A Community Brings a Lost Airedale Terrier Home
by Jan Marinelli, Canine Coaching
Lucy, the rescued Airedale Terrier with a scruffy face and a courageous heart, had already traveled a long road before finding her forever home a few months ago. Her guardians adored her — a wiry bundle of love, curiosity, and just a touch of mischief.
When her guardians left on a trip, Lucy stayed behind with a devoted dogsitter. But one afternoon, something startled her — a sudden noise, perhaps — and in a flash, she slipped away and vanished into the woods surrounding her community.
Word spread quickly. Within hours, dozens of neighbors and dog lovers joined the search. They trudged through mud, called her name, rattled treat bags, and left food out in yards to entice her home.
For two long nights Lucy was gone. There were sightings — fleeting glimpses of a muddy brown blur vanishing into the trees. Each time, she ran.
The sleepless dogsitter was beside herself with worry. When someone reported seeing three coyotes near the area where Lucy had disappeared, anxiety gripped the whole community. Still, the search continued — determined and tireless.
On the morning of the third day, came a promising sighting. Jan from Canine Coaching and her black Lab, Nell, hurried to the spot — armed with an extra leash and chunks of rotisserie chicken. Nell, Canine Coaching’s “first-line canine leader,” has a gift for calming anxious dogs.
They walked carefully into the woods, scanning the brush in the distance, singing all the while, “Lucy… Nell here. I’ve got chicken.” Every so often they caught glimpses of a muddy brown shape moving through the brush — Lucy, nose to the ground, vanishing again and again.
After half an hour, Jan and Nell found a small knoll and settled there. They waited — patient, and calm — ‘Lucy, Nell here. I’ve got chicken’, hoping Lucy would see Nell and figure out that no one was going to chase her.
Time passed. Then, slowly, Lucy began arcing back and forth, drawing nearer with each loop. Several volunteers nearby fanned out slowly to block her from retreating deeper into the woods. Soon, reinforcements arrived — Lulu, Lucy’s housemate, a big old Bully girl with a loving heart and an unflappable presence.
When Lucy saw Nell and Lulu, something in her shifted. Her tail flicked once, then twice. A chunk of chicken landed near her paws, and she gobbled it down.
But even so, trust is fragile. Each time a human shifted or extended a hand, Lucy would dart away again. The searchers crouched low, minimizing themselves, speaking softly. After twenty long minutes, it became clear that she wasn’t ready to be caught by hand and the treats were running low. However, Lucy had now come into Nell’s 15 ft. leash orbit, close enough to sniff Nell’s butt and wag at her play bow. YES!
So the group came up with a new plan: lead her home — not by force, but by friendship.
The humans began walking toward a nearby house with an open back gate. Nell and Lulu padded ahead on leashes, relaxed and steady, their tails waving like flags of reassurance. Lucy followed — at a safe distance, but following all the same.
Nobody spoke as the small procession reached the gate. First Lulu entered, then Nell. Lucy hesitated, standing just outside, nose lifted toward the familiar scent of her friends. Then, as if deciding she’d had enough of being alone, she trotted through the gate.
The latch clicked shut.
For a heartbeat, silence — and then tears, laughter, and joyous disbelief. Lucy was safe.
When her guardians received the news, they cried with relief. It was the best gift imaginable — their family, whole again.
That night, Lucy slept near Lulu, warm and safe at last. The long, muddy adventure in the woods was over. She was home.
Nell, Canine Coaching’s Dog Whisperer
Lulu, Lucy’s housemate