It is a doggone good story.
A dog that has been missing since the start of the Bootleg Fire last July was found in Bend earlier this month.
With the help of the Humane Society of Central Oregon, Betty was flown to California and reunited with her owner Wednesday afternoon.
“A woman in Bend found a dog in her garden and so she made some calls,” Lynne Ouchida, Humane Society of Central Oregon community outreach manager said. “Betty ended up at the Humane Society of Central Oregon as a stray.”
Our local Humane Society found out Betty had a microchip, and an owner named Tammie Broggin who assumed the 6-year-old pup had died.
Broggin was camping at a friend’s cabin in Beatty, Oregon near Klamath Falls when she was told to evacuate.
The cabin was approximately 15 miles from start of the Bootleg Fire in early July 2021, a location Broggin describes as “at ground zero of fire.”
Broggin says she had to get out of the area quickly and managed to get all six of her dogs in the car, except for Betty.
Once she was allowed back into the burn area three months later, Broggin searched for Betty, but could not find her.
We spoke with Broggin on the phone Wednesday and she tells us she cannot believe her dog was found 150 miles away from where she last saw her.
“Betty panicked during the fire and took off,” Broggin said. “When you got a lot of dogs, there’s nothing you can do.”
Broggin could not afford to make the trip to Bend to pick up Betty, that is when the Humane Society decided to step in.
With the help of Leading Edge Jet Center and two local pilots, Betty’s flight to Blythe, California was completely covered.
Pilots Angela Keeling and Kale Garcia do this more often than not, rescuing and relocating animals for charity Wings of Rescue year round.
“It’s a great day to go for a flight and a great day to get Betty home,” Angela Keeling, pilot said. “It’s something we love to do is combine our passion of flying with our passion of animals. It’s our two top favorite things to do.”
Broggin could not be more grateful.
“All the dogs are like she never left,” Broggin said. “She’s so happy.”
Ouchida says this is a rare case, but it just comes to show how handy those microchips can be for pets and their loving owners.
“Animals that are separated from their families, especially in times of disaster,” Ouchida said. “Are an invaluable tool for reuniting people with their pets.”
A happy ending that would not have happened without help here in town.
