Thanks to Dog Days Search & Rescue, a 93-year-old man from West Hills, California and his best friend, seven-year-old yellow Labrador retriever, Sunny have been reunited. Sunny had been adopted from a local shelter four years ago, and the two had been constant companions.
On October 4th, Norman Feigenbaum had been making a quick trip to the supermarket on his mobile chair, but when he returned the yellow Lab had escaped from his home after jumping over a fence in the backyard.
Friends and neighbors began the search for Sunny. A flyer about Sunny’s disappearance urged the public to not chase her. Someone had spotted her about a half-mile from home, but since then there had been no reports, Dog Days Search & Rescue joined in the search.
Shortly after Sunny went missing, there had been only one sighting. It was hoped someone had found her and had not checked her for a microchip.
But then came hope. One week later, a homeowner near the Chatsworth Reservoir, spotted Sunny walking up one of the roads in the preserve. She remembered seeing a poster on her street and called. If Sunny was in the preserve, it would explain why there had been not been any sightings from the community so the team headed out to try and verify the information.
The preserve’s large chain link gate was usually closed, but it just so happened a crew from LADWP had been there working, and the team were able to get in for a limited time to search. There were 1300 acres of open space behind those gates, and they only had access for a brief time.
The area has become a popular area for coyotes, but the rescue team was not to be deterred. They set up cameras near a few of the coyote dug holes to gain entrance to the fence line. And there she was; that night Sunny showed up briefly on the camera. Yes, she had been inside of the preserve.
Sunny had sniffed at the pair of socks from Norm that had been purposefully left there in an effort to provide a familiar scent. Sadly, however the team could not gain entrance to the private property to set up traps.
Sunny only showed up on their cameras briefly at night, but not during the rain storms. She had found a hiding spot, and it must have been a good one. They had also set traps outside the fencing and near gates, just in case.
The surveillance continued to make sure the coyotes were kept at bay and away from both the rescuers and Sunny. Finally, rescuers gained access to the property, and traps were set inside and near her walking area.
We didn’t have to wait long, though. As the sun set and the night crept in, Sunny appeared on one of our trap cameras.
Coyotes howled nearby and our hearts were racing as we all held our breath. Sunny circled the trap, taking in every smell of her owner’s clothes and obviously wanting to get to the food inside that her body so desperately needed. Finally, on Oct 16th, almost thirteen days after she went missing, Sunny walked into our trap and she was safe
Safely out of the preserve, Sunny happily ran out of the trap and right to Norm. Her tail was wagging, and she literally had the biggest smile on her face. There wasn’t a dry eye as Norm lovingly scratched her head.
Welcome Home Sunny!
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