Lost little dog found safe
In just a couple of hours between phone calls I answered last Monday, a little dog that had been missing since the Fourth of July was found alive and well — albeit a bit bedraggled.
Annalise Iavicoli’s grandmother called the Inter Lake the morning of July 6 to find out what it would cost to place an ad in the paper with a photo of Molly — a Jack Russell/Chihuauha mix — for her granddaughter who was beside herself with worry over her lost pup.
After first recommending she also try calling the radio stations to see if they would make a lost dog announcement, I wished Linda Johnson good luck and transferred her to one of our advertising representatives.
Less than two hours later, Johnson called me back to tell me Molly had just been reunited with her owner.
Molly, who weighs just 8 pounds, had been visiting with her family at a home on West Lakeshore Drive in Whitefish when she disappeared. Her family guessed that she either followed a deer or another dog away from the property.
Plenty of anxiety was brewing for the family.
A train passes through the area every 45 minutes and it has, unfortunately, been known to take out pets. Furthermore, a dog that small could practically evaporate in the heat wave the Flathead had been having, could be tempting to certain avian types and would have a tough time surviving a crosstown sojourn on those little legs.
Iavicoli, who selected Molly from her litter as a Christmas gift 2 1/2 years ago, began searching everywhere — up to nine hours a day. She intrepidly scoured the train tracks and tacked up posters, knocked on doors, inquired at gas stations and restaurants and hiked the Lion Mountain Trail.
She posted on Facebook and was amazed at how many strangers near and far, along with community groups, rallied to help her. At one point, there were 215 sharers from as far away as Spokane, Nevada, Iowa and North Dakota.
Serendipitously, Iavicoli’s future brother-in-law Austin Cody from Columbia Falls happened to be driving on Whitefish’s southeast side Monday morning when he thought he saw the miniature mutt run across the highway into the Don K car lot.
By car, that’s at least four miles from where she went missing; who knows what her actual route entailed!
He phoned Iavicoli, who rushed to the scene. She was about to search the field behind the lot when she looked around and thought she spotted her tiny dog across the highway sitting next to bush in front of El Sombrero Restaurant. Instinctively, she called out and Molly began approaching the road again.
Terrified her pet would be run over, Iavicoli boldly crossed the highway with her 9-month old baby in her arms.
The three collapsed on the grass together in joyous reunion, baby giggling and petting her little playmate. Molly was a mess, matted and filthy — but safe and sound.
A couple of employees came out of El Sombrero and Iavicoli learned then they had been tossing Tater Tots and food scraps to Molly since the previous night when the tired pup turned up at their door.
One might speculate that had little Molly not been fed food scraps by the kind ladies at El Sombrero, she most likely would not have ever caught Austin Cody’s eye and, well, let’s not go there ...
Community editor Carol Marino may be reached at 758-4440 or by email at community@dailyinterlake.com.