| Search for Matilda the pug has a happy ending |
|
|
|
|
|
Published: 7/10/2012 | Updated: 6/17/2013
Matilda isn't just a dog. To owners Nick and Suzanne Tappe, she's like a daughter. So when Matilda went missing last week, there was more than just a casual search and rescue to find the wayward pug. "She is like our daughter, since we don't have any kids," Nick says. Pugs have a wrinkly and short-muzzled face. Nick bought Matilda more than five years ago as a Christmas present for Suzanne, and they added a male pug, Willie, about a year ago. Matilda, say her owners, is a very well-behaved dog who always comes when called. Matilda and Willie are on leashes when walked, but Matilda is allowed to be outside in the backyard without a leash when her owners are present. Last Wednesday, Matilda was actually in the neighbor's backyard at about 10 p.m. when a firework went off and scared her. Nick was dealing with Willie tangled in his leash and when he turned around, Matilda was gone. The Tappes live near Wisman Lane between 24th and 30th on the city's north side. They searched high and low for Matilda until 2:30 in the morning, then resumed the search after a few hours of sleep. Nick went down to the family business, Ted's Shirt Shack, and printed off a bunch of posters. They were distributed to homes in the area. The Facebook group Lost and Found Pets of Adams County also helped spread the word. The Tappes weren't sure how Matilda was doing, especially in last week's searing heat. "We weren't giving up, but what could we do next?" Nick says. "We searched the entire area as thoroughly as we could, gave out posters. The woods are pretty thick out there and we couldn't walk through all of them." Friends gathered Thursday and Friday for an intense search, but Matilda remained on the loose. Nick went around to the fire stations in Quincy and to businesses. The Tappes are amazed at the kindness and generosity of strangers. Nick got a call from a woman who said her grandson was a pug lover, and she and her grandson searched during the heat of the day for the dog. Finally, on Monday morning, Nick was on his way to work when he got a call from a Denman Linen employee. Denman Linen is located on North 43rd just east of Upper Moorman Park and not far from Wisman Lane. A poster of Matilda was on the employee breakroom wall, and she was recognized. Suzanne works at nearby Klingele Veterinary Clinic, and she raced over to scoop up the tired but otherwise unharmed pug, who was on the loose for 130 hours. Matilda is doing fine. She lost two pounds during her ordeal but didn't appear to be severely dehydrated. "She was getting her water from somewhere, maybe from (Cedar) Creek," Nick says. "I can't believe that she lived through that heat." Matilda had quite the adventure, the Tappes have their baby home and Willie has his playmate back. Oh, one more good thing came out of the ordeal. Nick has been thinking about building a backyard fence for sometime. Guess who paid a visit to the city inspector's office Monday to get the permits? "Probably pretty fast," Nick said, when asked how long it would take to put up the fence. -- rhart@whig.com/221-3370
|
|
|
|
Most Viewed Stories
|
|
|
|
Most Emailed Stories
|
|
|
Click here to view or buy more photos from local events by Herald-Whig staff Photographers.
|
|
Click here for more news and views from Herald-Whig staff writers.
|
|
|
|
