When Kate Olson and her partner, Curtis Chastain, from New Hampshire, took a trip to Missouri to see family, they could never have anticipated that they would experience one of the worst fears of every dog owner.
The duo brought along their dog, Walter, a Golden Retriever. One day, while a family member was walking Walter, he escaped from his collar and took off.
His family was frantic and began searching for him.
Looking For Walter
A large number of individuals volunteered and joined their quest. After remaining for an additional two weeks in Arnold, Missouri, they had to head back home due to work obligations. It was one of the most challenging experiences they had ever endured.
Olson established a Facebook group “Where’s Walter??” to facilitate people reporting any sightings of him.
Rescuers Gay Arnold and Maryanne Martin, from Lost Paws Trapping, a non-profit entity based in Illinois, reached out to the couple offering assistance. They specialize in reuniting pets with their families. Arnold and Martin commenced their search for Walter, attempting to locate any tracks.
Initially, there were some potential sightings of Walter. However, as time passed, it appeared as though he had disappeared. No one had seen the dog.
Olson was anxious about him because he was always a ‘nervous dog’. Both Olson and Walter suffered from anxiety and leaned on each other for support. Whenever her furry companion felt frightened, he would always run to her since that was where he found comfort.
Never Losing Faith In Reuniting With Their Boy
There were sightings of dogs in January and again in March 2020. Hoping those could be Walter, Olson made trips to Missouri, but both times she returned disheartened, as it wasn’t her Walter.
Although they received no updates about their boy for months, Olson and Chastain maintained hope of locating him.
“I never relinquished that hope. I couldn’t abandon it. It consumes you, and you want to give in just to find peace, but I would have never been able to rest soundly,” Olson expressed.
Olson was profoundly attached to her sweet dog. She had adopted him when he was merely a puppy.
Fantastic News
In November 2020, nearly a year after his disappearance, something extraordinary occurred.
Olson received two screenshots of a dog via Facebook Messenger. The images were unclear, making it difficult to determine if the dog was Walter. However, Olson refrained from getting her hopes up since she had faced disappointment before.
“…I dispatched my volunteer rescuers to investigate the region and communicate with local businesses where the dog was sighted. As it turned out, a business owner in the vicinity reported seeing that dog on his security cameras for the previous six weeks since the installation,” Kate shared on her Facebook.
The team from Lost Paws Trapping swiftly established a feeding station and set up a camera close to the industrial park where the dog had last been seen. Olson traveled to Missouri to join the effort.
The dog didn’t appear the first night. On the following night, he entered the crate, snatched the food, and dashed away. As soon as Olson witnessed her pup pilfering the food and fleeing, she recognized him as her boy.
The Much Anticipated Reunion
That very night, the dog entered the trap. Olson dashed towards the trap and began speaking to him. After enduring so many months, she finally had her fuzzy companion in front of her. As soon as Walter recognized his mom, he began to whimper.
Overcome with emotion, Olson sat beside her cherished pup and embraced him through the crate. Feeling a sense of relief with his mom nearby, Walter offered her his paw… a gesture he always used to do.
Once the rescuers opened the crate, the loving dog leaped into his mom’s arms and showered her with kisses. Olson was astonished to embrace her boy after all those months apart. They had missed each other deeply.
“He just came out of survival mode, and covered in fleas, smelling awful, was going in circles around her, leaping up, and showering her with kisses. It was incredibly special,” remarked Martin.
After ultimately reuniting with his mother, Walter was elated. That evening, Walter dozed off in her embrace… his safest haven in the entire world.
Olson opted to drive to New Hampshire to ensure her pup remained as relaxed as possible.
Chastain met up with them in Cleveland, Ohio. Walter was thrilled to see his dad again. As soon as he spotted him, he leaped out of the car and dashed to his dad’s outstretched arms. He nearly knocked him over. Overjoyed to finally be back together, Chastain and Walter embraced each other tightly.
Both Olson and Chastain were ecstatic to have their furry companion back. It felt like a dream realized.
Walter is living his best life with his family. He enjoys snuggling with his parents and expressing his affection for them.