worked very close to this area and was able to get there quickly and saw her, however being in survival mode, she even ran from him. We continued with the signs and flyers which would lead us to the break we needed.
Miss Chocolate was seen on the West side of Green Bay by Perkins Park in the morning and evening. The family and our group did a stake out to see if we could determine her travels. She was seen again the following evening in the same area. We determined she was sheltering in the park and finding food from the scraps left from the children from the parks summer lunch program. The following evening we set a bait pile of cheeseburgers with a camera on it and when checking it the next morning she was on it! We then set a trap the following evening using a cheeseburger trail and a bonus bacon & egg croissanwich in the trap. Family and members of our group were in their vehicles in set spots on the travel route she was taking. She was seen in the playground area looking for food scraps. We waited anxiously for the cell camera to go off. Within minutes, but what seemed like hours, she was on the cell camera and then IN THE TRAP! WE GOT HER!
After 69 days, Miss Chocolate’s adventure was complete at 9:50 pm on August 17, 2018. She was back with the family that loved her dearly and NEVER gave up on her.
