A dog is an important part of the family. Loyal, sweet, innocent, and always there for you when you need them. What happens when your dog disappears without a trace. Where is he? Is he safe? Is he eating well? Will we ever see him again? Those thoughts and more can plague the vulnerable mind of a heart-broken pet owner. Sadly, this very thing happened to a family in Chicago, Illinois.
The Yorkshire terrier puppy, Shaggy, mysteriously disappeared from the Anderson household on the Northwestern side of the city. After six long, painful years without a trace of their four-legged friend, the family’s devastation replaced with joy after being reunited with their beloved dog whom they never expected to see again. The rascally pooch was just miles away from the family’s home when he was discovered.
It was on one fantastic Monday six years later that Shaggy the terrier had been found. A foundation made specifically to save dogs in need, Garrido stray rescue, were the heroes of this story. Having found a lost, scared dog in the Jefferson park near North Parkside Avenue without a collar, they knew exactly what to do next to start the journey of reunion.
First, they posted a flier that mentioned a Yorkshire terrier was found without a collar and without a microchip. What every careful and cautious person knows to do is check not once, but twice or more make certain that there is nothing to discover and that is just what they did.
To be absolutely certain there is not a microchip in the lost canine, the foundation ran a second scan and found that in fact, he did! The chip showed that this little dog, Shaggy belonged to the heartbroken Tina Anderson whom were contacted as soon as the chip had been discovered.
Who was behind the life saving foundation that found this furry friend? A Chicago Police Officer John Garrido ran this foundation with the help of his beautiful wife. The foundation has one wish, to save the stray animals of the city.
They do this by fostering the pets in need that they find and either track down their families and reunite them, or find families who will take good care of the poor lost animals and give them the love they desperately need.
The Garrido foundation made it possible to reunite Shaggy with his family, and even went above and beyond the call of duty. In his time away from his family, poor Shaggy had suffered. He developed a couple of health challenges.
Having been on the streets with no one to care for him, unfortunately the Yorkshire terrier developed cataracts and obesity. These health issues mean extra veterinary care an already expensive endeavor, that the Anderson family could not afford. Devastated, Tina explained they do not have the money to take care of Shaggy in the way that he needs and wasn’t sure they would be able to support him.
That is when the Garrido foundation went above and beyond in their duty to save these pets in need and agreed, out of the goodness in their hearts, to pay for Shaggy’s treatments at the veterinary clinic that way he can stay with the Anderson’s and they do not have to worry that they cannot offer the care he needs.
Amazing for a foundation that began their mission only two years earlier. Despite the youth of the foundation, the Garrido’s along with an extraordinary team of volunteers, were able to rescue, return, and rehoused six hundred dogs and a dozen cats.
Tina and her family extremely grateful to the Garrido foundation not only for finding their beloved Shaggy, but also supporting his health needs that developed in those long six years.
Image source: Screenshot from a video via NBC CHICAGO
