A central Okanagan family got a call this week they feared they’d never get; they were told their beloved dog, Jitterbug, had been found safe and sound.
The 7-year-old shih tzu poodle ran off when the family was on Vancouver Island last month for a wedding in Tofino.
He was thought to be in an area frequented by wolves, cougars and bears.
“Nobody had seen him for two-and-a-half weeks at least, there was nothing,” Ruth Moorby said of her then-missing pet.
The Moorby family was about to give up hope until Thursday when they were told, Jitterbug had been found.
“I’m just so excited, so pleased that he’s okay,” Moorby said.
Some Tofino residents, who were coming back to their family home in the Okanagan for the weekend, offered to bring the dog with them on Friday.
That’s when the Moorby family was reunited with Jitterbug.
“It’s a wonderful ending,” Moorby said.
The happy ending comes after an extensive search effort from volunteers at Tofino-based animal rescue charity, Coastal Animal Rescue and Education Network (CARE).
Several Tofino residents who had read about Jitterbug also kept an eye out for him.
“There were stations set up with food at various stations just to make sure he was staying healthy, if it was in fact him,” CARE co-founder James Rodgers said.
Cameras were set up as well as a trap in areas where he was spotted.
On Thursday, he walked into a trap and was rescued.
“It was a really remarkable community effort,” Rodgers said.