Dog believed to be cut from leash, stolen out of Winnipeg yard reunited with owners over a year later

A beloved Pomeranian is back in the arms of her parents over a year after it’s believed she was cut from a leash and stolen out of their Winnipeg yard.

Ruby and Felix Vanasse woke up early for work on a March morning last year. They put their aptly named Pomeranian Blondie on her leash tethered to their home at a Winnipeg seniors' facility, and let her out into the front yard.

“She will only take about five minutes or something, then she'll bark because she knows in the morning she’ll get a treat,” Ruby told CTV News Winnipeg by phone.

When they didn’t hear her, Felix went outside and discovered Blondie was gone, her leash broken.

Felix and their son scoured the neighbourhood for the dog, but there was no sign of her. It wasn’t until their son inspected Blondie’s leash that they realized it had been cut.

“He said, ‘Mom, your dog was stolen,” Ruby said.

(Source: Katie Rimmer-McGuire)

The Vanasses were most concerned for Blondie’s health, as she had a kidney problem that required daily medication.

After weeks of searching and posting online without any leads, Ruby and Felix began to worry they might never see Blondie again.

The adorable Pomeranian was given to Felix as a birthday gift 10 years ago. As a child growing up in foster care, it was his dream to have a dog. Blondie became a cherished member of the family.

“I was praying to God all the time. I asked God to bring my baby home,” Ruby recalled.

SHELTER VOLUNTEER MAKES FATEFUL DISCOVERY

One morning last month, Katie Rimmer-McGuire was driving to work near the Arlington Bridge when she spotted a small, blonde dog walking by herself.

Rimmer-McGuire, a volunteer with local cat rescue Paws for a Cause, pulled over.

“I noticed she was a little bit older. Her nails were really, really overgrown. There were no tags on her collar,” she recalled.

“She was just such a good dog, so I knew someone would be looking for her.”

Rimmer-McGuire began calling her ‘Arlene’ as a nod to where she was found.

She took her to a vet to be checked out, and Arlene got a clean bill of health.

Katie Rimmer-McGuire sits with Blondie at an appointment at the veterinarian soon after she discovered the pup walking alone near the Arlington Bridge. (Source: Katie Rimmer-McGuire)

After some feeding and grooming, Rimmer-McGuire started the search for the dog’s owner, posting on the Facebook pages of every lost animal and community group she could find. She taped up flyers in the area where she first found the pup and went door knocking.

Eventually, she got a call from a man claiming to be the dog’s owner. He said he had the pup for a year after his daughter found her and dropped her off with him.

“He didn't have a name, didn't have any photos, didn't have any evidence that he was the owner of this dog, so I felt weird. I didn't feel good on the phone.”

When she followed up by text asking for more information, he didn’t reply.

Two days later, another call came in from a woman who lived near where Arlene was found. She said she had once seen that dog playing in a yard nearby.

Rimmer-McGuire went to the address. There she found Ruby’s daughter, and told her of the mysterious, golden pup she found wandering alone.

Within half an hour, Blondie was finally back in Ruby’s arms.

(Source: Katie Rimmer-McGuire)

“I opened the door and there was Blondie,” Ruby said. “She looked at me. They put her in my lap, and she just put her head on me and I started crying.”

The moment was also touching for Rimmer-McGuire, who teared up watching the reunion.

“It felt so good. I'm so happy she's home,” she said. “At the end of the day, I did not want to have to find a new home for the dog. I really, really wanted to find her owner."

PRECAUTIONS TO HELP REUNITE LOST PETS WITH OWNERS

Ruby said she doesn’t plan to search for the person who took Blondie. She’s happy to have her dog home, and wants to leave it at that.

Meantime, there are steps owners can take in the event their pets go missing.

Audrey Barnabe, manager of intake and animal care at the Winnipeg Humane Society, recommends posting a notice on the Winnipeg Lost Dog Alert and Winnipeg Missing and Found Cat Watch Facebook pages.

Beforehand, Barnabe recommends getting your pet a temporary or permanent identification, like a tattoo, a city licence, and a microchip, which she said must contain current contact information.

Taking these steps, she said, can help reunite pets with their owners quickly.

“Most of our animals that we do return to owners have identification. It's very rare that an animal without ID get returned home. It happens, but it's not typical,” she said.

“It's just so important. It is heartbreaking to lose a pet.”

(Source: Katie Rimmer-McGuire)

Ruby is elated to have avoided that situation, even if it took over a year to bring her beloved dog home.

In turn, she is forever grateful to the woman who reunited her with Blondie.

“An angel brought my baby home.”