Pittie who spent a year on the streets finally reunites with beloved mom

When the pittie saw Mom again, she couldn’t stop smiling.An unfortunate accident occurred one year during the holidays.Kelly Shade of Chicago had guests over, and one of them left her front door open.Shade’s dog, Gracie, bolted and disappeared.Gracie wouldn’t see her mother for another 11 months.

Shade had been distraught for nearly a year because she had no idea what had happened to her beloved dog.But she never gave up looking.”We put up signs everywhere, posted on Lost Dog Illinois, contacted all the shelters in the area, and I just cried for months,” Shade told ABC 7 Chicago.Gracie didn’t go very far, but she also didn’t know how to get home after her daring dash out the door.Fortunately, some good samaritans took care of the dog’s basic needs.

Gracie didn’t venture beyond the Jackson Park Highlands neighborhood.Several people saw her over the summer, but the lost, scared dog wouldn’t let anyone get close enough to rescue her.She avoided other dogs as well.

Neighbors seemed to be aware that Gracie had been a pet, but were unaware that her home was less than two miles away.Gracie had a secure source of food after being spotted by dog-lover Polly Ellison.Ellison would feed the dog whenever she passed by in the hopes of gaining her trust.

“She was clearly afraid of potential harm, and I couldn’t turn my back on her,” she told the news.Ellison eventually called on local dog rescuer Katie Campbell to assist in the rescue of the beautiful black pitbull with the adorable white feet.They collaborated to develop a routine so they would know when to expect Gracie.They then managed to entice her into a crate so they could examine her and see if she had a microchip.Fortunately, she did!
(This is why it’s critical to microchip your pets and keep the information up to date!)

“People need to recognize a dog’s ability to survive and never give up on them,” Campbell said.”The most important thing you can teach people is to never give up.”All they had to do after that was call Shade.”She had an owner and a loving home to return to, as well as a sibling dog.”It’s been surreal,” Ellison added.Shade shed many tears when she received word that her beloved dog had been found safe and sound.Despite being on the street for 11 months, she appeared healthy and unharmed.

Gracie, 6, was a little disoriented when she stepped out of the car and back onto her own street.She didn’t seem to recognize Shade at first, and she almost walked right past her.

But it had to have been a familiar scent that triggered something.The dog came to a halt and turned around to jump all over her mother.Gracie, who was jumping, licking, and wagging her tail, realized she was finally home in time for the holidays she had missed the previous year.”It’s a Christmas miracle,” Shade said.”It’s truly remarkable.”

The pup had survived all four seasons on the streets of Chicago.But now she was back in her warm doggie bed with a mom who adored her more than anything.