When the Calteaux family arrived at their vacation spot in Carowinds Camp Wilderness, in Charlotte, North Carolina, they were excited about all the fun heading their way.
However, what they didn’t expect was that this vacation would soon turn into a rescue mission.
Unfortunate Event
The Charlotte Wilderness camp included a bright and loud fireworks show that not everybody enjoyed. The family dog, Lucy, got very frightened, causing her to panic and break out of her leash.
And, before the Calteaux family could stop her, she was long gone.
Throughout their entire vacation, Dana and Glenn Calteaux, together with their children, were trying to track down and find Lucy. Unfortunately, by the time they had to go back home to Buffalo, New York, Lucy was still nowhere to be seen.
The family even spoke to a Charlotte-based news station, explaining what had happened and stating just how desperate they were to have her back.
“We just need her back. She needs us, and we need her,” stated the Calteaux family.
Reinforcements
When the residents of Charlotte heard about this tragic news, they knew they had to do something. They banded together, hoping to find the lost pup and return her to her family.
The incredible rescue team not only thoroughly searched the woods around the Wilderness Camp, but they also handed out flyers, rode bikes reminding everybody to keep their eyes open, and even marched in their local parade in dog costumes in order to bring awareness to Lucy’s disappearance.
A Facebook group was also set up with the intent of reporting any possible sights or leads, and it involved over 2,900 members.
The family, back in Buffalo, was also doing everything they could, contacting Teresa Tucker and Kelly Chatman, from Tucker K-9 Search and Rescue, for some assistance.
Teresa and Kelly worked alongside the community in order to expand the search to other states as well.
However, as there were no reports of Lucy’s whereabouts, Teresa and Kelly started to believe that she was most likely already found and held by someone.
Even though there were many lost and found Golden Retrievers popping up on the Facebook group, sadly, none of them were Lucy.
By having a couple of dark spots on her tongue, Lucy wasn’t a dog you could easily mistake for another.
“Please, if you’ve seen a golden retriever with two black spots on her tongue, make the call. You will remain anonymous and put our family back together,” wrote Dana in a Facebook post.
Good News
After five months of restless searching, the Calteaux family was interviewed by Charlotte news station, WCNC, where they received shocking and incredible news: Lucy had been found!
You can watch their sweet and emotional reaction here:
The family had no clue that Teresa and Kelly managed to get in touch with somebody who saw Lucy, and contacted them through the number on the flyers. They believed that Lucy was being kept somewhere, but probably managed to escape during storms that hit that area during the week.
Other than losing some weight and being covered in ticks, Lucy was perfectly healthy.
“Oh, sweetie, you’re going to get microchipped, GPS. You don’t even know what’s gonna happen,” stated Dana in disbelief.
The family couldn’t hold back the tears when they were finally reunited with their sweet girl. And, Lucy couldn’t contain her excitement either, wagging her tail and showering each member of her family with kisses.
Home Sweet Home
Lucy paid a visit to the local vet, where she was diagnosed with severe malnourishment. However, after some medication and a change in her diet, she felt better than ever.
Lucy and the Calteaux family definitely have some catching up to do, being separated for so long. But, the fact that so many people and communities came together to reunite a family with their beloved dog truly warms my heart.
A big thank you to everybody involved… you guys are heroes!