Loyal Dog Treks 20 Miles Back Home to Former Owners - Twice
Photo: Facebook/Seminole Humane Society
A Great Pyrenees in Oklahoma was given up by her owners, but journeyed back to them twice after being adopted by someone else.

Meet Cathleen. She is a 6-year old Great Pyrenees who is so full of love she can’t forget the people who gave her up.

Cathleen's Story

Cathleen originally lived with a family who, when they moved to a new home in Seminole, were unable to keep her. So they gave her up for adoption, and she wound up in another home in Prague – 20 miles away.

But Cathleen wasn’t accepting that this was her new life. Determined to get back to her former life, she escaped from her new owners twice and made the 20-mile trek back to Seminole, right into the home of her former owners!

After the second escape, the Seminole Humane Society/Seminole Animal Shelter made a Facebook post on January 8th begging the public to help them find the right home for this loving and loyal pup.

The shelter staff described Cathleen as “kind,” “humble,” “precious,” and “passive.” They were willing to match Cathleen’s determination in their goal of finding her the perfect road “to her next journey.”

Their post also described Cathleen as sweet, a lover of food, house broken, healthy, a good walker, and a love of children. They went on to say she is calm in temperament, and wouldn’t hurt a fly. As if that wasn’t all great enough, Cathleen loves other dogs! What could be more perfect about this precious pup?

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The shelter stipulated that Cathleen must be an indoor dog in her new life, and must have a fenced-in backyard. In addition, her new owners should be able to exhibit patience in helping Cathleen adjust to her new life and leave her heartbreak behind.

Once the post was up, Cathleen’s story went viral. Just 4 days later, Cathleen was happily adopted by a new forever family who met all the qualifications she needed.

What Cathleen Can Teach Us

Cathleen’s story is a testament to many important concepts.

First, it demonstrates the power of social media. If you come across a post about an animal in need on Facebook or any other social media platform, it takes no longer than 2 seconds to share it. Doing so saves animal lives every single day.

Secondly, Cathleen’s story is a testament to the powerful love that dogs have for their owners. If you have a dog and need to make a life change such as move or make room for a new baby, please consider your dog’s feelings.

Imagine how it would feel if, when you were young, your parents just put you in the car one day, dropped you off at a place where they put you in a cage, and then you were forced to live with other people the rest of your life. How terrified and heartbroken would you be?

Cathleen got lucky. Because of her great temperament, she found a new home quickly each time she needed one. But many dogs aren’t so fortunate.

Every year, one-third of all animals in U.S. animal shelters are euthanized. So if you give your pet up to a shelter, the chances are very high that your pet will die there.

If you are having a new baby, you shouldn’t give your dog up. Studies actually show that dogs are beneficial for children, for health and behavior reasons!

Please, when making life decisions, make every attempt possible to either keep your pet or re-home your pet with someone you trust.

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Cody has worked and volunteered with rescue animals her entire life. She worked as a veterinary assistant and technician in shelters, rescues, boarding facilities, doggy daycares and animal hospitals in New York and Chicago throughout her teens and twenties, and now resides as a pet foster mom in Upstate New York.