Source: Oxford Press, May 10, 2009
I wish dogs could talk.
My first question to Chachi, the lost, then found dog: “How did you go from living in Florida to being found in Ohio?”
Before he could answer, I’d remind Chachi that Florida is the “Sunshine State” and the sun rarely shines in Ohio. Then I’d hand him a dog treat, pat him on the head, watch his tail wag and wait for his answer.
But Chachi can’t tell us what happened on July 4, 2008, and why he ran out of the front door of a house in Orlando, Fla.
Robert Bartman, 30, of Gainesville, Fla., owned Chachi, but while he was out of town, friends were watching the dog.
Bartman, when contacted at home on Thursday, May 7, said he has “no idea” how his dog — a present from his mother before she died — ended up in Ohio, 825 miles from home.
“When you lose a dog for that long, he’s dead or someone stole him,” Bartman said. “You figure the worst.”
Fast forward to the end of April 2009.
Patricia Ross and her boyfriend Lonnie Mason, who live on Whittier Street off Tytus Avenue in Middletown, were surprised to see an unfamiliar dog walking down their street.
“He just wandered into the garage,” Ross said.
Ross picked up the chihuahua, carried him around the neighborhood, asking anyone if they had lost their dog.
No luck.
Since the dog had no collar, no identification, Ross took him to All About Pet Care, 3410 Tytus Ave.
But Chachi had a microchip, which showed his owner lived in Gainesville, Fla., said Kara Coheen, practice manager at All About Pet Care. When Bartman was notified that Chachi — missing for nearly 10 months — was located in Middletown, there was a pause on the phone.
“Middletown?” he asked.
“Middletown, Ohio,” Coheen said.
Chachi was driven to Dayton International Airport, then flown to Florida. Bartman said Chachi is back home after receiving medical treatments from the veterinarian.
“You could tell he had been on the street for a while,” said Bartman, who added that his dog required dental work.
Bartman said Chachi helped him “get through a lot of hard times” after his mother, Sandra, was killed in an auto accident five years ago.
“It means a lot to have my dog back,” he said.
He mentioned he has spent more than $700 on vet bills, then added: “He’s worth more than that. With that type of love, you can’t let them go.”
Sonia Conde, Bartman’s grandmother, said she prayed for Chachi’s return, and a few days later, the phone rang.
It was All About Pet Care.
“I thank God for finding him,” she said. “It’s the miracle of the year.”
