'I Just Don't Believe It:' West Hartford Dog Missing For 11 Days In Cold Found Alive: Owner

WEST HARTFORD, CT — The owner of a beloved dog that disappeared in the woods on Dec. 28 in West Hartford had some shockingly good news Thursday, 11 days after he disappeared.

"Hank" is alive and well and doing just fine after being found off Route 44 in West Hartford.

West Hartford resident Kelly Kennedy told Patch Thursday that a volunteer found Hank "alive and doing OK" earlier in the day.

"We have been home for about an hour, and I am in absolute shock," said an elated Kennedy Thursday afternoon.

She said Hank, a mixed-breed dog, was found with his leash around two trees just "off the powerline" in the reservoir near Route 44.

Kennedy had one simple word to describe what happened: "Miraculous."

"He is thinner but otherwise seems none the worse for wear," Kennedy said.

According to Kennedy, on Dec. 28 at about 12:40 p.m., she was walking her beloved canine, a male yellow Lab mix, on a hiking trail at the MDC Reservoir 6, about a mile into the area.

That's when Hank spotted a deer and immediately chased after it, Kennedy said, yanking the leash from her hands.

Kennedy said Tuesday, Jan. 6, that the 60-pound canine then disappeared over a hill in the woods and hasn't been seen since.

Now, two days later and 11 days after disappearing, "Hank" is back and her dog mome couldn't be happier as she was close to coming to terms that her dog might not have survived the ordeal.

Kennedy and Hank's plight is being investigated by the Dog Gone Recovery Network, a grassroots group of volunteers dedicated to finding lost dogs.

Said Kennedy: "I just can't believe it."

From Jan. 6: 'West Hartford Woman Frantic As Beloved Dog Disappears In Woods'