Missing from Alberta, found in B.C., a ‘Christmas miracle’ dog is heading home

Call it a Christmas miracle.

An Alberta dog who had been missing for five months turned up in Langley last month, and is now hitching a ride home for the holidays.

Coverage of dogs on Globalnews.ca:

2:02 Rescue dog found after going missing at Toronto’s Pearson Airport

• Rescue dog found after going missing at Toronto’s Pearson Airport
• Dog found in Hamilton after ending up on wrong WestJet flight
• Dog found swimming a mile off Cape Cod rescued by passing fishermen
• Dog found after being lost at sea for five weeks
• Dog found alive in the rubble of Taiwan earthquake after 5 days

Previous Video

Next Video

Frankie, a pit bull service dog trained to smell low blood sugar in diabetics, escaped from his owner’s friend during a road trip to Cold Lake in July, according to Scott Stevens, a volunteer truck driver who is going to chaffeur the dog back home.

Frankie’s owner, a single mom, had turned the pooch over to a friend while she was in the hospital, he said.

“I stopped off to see his owner there to grab some toys for him, a blanket so he’ll feel comfortable, with her smell or whatever,” Stevens said.

Get daily National news

Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.

Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up

By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

“He’ll sit shotgun with me, he’s got his own bed in the back,” Steevens said.

WATCH: Driver Scott Stevens spends some time with Frankie

A Good Samaritan spotted Frankie running loose on Nov. 27, picked him up and brought him to the Langley Animal Protection Society, said executive director Jane Nelson.

But it took some detective work to find Frankie’s family, she said.

When his tattoo returned no hits in a database, the society downloaded the information for neighbouring Alberta  — and found a hit for Frankie’s owner in Jasper, she said.

“She had despaired of ever seeing him again, and needless to say was over the moon excited that we had found him, and then found her,” Nelson said.

“I mean, what an amazing time of the year… a little Christmas miracle, right? It’s fun to be a part of that.”

Nelson said Frankie was in great shape, aside from looking a little skinny.

As for how the dog ended up in B.C.?

“Well I’m going to say that’s Frankie’s secret,” Nelson said.

“I suspect he probably hitched a ride with his charming personality and good looks.”