Who the dog belongs to and how it got to Maryland from Pennsylvania is a mystery — but concerned volunteers are on the case.
The black and white dog roamed the miles between Southeastern Pennsylvania and Frederick County, Maryland, for weeks. She repeatedly evaded efforts to capture her and bring her to safety, getting steps away from a trap-type cage several times, until she was taken in Wednesday night.
Community members began posting sightings on social media in mid-December, which were seen by members of Montgomery County-based Tailed Treasures of Maryland.
“We talked to the admins, we see, we talked to the neighbors and see what's going on,” Jill Barsky, from Tailed Treasures of Maryland, said. “And we find out this is a dog that has been lost from Pennsylvania.”
When there’s a missing dog sighting, volunteers set up a cage and remain on watch for as long as they can. They used bacon, rotisserie chicken and barbeque sauce to attract the dog with smells.
In the end, the skittish Springer Spaniel walked not into the cage, but into the arms of a 15-year-old volunteer named Serenity. Her home-school schedule allowed her time to sit in the cold and earn the dog’s trust.
“Speaking to her softly, giving, throwing her treats, and just giving her time to watch me and, like, letting her trust me enough to get that close again,” Serenity said.
The dog did not have a collar or microchip which would have helped identify her.
She is now at the Adams County SPCA in Pennsylvania. She was brought there by Glenda Rupert, who had spearheaded the rescue effort in Pennsylvania.
“She just kept turning more into Maryland and we were getting really frustrated because it was getting way out of our area,” Rupert said.