A beloved pet that went missing for more than two weeks is home safe and sound thanks to one man’s quick thinking.
Dan Bowden and his wife Donna adopted 10-year-old Gulluk last month. They were devastated when the retired sled dog ran away from their Lower Sackville, N.S. home 17 days ago.
Since then, Gulluk has been seen all over the Halifax Regional Municipality - from Lower Sackville all the way to Tantallon. There were plenty of sightings, but no one was able to catch the dog.
Chris Burrows lives in Tantallon. He heard Gulluk had been seen in the area, so he went looking for him Thursday. He says he spotted the dog within minutes of searching.
“He was right in this little depression of snow,” says Burrows. “I got about eight feet away and then he looked up at me and I knew that was my chance to get him.”
Burrows eventually got close enough to grab Gulluk’s collar. He used his free hand to send pictures out on social media; within an hour, the dog was home safe with his family.
“When I heard Chris had found the dog, it was just total disbelief,” says Bowden. “It’s given us a great deal of release from our own anxiety.”
Since Gulluk went missing, the Bowdens have received overwhelming and unexpected support from friends, neighbours and even complete strangers.
“I've been out every day since he's been missing,” says Jason Power. “Looking for eight, nine, ten, sometimes 12 hours a day.”
The Bowdens were able to thank Power personally and, during a surprise visit, they were also able to thank the man who found their pet.
“There's no way, no way to say thank you enough and God will bless them, I'm sure, for all they've done for our family and for Gulluk,” says Bowden.
Since finding the dog, Burrows has become somewhat of a social media sensation.
“I've been blessed and I've been dubbed a hero and I think it just comes down to being at the right place at the right time,” says Burrows.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Alyse Hand