Where did he go?
Surely he couldn’t have wandered far. He’s too tiny and weak for hide-and-seek.
Where could this little Beagle be hiding?
After scouring every corner of her home and even enlisting the help of her other dogs, foster mom Lindsay finally located River, the missing Beagle.
She was stunned by his hiding place: he had been right in front of her the entire time.
Let’s uncover River’s clever hiding spot and see if you’d have spotted him too.
Where Could River Be?
Lindsay Lenz, a devoted animal caretaker from Higbee, Missouri, runs a farm sanctuary called Just One More. Her haven is home to more than 200 animals, including dogs, many of whom are injured, abandoned, or orphaned.
When she learned about a large-scale rescue by the Moberly Animal Shelter in Moberly, Missouri, she knew she had to help. Numerous Beagles had been saved from a hoarding situation, but one pup needed extra care.
That puppy was River.
He was the only one in critical condition, and Lindsay stepped in to provide the love and support he desperately needed.
“Initially, he was very sick,” Lenz told. “He had little to no energy, and slept most of the time. I made him his own kennel with a heating pad and multiple food options. For the first two days, I had to tube-feed him formula and medications … It was touch and go. On the morning of the third day, I was woken at 7 a.m. by the loudest, tiniest little howls! River woke up, and wanted to come out!”
Her only concern now was keeping track of him on the farm, given his small size.
Then the unthinkable happened: River vanished.
At first, Lindsay wasn’t alarmed. Puppies had gone missing before, only to be found napping in odd places around the house. But after 15 minutes of searching with no sign of River, panic set in.
She combed through every room, but the tiny pup was nowhere to be seen. In a last-ditch effort, Lindsay grabbed her camera, hoping it might help her spot him.
That’s when she finally saw it.
“Tucked up asleep on top of the bin of dog toys,” Lenz said. “He was blended right in with all the stuffed animals … Initially, I was shocked, then laughed for a solid five minutes! I had LITERALLY walked past him at least a dozen times while searching. He was literally hidden in plain sight!”
Poobie, one of Lindsay’s other dogs, had been lying beside River the whole time but never gave away his friend’s hiding spot.
River didn’t seem the least bit guilty about his clever camouflage. He gave Lindsay a sleepy side-eye, as if to say, “Really? You woke me for this?”
Running Across Greener Pastures
When River arrived at Lindsay’s farm, he showed remarkable resilience despite his frail condition.
He loved life on the farm, but his favorite place quickly became the plush toy basket.
After the video of his hiding spot went viral, River made that basket his daily nap zone. It became his personal retreat.
Sadly, despite the efforts of both Lindsay and River, his little body couldn’t hold on. About a month after arriving, River’s time on the farm came to an end.
Complications from anemia caused by coccidiosis led River to cross the rainbow bridge, finding peace in greener pastures.
His tiny body was finally free from pain. River found the rest he needed.
Though his time was short, his story will remain with Lindsay and all who followed his journey.