'Bear' Finally Goes Home for Thanksgiving
MARIETTA, Ga. - A more-than-two year search for a Paulding County's family’s dog ended Monday with an emotional reunion between "Bear" and his owners. "My dogs are my kids and oh my gosh it was just unbelievable, unbelievable," said Kelly Thomas whose dog took off after a wreck in Marietta in July 2013.
Kelly and her husband searched the area, called area animal shelters, and put up fliers, but despite their efforts, they couldn’t find Bear.
Fast forward to October 2014 when dog rescuers Stephanie Sparks and Kera Bagwell learned a stray dog was wandering around a junk yard near the wreck scene. "We could not get him close to us, but we knew he wanted to eat, he was pretty thin and so we started going out there everyday and taking rotisserie chicken," said Stephanie.
Stephanie and Kera spent more than a year feeding the dog and working to gain his trust. "We had absolutely no idea that it was going to turn into a 13 month ordeal. We thought we are going to go out, make friends with this dog, put him in the car and take him home," said Kera.
On her Facebook page, Stephanie wrote the dog who she named Cornbread wore a blue bandana when he first showed up at the junkyard.
On Sunday, their patience and persistence paid off when Stephanie and Kera captured the dog.
They took Cornbread to TBC Vet Clinic in Marietta where the vet discovered the dog had a microchip.
Thanks to the microchip, the vet located Bear’s owners.
The emotional reunion was captured on video, with a crying Kelly hugging Bear who licked her face over and over again.
The rescuers hope this reunion will spark dog owners to chip their pets.
On her Facebook page, Stephanie wrote, “Something to be thankful for this week of Thanksgiving and a real Christmas miracle. Emotions are raw, we were invested but we always said what a dream it would be if he were chipped and he had owners who loved him and have been searching. Turns out our dream for Cornbread/Bear came true and this couple had a prayer answered. Now, tell me again why haven't you chipped your dog?”
Kelly is beyond grateful to Stephanie and Kera for their efforts. "They brought my baby home and not only did they bring him home they took care of him, they adjusted their schedules to take care of him," said Kelly. "You do not see that kind of selflessness in people that often these days."
As Stephanie wrote, Kelly and her husband “totally deserve to have Bear home.”
The rescue is the latest chapter of a unique life for Bear. Kelly and her husband had rescued Bear from an abusive owner, where he had been tethered, had a broken tail and embedded collar, and was starved in a yard.