RCMP rescue diabetic dog and return him to his owner, just in time

11-year-old Chester, a Pomeranian, was already going into diabetic shock when two RCMP constables with the Deas Island Traffic Services rescued him.

They were able to get him back to his family just in time, before he passed away from complications with his diabetes.

“Truly a miracle,” said Pam, Chester’s owner, who asked for her last name not to be used. “The odds were so stacked against this happy ending had it not been for their diligence and excellent police work.”

On Feb. 11 Constables Michelle Larson and Frank Bryson were on a coffee break in South Delta. While on their break, police say they “street checked” a woman who appeared to be out of place, and who had a small dog with her. There had been recent break and enters in the area, which had raised police concerns with suspicious foot traffic.

Then on Feb. 14 Bryson happened to see a LOST DOG poster in South Delta, only minutes after a family member posted it. He was with Larsen and they recognized the dog in the photos as being the same dog they had seen on Feb. 11.

Turns out, Chester had escaped from Pam’s yard when he was accidentally left out, and from there disappeared.

When Larsen contacted the number on the poster, Pam said she had just resigned herself to the idea that she would likely never see her dog again. She told Larsen time was running out for Chester, so Larsen and Bryson took a number of investigative steps and queries, working with Delta Police, and by 11:30 p.m. that night they had Chester safely in police custody, and then back to his family.

“Our family feels Constables Larsen and Bryson did something akin to finding a needle in a haystack,” said Pam. “On this occasion it was a little dog… Another time it could just as easily be a missing child. It’s a real comfort knowing our community is policed by people like this.”