The wandering golden retriever that went missing 28 months ago was rescued Wednesday morning by two vigilant borough animal control officers in a wooded area behind the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
Nicknamed the “ghost dog” because of his long history of avoiding rescuers, Buddy is now happily reunited with his owners, Tina and Rick Rein of North Pole.
Buddy’s saga began in late May 2009 when the Reins left Buddy with one of their sons, Derek, and his fiancee, Rosalee, to go on a fishing trip.
A short time after the senior Reins' departure, Buddy escaped from the young couple’s backyard, located off Ballaine Road.
Knowing how dear Buddy was to their parents, Rein family members mounted an intensive search before sharing the bad news with their parents a day later.
Flyers were posted around town, ads placed in the newspaper, veterinary clinics notified and Buddy’s photograph — labeled “Missing” — languished at the top of the Golden Retriever Rescue Fairbanks website until this past week.
Today, Buddy’s photo is boldly labeled — “Found.”
And Buddy is back on the job at Denali Center where Tina serves as director.
Before his disappearance, Buddy often accompanied Tina to Denali Center, and mingled with many of the residents.
“The elders especially loved him,” Tina said. “He’d go around and greet everybody?”
Friday morning, after a day of rest, Tina asked Buddy, “Are you ready to go to work.”
“His ears perked up and he started going around in circles,” she said.
Buddy’s greeting at Denali Center by staff and residents was no less exuberant.
“It was wonderful, incredible,” Tina said. “A lot of employees knew him, and it was a miracle to them that we found him and brought him back.”
But Buddy’s separation anxiety quickly became apparent when Tina briefly left a meeting room.
“He started to howl a horrible, lonesome howl,” she said. “He’s pretty stuck to the hip with me now.”
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As far as anyone knows, Buddy has been living by his wits for the past 28 months.
The Reins adopted Buddy from the Fairbanks chapter of Golden Retriever Rescue when he was four years old and loved and cared for him for a year and a half before he headed down the open road.
And the family remains mystified as to Buddy’s reluctance to approach people when he was on the run.
“He has always been such a friendly, mellow, sweet dog, I wish he could talk,” said Tina, who would dearly love to hear Buddy’s story about his two years on the lam.
During that time, animal control employees made repeated unsuccessful attempts to capture the wayward dog. There were reports of numerous sightings around the university, Farmers Loop and Ballaine Road areas.
Sometimes the officers' attempts were thwarted by people using the well-traveled trails in the area, explained shelter director Sandy Besser.
“We set out live traps several times, but they were always tripped by well-meaning individuals, including one time where a stuffed animal was left inside,” she said.
At other times the traps were moved — one was found in a Dumpster, and another disappeared.
But Buddy’s luck turned on Tuesday, when animal control officers, Brandy Sydow and Kiffiny Bailey, headed out on another mission to locate and rescue the light-haired Golden Retriever.
Walking along a wooded path behind the university, they spotted Buddy’s sleeping lair. But, as they quietly approached, Buddy sensed their presence and bolted.
That evening they returned to the area with a live trap, using canned dog food as bait.
Wednesday morning they found Buddy safely inside with a distended belly from overeating.
Buddy growled at their approach, but once the trap door was opened, he reverted to his former friendly self.
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Everyone is stumped as to how Buddy survived for so long.
After months and months of searching, the Reins assumed Buddy most likely had lost his collar and ID and had been taken in by someone.
When picked up Tuesday, Buddy still wore his collar with his rabies tag, microchip tag and Golden Retriever Rescue tag.
Speculation is that most recently he has been subsisting off a compost pile in the university area, and may have received handouts or temporary shelter from time to time during his wanderings.
Shelter employees cleaned him up some, gave him a rabies shot, and trimmed his broken nails before delivering him to the Aurora Animal Clinic.
“He was in amazingly good shape,” said Susan Sampson, a vet tech at the clinic, and GRRF volunteer president.
“His ears weren’t infected; his teeth were beautiful, and his coat is double the thickness it was. He was just dirty,” she said, adding “He was so happy to be around people.”
Since Buddy is now seven years old, precautionary X-rays were taken of his stomach and lungs. After a thorough physical, Buddy endured several more vaccinations before he was turned over to an ecstatic Tina.
•••
Buddy’s homecoming was joyful. He jumped out of Tina’s car and began romping with his old housemate, Joey, a cocker spaniel mix.
During Buddy’s absence, the Rein household expanded to include another rescue dog — Missy, a husky mix — adopted to fill the hole Buddy left.
Soon Missy joined in the fun, Tina said, and the family cat accepted Buddy’s reappearance without a hiss.
“The dogs are sharing their food dish, laying on the floor, and playing outside with the ball. It’s like Buddy never left,” Tina said.
Since his return, Buddy has not shown one iota of aggression, Tina said, even attending a birthday party Saturday for the Reins’ two-year-old grandson Bradley.
Although Buddy is settling in well, the family recognizes the physical toll his years of foraging on his own has taken.
“He’s gimping around and he has tender paws,” Tina said, “and you can see his ribs now when he’s lying down.”
But the Reins are grateful that Buddy’s ears are intact and not frostbitten.
On the bright side, Buddy remembers all his previous tricks. He gives five, sits and sits pretty on command, and he still has those soulful brown eyes that were so missed.
Wednesday night, after Tina and Rick gave Buddy a good scrub down and dried him by the fireplace, Buddy sprawled out and gave a big sigh.
“My husband and I couldn’t believe it,” Tina said.
That night Buddy located and curled up in his former favorite sleeping spot.
“He jumped on the bed and slept all night,” Tina said.
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