Ava the German Shorthaired Pointer

Dogs can be unpredictable when they are scared, especially when fireworks are involved. Thankfully, with the help of a community of helpers, Ava made it home safely!

“The evening of July 3, we let our one-year-old German Shorthaired Pointer out to use the bathroom before going to bed,” said Brian, Ava’s owner. “We have worked very diligently with her and she listened and obeys commands very well and generally doesn’t leave my side. I have hunted with her and shot over her many times, so I wasn’t really concerned about the fireworks.”

“Ava was only 10 feet from me in the yard when a neighbor, a street over, set off a barrage of fireworks, and Ava went into total panic mode,” said Brian. “I called for her, but she ran past me in a full out run….I thought she was heading for the back door but when I looked, she wasn’t there. I called for her and she usually came without hesitation, but that night she didn’t come when I called.”

Frantic, Brian and his wife began searching for Ava. They walked the streets talking to neighbors who were still up and after finding out which direction Ava went; they expanded the search by car.

“We searched until 3 a.m. with no sightings,” said Brian. “At that point we extended our search to social media, printed flyers, and contacted AKC Reunite. She had a tag with her name and address and was also microchipped, so we hoped that if someone found her, they would call.”

Unfortunately, Ava was nowhere to be found and the search continued the following morning at 6 a.m. Brian reported her missing to the local police department and they contacted family and friends who helped with the search. After going door to door, Brian was told about possible Ava sighting at the local fire department — and off he went!

Ava apparently made a brief visit to the firehouse — running right through it — scared and unwilling to let anyone come close to her. She took off toward the woods still terrified. Brian followed her path in pursuit.

“While still searching the woods, the fire chief called and said one of his teams had Ava cornered about a mile up the road,” said Brian. “Once [I reached the fire station] and she figured out that I was there, and she was safe, her reaction was overwhelming. Without the help from these amazing firemen the outcome may have been much worse. It was July 4^th and that evening the fireworks were nonstop into the late hours of the evening. It’s tough to imagine what could have happened if she was still out during that time!”

July is National Lost Pet Prevention Month — and while you can’t predict the unknown, you can be better prepared by microchipping your pet and making sure it has a legible collar tag — like Brian did for Ava. And even though Ava was not reunited by her microchip or through our recovery service, Brian said he felt confident and at peace that because of her microchip enrolled with AKC Reunite, that if she was found, she would be safely returned. You can have the same peace of mind with AKC Reunite — check out our products and services today!