Playing fetch once again with little Opal is an amazing feeling for Gavin Bergsma and Claudia Woodruff.
The pair from the Cobourg, Ont. area have been looking for their nine-month-old Australian Shepherd puppy since last Wednesday when she was taken in Port Perry.
Reunited with her when someone spotted the truck she was stolen in on Monday morning.
“She’s her same self,” says Claudia Woodruff, as they were playing with her in a field close to their house.
“She has the same behaviours, she’s just our same little sweet opal.”
They are finally back together — after their truck was stolen when Bergsma was doing some work in Port Perry.
After days of anguish, the Haliburton OPP called them and said they had their dog.
“She came out of the car, she was a little bit nervous you could tell. Once we called her over she was ecstatic. Wagging her tail,” said Woodruff.
“When she realized it was us, she was just jumping all over, happy to see us again,” says Bergsma.
The dog was found — along with Gavin’s truck in Gooderham, Ont. A fair distance from where the vehicle was stolen. The alleged thief, a 31-year-old Clarington woman is now facing charges.
Police say someone reported seeing the truck to the local OPP — after the news was shared far and wide.
“The fact that our story was able to reach that far is absolutely incredible,” says Woodruff.
The family had searched tirelessly across Durham Region, Peterborough area and other surrounding regions. They say it was thanks to so many people pitching in to find her that they now have Opal back.
“The fact that so many people took the time to even go searching is great,” says Wooddruff. “We had so many people reach out and say we put up flyers in our neighbourhood. I’m driving around my neighbourhood,” said Bergsma.
Although this is a happy ending for them they understand that pets aren’t always reunited like Opal.
And they want others to remember this next time you see a missing animal post online.
“Not everyone’s story gets as much attention as ours did,” says Bergsma. “If you do see any posts of stolen dogs or missing dogs, please share them. That’s the best thing you can do for the dogs and the owners.”
So that more animals and their families can find their happy ever after too.