Leia originated from a puppy mill and she was saved during a raid. When a family noticed her in a Maryland shelter, they did not hesitate, but instantly adopted her.
From that moment forth, there hasn’t been a single day this girl hasn’t brought joy to every member of the household.
She particularly adored her dad, Mark, and he cherished her in return. That’s the reason he brought her along wherever he went.
7 lengthy years of love and joy passed between this dog and her family until one day drastically altered their lives forever.
The Fateful Day That Transformed Everything
On October 11th, 2022, Mark and Leia went to visit a neighbor. Everything was proceeding normally – Mark was conversing with the neighbors and other attendees, while Leia was having fun in the hallway.
Then, one of the guests decided to depart early but failed to close the door properly. Mark and the others didn’t even react, and suddenly, Leia vanished.
“I believe she caught the scent of perhaps some deer nearby and pursued them,” Patty, Mark’s wife, stated in an interview for GeoBeats.
Everyone instantly began searching for her, yet there was no trace or sound from Leia. A week had already gone by since that dreadful moment, but Leia remained missing.
Despite their desperation, tears yielded no results. Hence, her family promptly decided to take initiative and reached out to the organization, Lost and Found Pets of Anne Arundel County. They were eager to provide all necessary assistance.
An extensive and arduous search would commence.
Extended And Grueling Rescue
Donna, one of the most dedicated volunteers from the rescue organization, recommended Mark and Pattie to promptly display posters.
She assisted them in putting up these signs throughout the vicinity. After nearly three weeks, they finally received their first sighting of Leia.
A kind couple who were driving down the road glanced out their window and saw her standing amidst the woods.
“We ventured into the woods and sure enough, she was standing back there, probably about 50 feet away from me,” Pattie remarked.
Regrettably, due to the presence of many individuals at that time, Leia became frightened and dashed further into the forest. Later, it was discovered that the poor pup was in a state of survival mode, which hindered her from acting normally even in the presence of her family.
For the following 3 months, they exerted all efforts to find her, but in vain. She adeptly shifted her locations, making it exceedingly difficult to capture her.
However, two days before New Year’s Eve, a woman alerted them that she spotted a similar dog at the edge of the forest from her workplace, four miles away from the previous sighting in Maryland.
Once they confirmed it was Leia, they sprang into action. Donna, who had been assisting them all along, enlisted an engineer who constructed a sizable trap equipped with a laser trigger.
“When the dog would cross the laser, it would trigger the door to shut and lock,” Pattie clarified.
This trap proved to be effective. After nearly two weeks of a game of cat-and-mouse, the food placed for her nightly ultimately enticed Leia deep into the enclosure.
On her official Instagram account, on January 21st, 2023, Pattie joyfully declared: “We found her!”
Joyful Conclusion After All
“It was such an exhilarating moment to step into those woods and have her recognize me,” Pattie shared through tears.
Leia was finally back home. Although she wasn’t quite the same dog, the hearts of all family members swelled with joy when their cherished girl returned to their cozy home.
She appeared fatigued, chilled, and so frightened that initially, she flinched at every approach from her mom or any other family member.
However, as time passed, this started to shift. She began to restore her distinctly joyful temperament that everyone in her family had relished for years.
Leia has allowed herself to be embraced once more, and she nestled right beside her mom. This was the best indication that she was successfully mending from the ordeal she had suffered.
Ultimately, everything culminated when her dad returned home from an extended trip.