For the love of a lost three-legged dog, Savannah community responds – Savannah Morning News

Polly Powers Stramm| For Savannah Morning News

This isnt a typical lost dog-found dog story. Instead, its the tale of a three-legged beagle who faced a heartbreaking start in life, was rescued by a dog lover but went missing before the two completely bonded.

Most of all, the story of Snoop the beagle shows how people from all walks of life can come together for a common goal to find a dog who desperately needed a second chance at love.

Last fall, Snoop was a throwaway dog living on the streets in Effingham County and was believed to have been used for hunting and later abandoned. Neighbors kept seeing the little beagle but never saw the man they thought was her owner. They began feeding the skittish dog and became concerned when they noticed that one of her back legs was injured. The Effingham animal shelter was notified and someone there, in turn, called One Love Animal Rescue, which has a history of helping injured animals find forever homes.

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Robin Fay volunteers for One Love and offered to foster Snoop until she was ready for adoption. The dog was evaluated by a veterinarian, but her injured hind leg was too far gone to be saved. On top of everything else Snoop had gone through, she had heart worms. She was treated with medicine that caused a bad reaction and had to spend a few days at the vet, further traumatizing her, Robin said.

During the first part of February, One Love decided that Snoop was ready to be adopted, but Robin had grown attached to Snoop and asked for a week to think about the situation.

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After a few days I knew I couldnt give her to someone else, Robin said, adding that Snoop, who is 2, seemed so sad and neglected.

I had never seen a dog (who) wouldnt wag its tail, she added.

Robin decided to adopt Snoop and became what is known in animal rescue circles as a foster fail. On Feb. 12, Snoop officially joined Robin and her animal family a group that includes cats, Tao and Sushi, and a 13-year-old Border Collie named Jersey, who was 10 when Robin rescued him.

Snoop was still getting adjusted to a loving home when she pulled away from Robin while they were on a walk in the Ardmore neighborhood. Robin was holding a lightweight leash that was attached to the dog collar when the pounding of a nail gun spooked Snoop.

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The sound of the nail gum scared her and she bolted, pulling the leash from her new owners hand, Robin recalled. With the leash dragging behind her, Snoop ran toward Atlantic Avenue and disappeared into what seemed like thin air. Robin looked for Snoop for more than three hours, then took to social media and other means to try to find the newest addition to her family.

I did everything I could think of, said Robin, who created fliers, sent posters to friends and social media contacts, and visited Chatham County Animal Services on a regular basis. The hunt for Snoop had a domino effect strangers who saw the posters told their friends and so on and truly became a citywide effort, she explained.

The chatter (about Snoop) on social media was crazy, Robin said.

Meanwhile, Robin and others continued to spread the word. Radio deejay Mark Robertson made announcements and police patrolling were on the lookout for a three-legged beagle dragging a leash.

There were no sightings of Snoop for about a week. Then, she was spotted, first around the Starland District and then at 35th and Price streets, some 20 blocks and many busy streets from home.

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Somewhere along the way, Robin had read that dogs gravitate toward railroad tracks, a theory that jived with one of the sightings. One night Robin packed up a lawn chair, put a leash on Snoops buddy, Jersey, and set up a makeshift camp in a lane near the crosstown train tracks. It wasnt long before she spotted Snoop peeking out from a patch of weeds not too far away.

She ran toward Jersey and then ran back across the street, Robin said. I never knew her to bark but she started baying. It was the weirdest thing.

Snoop took refuge, of sorts, behind a fence surrounding a group of apartments. Eventually, two rescuers arrived to help Robin and the three women walked in circles around the parking lot trying to coax Snoop into coming their way.

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But the frightened dog had gone into full-on survival mode and played peek-a-boo with them until about 3:30 a.m. when they finally called it a night. Robin and others planned to return in the morning with enticing treats like a rotisserie chicken.

The next day, shortly after they had gathered at the apartments, one of the rescuers managed to grab Snoop and hand her off to Robin. At first, not knowing who to trust, Snoop wiggled and struggled to escape Robins loving embrace.

She finally settled down and never struggled again, said Robin who cradled Snoop in her arms. I didnt want this dog to think another human had abandoned her.

Robin credits Jersey with showing up for Snoop during the rescue attempts.

(Jersey) was a champion through it all, she said.

Robin is grateful and amazed at the countless folks who helped her find Snoop. During her search, she even visited homeless camps.

First, I thought I was incredibly lucky to have (Snoop) back, she said. Now I know how incredibly blessed I am to have gotten her back with the support of so, so many.

As soon as Snoop got home, she drank plenty of water and ate, then settled down for a long nap. The next day she didnt even mind being bathed, Robin said.

Funny thing, people who had never seen anything but her flyer have now recognized her at Hull Park or in our front yard, Robin said.

Robin also is happy about something else.

The sweet little three-legged beagle has started wagging her tail, likely indicating that she finally could trust and love a human.

Contact Polly at 912-657-3877 or pollparrot@aol.com. See more columns by Polly Powers Stramm at SavannahNow.com/lifestyle/.

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For the love of a lost three-legged dog, Savannah community responds - Savannah Morning News