West Hartford's Canine Miracle: How A Lost Dog Was Found After 12 Days In The Cold

WEST HARTFORD, CT — A dog lover's worst nightmare is the thought of seeing your beloved canine friend running away from you and disappearing over the hill in a remote place.

For West Hartford resident Kelly Kennedy, that happened to her on Dec. 28, on a walk in the MDC Reservoir's network of hiking trails in her hometown.

"Hank," a beloved mixed-breed dog, saw a deer and ran, ripping his leash from his owner's hands, disappearing on a hillside.

Unable to find him, Kennedy spent the next several days frantically searching, along with myriad volunteers whom she knew and didn't know.

And last Thursday, Jan. 8, she got a miraculous phone call from a volunteer searcher.

Hank was found and, despite 12 days in the winter cold, he was safe and, incredibly, sound.

She thanked those who trudged in the cold and snow, spending any time they could looking.

"I can't begin to thank everyone who gave so graciously of their time and energy to help a stranger and her dog. With everything going on in the world, my opinion of the human race had been diminishing," Kennedy told Patch.

"But the best part of this experience has been learning that, truly, there are so, so many good people in the world. Love and goodwill is still out there. I'm a changed person now because of it, and I am ever grateful to all who supported me in any way."

A happy reunion

Kennedy reflected on what happened last week, enjoying her first weekend of the new year with Hank.

The events leading to how Hank was found paint a picture of love and determination from not only Kennedy, but friends, family, and perfect strangers who just wanted to help a woman find her dog.

On the day Hank was found, Kennedy said, she was walking the trails en route to the Heublein Tower in nearby Simsbury, not far from the West Hartford trails.

Meanwhile, volunteers from Dog Star Rescue out of Bloomfield and CT Dog Gone Recovery out of Canton were fanning out on the trails.

In addition, Kennedy said, a hiker she described as a "good Samaritan" was also heading to Heublein, searching for Hank via another trail in the area.

"About 20 minutes into my hike, I got a call I was afraid would never come," recounted Kennedy.

She said it was a volunteer named "Donna" from CT Dog Gone Recovery relaying news to her that Hank was found by fellow Dog Gone Recovery volunteer "Lee."

"I was astounded," said Kennedy. "Hank's leash was wrapped tight around two trees. One part of the leash was encrusted in snow. It's hard to know how long he was stuck there."

That's when the searchers all had a virtual conference call in the middle of the woods, picking a place to meet and for Kennedy and Hank to reunite.

As all parties connected, the emotional reunion proved to be quite memorable.

" I just couldn't believe my eyes. There was Hank, trotting up the road with Lee, on leash, blanket intact, almost as though nothing had happened," Kennedy said. "It was a happy, happy reunion."

Hank was immediately taken to a local veterinarian, where he was checked out and given a clean bill of health.

How did he survive?

As for how Hank survived, no specifics could be confirmed, but there are some theories.

With snow and water plentiful, that wasn't an issue.

But Kennedy also said Hank had a nice, thick outdoor coat and was a hunter by nature, evidenced by the deer chase that kicked off the ordeal.

Kennedy speculated that, somehow, Hank's survival instinct allowed him to hunt down some food, at least, enough to survive.

"We think Hank must have been getting some food somewhere since he didn't lose more weight," she said. "He's a natural hunter (which is what got him in trouble in the first place.) Having a coat on was a big help. All his gear was in place when we found him."

As for future walks with Hank, Kennedy said she doesn't plan to take him into the woods anytime soon.

"I have a GPS tracker on order, but we'll probably stick to neighborhood walks for a while," she said.

Gratitude

Kennedy also credited media coverage and Patch for getting the word out about her dog roaming the woods in the cold.

She also thanked the myriad volunteers with both dog rescue organizations, as well as friends, family, MDC police, and anyone who helped.

"I had dozens of searchers helping me on foot, tracking with dogs, flying drones, and putting trail cameras out.MDC police officers went out of their way to be helpful during the whole episode. Legions of people offered their support, concern, love, and many, many prayers for a happy outcome," she recounted.

"Residents in target neighborhoods were gracious to let droners work near their property for nine hours on New Year's Eve, no less. These were all perfect strangers, coming out from as far away as Norwalk, East Hampton, Meriden, and Burlington, and everywhere in between, to spend hours, sometimes all day, searching in the woods in less than ideal conditions.

"Neighbors posted flyers, knocked on doors, and brought me snacks. An old friend found me in the woods one day, coming out to help search. He and his son relentlessly scoured unpleasant territory for hours over several cold days.

Other family members pitched in as well, she said.

"My daughter and son-in-law were indispensable assets, jumping into gear right after we lost Hank and contacting (CT Dog Gone) and getting the word out on Facebook, fielding calls and text messages while working their full-time jobs and attending a funeral in Pennsylvania.

"My dog walker was great on social media too, reaching out to any and every organization we could think of that would reach the people who would go out into the reservoir in the middle of winter for fun."

Even more incredible, during the initial chaos of the search, Kennedy had lost her cell phone on the trails. But that, too, was found, she said, by a volunteer searcher.

Since the good news, Kennedy said she's been receiving well-wishes from folks, and the ordeal hasn't left her mind.

Said Kennedy: "I'm still having dreams about Hank and me out on the snowy trails."

Patch and T-Mobile are inviting readers to share acts of kindness from their communities. Submit a good deed — your own or a neighbor’s — and help highlight how people in your community are supporting one another. Patch will make a charitable donation to a local nonprofit at the end of the submission period.

For more information on the CT Dog Gove Recovery Network and to donate, click on this link.

For more information on Connecticut Dog Star and to donate, click on this link.

From Jan. 8: 'I Just Don't Believe It:' West Hartford Dog Missing For 11 Days In Cold Found Alive: Owner'

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