Late last January, fur mom Jane Albrecht took to Facebook to report that her 14-year-old golden retriever Sage went missing from their home in Lopez Island, Washington. She believed that the pup ran out through the dog door after becoming disoriented from a seizure the previous night.
As soon as she realized that Sage was gone, Jane rallied her friends to find the missing canine in her property and around the locality. Some of her neighbors also offered to form search parties, bringing out drones, hiking the nearby woods, and driving across town to hand out flyers.
For five days, the Lopez Island residents gathered together to look for Sage. Neighbors like Stephanie Vallejo were particularly invested in the search as she knew that the pup, who suffers from seizures, arthritis, and an enlarged heart, would have difficulty surviving in the open on his own.
As the days went on, Jane and the community started to dread that their search would turn into recovery instead. But the fur mom still held out hope that Sage was alright. And finally, on Day 5, Jane received the call that she had been waiting for.
A local named Jim Parker spotted the canine stuck near Mya Cove, laying on a rock in the water and had clearly suffered a fall. The area was inaccessible on foot, so Jim had to call for backup. Minutes later, Stephanie, Jane, and another local named Aaryn Knox came to the site.
Stephanie and Aaryn boarded a canoe to reach the dog by water. When they finally did, they realized that the tide had been rising fast where Sage was on, so they had to move fast. They quickly boarded the 110-pound dog onto the kayak and paddled him back to shore.
Sage was then brought to the nearest clinic to get treated for his injuries. Meanwhile, Jane couldn’t be thankful enough for all the aid she received from her neighbors. Look at the senior dog on his way home here.
Courtesy of Jane Albrecht
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