A family dog involved in a fatal crash on Interstate 84 west in South Charleston, West Virginia earlier this week will be reunited with her family in Iowa. Her owner Jeffrey Simons, 63, perished in the fiery semi-truck crash.
According to police reports, Simons of Wellsburg, Iowa, lost control of his tractor-trailer, causing it to crash and catch fire. Bystanders from other vehicles were able to pull the dog out of the burning cab. Police officers took the dog to the Kanawha-Charleston Humane Association.
And then the mystery was to help the dog find her family. Hennessy had an out-of-state collar, but the phone number was heavily worn; only the area code and three numbers were still visible.
With the help of experienced sleuths helping dogs find their families, the rescue organization posted Hennessy’s photo on Facebook. Hennessey was quickly tracked to a 2021 post by her original shelter, the Animal Rescue League of Marshalltown in Iowa, where she had been adopted in 2019.
The staff used the information to hone in on Hennessey’s surviving family. On Wednesday morning a FaceTime call between Hennessy and the family had been initiated. Just the sight of Hennessey had already “made a world of difference” and comfort for both the dog and the other family members. Jeffrey Simons’ family take comfort in having a living piece of their loved one returned to them.
KCHA said Hennessy’s family is making plans to travel from Iowa to West Virginia by the end of the week to take her back home.
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