The odds were certainly stacked against Wilbur.

The 8-month-old 5-pound pug could have gone from house pet to dinner, but thanks to the help of a community member, Wilbur returned to the Clark home after four days and four nights in the woods of Bow.

On Tuesday, Oct. 9, Wilbur, his owner Susan Clark and one of Clark’s friends were hiking through Nottingcook Forest, when something startled the animal and he took off running through the woods.

For hours, the two searched through the woods looking for the dog, followed by another two and a half hours that night in the pouring rain. But, there was no sign of Wilbur.

After spending the following day making and posting fliers, the family received a great response from the community, she said.

“Many people noticed the fliers and called to say they were going hiking and would look for him. There was a huge response from people in town. My husband and I had to go away Thursday morning, so I had to leave this whole mess undone,” said Clark.

While Clark was away, she left her children at a friend’s home on the other side of town on Woodhill Hooksett Road.

Enter George Reed.

Reed, a resident of the road, was driving along in his black pickup truck when he saw a small pug walking by itself. He stopped and picked it up to try and locate the dog’s owner.

About 100 yards away, Clark’s son, Ryan, was out in the driveway of his friend’s house playing. When Reed approached the home to ask if anyone was missing a pug, Ryan immediately

yelled Wilbur’s name.

“It’s so surreal that we lost him, and that he would be found and driven to the house the kids were staying. It was incredible,” she said. “First of all it’s incredible that a 5-month 8-pound puppy could be in the woods for that long and not be eaten by something. To think that he made it out on his own, got to the road and stayed there. That’s amazing.”

Reed said he didn’t think twice about scooping up Wilbur, who was the runt of his litter.

“It was a very natural thing to do. I saw him walking along, and I didn’t think that was right, so I picked him up,” said Reed. “It must have been some sort of divine intervention. It was very nice to see how happy the family was to get the dog back.”

After getting his dog back, Ryan called his mother to tell her the news.

“I couldn’t even believe it,” said Clark. “He called on my cell phone screaming. It took me two minutes to get him calmed down to tell me what had happened.”

The Clark family met up with Reed to thank him for his kind deed and also invited friends who helped search to dinner to thank them.

Reed was happy to meet the family whose dog he returned. “They are a very sweet family,” he said. “It’s a sweet family story for you.”

(Editor’s Note: Susan Clark of Bow has no relation to The Bow Times News Editor Susan Clark.)