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Dog Family Feared Dead, Returns After Four Years
the daily dish
For Tessa, a terrier mix, the trip homeward bound took a little longer than expected. According to stltoday.com, the pooch was let out of the house and didn't return ... for four years!
Four years ago, the Roodra family of Missouri began to worry when their dog Tessa didn't come back to the house from a trip outside. That worry grew as the days went by without her return and the missing posters went unanswered. As days turned into months, the Roodra family began to accept that their beloved pet had met an untimely end, perhaps falling victim to one of the coyotes in the area.
The hardest hit was 7-year-old Sophie, who looked upon Tessa as a best friend. As the years passed, the growing girl continued to miss her pooch playmate and would keep a hopeful eye out for the dog during walks through the nearby woods. In the end, Sophie's suspicions that Tessa might still be out there turned out to be right.
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A boy spotted Tessa running around the streets with a Great Dane, and then saw the dog again on her own and looking thin. After seeing the change in Tessa's condition, the boy and his family decided to catch Tessa and bring her into an animal hospital. The vet checked the terrier for a microchip and discovered one with information leading to the Roodras.
Nancy Roodra, Sophie's mother, was confused when she initially received the call about her recovered dog, thinking that the doctor was erroneously referring to the Roodra's Shih Tzu, who was safe at home. Roodra's older daughter was the one who suggested that it could be Tessa that the vet was calling about. After getting a description of the small black and white terrier, Roodra realized that Tessa had finally been found.
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Jeff Roodra, the father, drove to the animal hospital that day to pick up Tessa and welcome her back into the family. He told stltoday.com that the canine came running to him the instant he called her name, and perked up when they pulled into the driveway of her old home.
The Roodra family excitedly and warmly greeted Tessa, back from her unintended four-year vacation. Not so surprisingly, it was Sophie who was most eager to reunite with her long lost friend. Tessa's return could not have come at a better time, since Sophie had recently lost the cat companion she received as a replacement for the missing dog.
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After four years, Tessa approached the situation like she had barely been gone a day. The terrier accepted hugs from all her family members, marked her territory several times and then plopped down on her old perch on the couch. The Roodra family is ecstatic to have Tessa back, even if it took four years. Now if they could figure out how -- and where -- the canine spent all that time!
More Shocking Pet Reunions:
Four years ago, the Roodra family of Missouri began to worry when their dog Tessa didn't come back to the house from a trip outside. That worry grew as the days went by without her return and the missing posters went unanswered. As days turned into months, the Roodra family began to accept that their beloved pet had met an untimely end, perhaps falling victim to one of the coyotes in the area.The hardest hit was 7-year-old Sophie, who looked upon Tessa as a best friend. As the years passed, the growing girl continued to miss her pooch playmate and would keep a hopeful eye out for the dog during walks through the nearby woods. In the end, Sophie's suspicions that Tessa might still be out there turned out to be right.
RELATED: Highlights From Loew's Surf Dog Competition
A boy spotted Tessa running around the streets with a Great Dane, and then saw the dog again on her own and looking thin. After seeing the change in Tessa's condition, the boy and his family decided to catch Tessa and bring her into an animal hospital. The vet checked the terrier for a microchip and discovered one with information leading to the Roodras.
Nancy Roodra, Sophie's mother, was confused when she initially received the call about her recovered dog, thinking that the doctor was erroneously referring to the Roodra's Shih Tzu, who was safe at home. Roodra's older daughter was the one who suggested that it could be Tessa that the vet was calling about. After getting a description of the small black and white terrier, Roodra realized that Tessa had finally been found.
RELATED: Awesome Animal Heros
Jeff Roodra, the father, drove to the animal hospital that day to pick up Tessa and welcome her back into the family. He told stltoday.com that the canine came running to him the instant he called her name, and perked up when they pulled into the driveway of her old home.
The Roodra family excitedly and warmly greeted Tessa, back from her unintended four-year vacation. Not so surprisingly, it was Sophie who was most eager to reunite with her long lost friend. Tessa's return could not have come at a better time, since Sophie had recently lost the cat companion she received as a replacement for the missing dog.
RELATED: Got an Adorbs Animal? Play the Who's Cutest Game Now!
After four years, Tessa approached the situation like she had barely been gone a day. The terrier accepted hugs from all her family members, marked her territory several times and then plopped down on her old perch on the couch. The Roodra family is ecstatic to have Tessa back, even if it took four years. Now if they could figure out how -- and where -- the canine spent all that time!
More Shocking Pet Reunions:
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37 Comments
and sometimes mistakes just happen. Very happy the dog is home
June 20 2012 at 9:23 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Replythey should of never ever let the dog out of the house on its own ESPECIALLY with coyotes in the area. People are irresponsible.
June 19 2012 at 11:40 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Replyfirst of all i you know that their is coyotes in the area y would you let your dog out on its own? y would you let your dog out on its own anyway? That dog should of never ever been allowed out on its own.
June 19 2012 at 11:40 AM Report abuse Permalink +1 rate up rate down Replyglad that the dog returned to its original owner
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June 19 2012 at 9:22 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyThe reunion comes a month after another traumatic event for the now 11-year-old girl. Her cat, Jayda, vanished. Jazzie, the Shih Tzu that Sophie's parents bought to replace Tessa, led Sophie into the woods near their home, to Jayda's remains. A conservation agent later told the family that a coyote den had been found near their property.
It doesn’t matter WHERE you live, your dogs (& cats for that matter) should NOT be "let out" to do its business. In rural areas, there's predators (coyotes, hawks, etc) and traffic -most people zoom down country roads w/o a 2nd thought to that *bump* in the road.
June 19 2012 at 8:29 AM Report abuse Permalink +1 rate up rate down ReplyIn urban areas, there's dog napping for dog fight baiting and just plain sick people!
I'm glad Tessa made it home (finally) but her family needs to be more vigilant & the kids more responsible for the pets they wanted. Just because you microchip your pet, it does not relieve you of the day-to-day responsibility of their care & safety.
PS to Werfen3 - I have 6 dogs and 12 indoor cats, which I did NOT plan to have, we just "acquired" them thru owner surrender, rescue and strays being sick or injured. In addition, we take care of a small feral cat colony outside (trap, neuter, release). We (and others) wouldn’t need to do this, if people took responsibility for their pets. So I’ve walked miles in the “other” pair of shoes. :)
Agreed! Usually I never judge people when pets get loose by accident, but this was no accident.
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The only part of the story we don't know about is what happened to the Great Dane??? Anybody save that dog?
June 19 2012 at 5:50 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Replyplease keep dog we had some one down street, lost two dogs by cars hitting them because they leave gate open, thanks for taking care of him. we all wish we would done more.
June 19 2012 at 2:16 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyI hope you do keep him, not to far from my home, this lady had two little dog and people would take them to home, and they leave gate open and on busy street ,well they not has lucky and one by one got hit by cars and we all call nothing got done we all wish we would took them to shelter.
June 19 2012 at 2:15 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply