Beloved pug finds his way to family in a roundabout way

Bow Editor — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 13:54:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

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.

Clark said she is amazed by the coincidence.

“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.)

Runaway emu captured by police

Bow Editor — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 22:37:00 GMT

BY DAVE CHOATE

Police officers chasing and capturing emus sounds like a better concept for a movie than for real life, but for the second time in just over a month, the absurd has become reality.

With one emu captured by the Hooksett Police Department on Friday, Aug. 24, and another still at large, the flightless birds have come into the public’s consciousness in a way no one could have predicted.

But don’t let anyone tell you they’re easy to catch.

“We did the ‘grab it by the beak’ trick and it seemed like a good idea, but it turns out it didn’t like being held down, either,” said Hooksett Detective Sgt. Nick Pinardi. “When it stands up on its back legs and stretches out its neck, it’s taller than you. It was a scary bird.”

The captured emu is one of two that were reported missing from the Morse Hill Road emu ranch of Richard Racca, who had another emu escape in July. One of the emus was sighted in Bow on Tuesday, Aug. 21, but Bow police Lt. Dave Girard said there was no way to know if it was the same one that was captured in Hooksett.

“We saw it and attempted to capture it last Tuesday by the fire station, and that was the only time it was sighted to my knowledge. It wasn’t aggressive and it appeared to be healthy, but when we attempted to capture it it walked into the forest. We weren’t privvy to the beak grabbing trick, and it wasn’t until after the stories started showing up that we started getting tips,” Girard said.

If the other bird turns up in Bow, he will likely forego the beak grabbing method in favor of a pillow case over the head, he said.

Dunbarton master patrol officer Jacqueline Pelletier said the department is figuring out what course of action to take if an emu turns up in the town. She also said officers are searching for any possible discipline for Racca or anyone else involved in the emu escapes.

“None of these emus have been seen in Dunbarton, even though they all seem to have originated from here.
Most of our laws pertain to dogs and other domestic animals, so we’re just sort of winging it as we go here,” Pelletier said.

Racca did not return a phone call placed to his house before press time. The second emu is still at large, and anyone spotting the large bird is encouraged to call their local police department.

Bow News : animals

Beloved pug finds his way to family in a roundabout way

Runaway emu captured by police