8 Months Later, Search For Beloved Dog Continues In Lower Gwynedd

LOWER GWYNEDD TOWNSHIP, PA — A Montgomery County family is not giving up hope and is continuing to search for their beloved lost dog, some eight months after she was last seen.

Rain, a massive Leonberger, was staying at a dog show handler's house on the 500 block of Plymouth Road in the Gwynedd Valley section of Lower Gwynedd Township.

It's not clear exactly what happened, but indications are that she escaped at around 5 a.m. on the morning of July 20, 2023.

Since then, she's been spotted just once, about an hour and a half later, in the area of the home.

Her family immediately embarked on a passionate search throughout the entire region.

"We have conducted an extensive search for her, put up posters and signs, handed out flyers, called every vet clinic in the area, engaged a lost pet group, flown a drone, walked the streets, purchased a calling service - FIND TOTO - to make phone calls to area residents," Sue Smith, the sister of the dog's owner Maria Chiselko, told Patch. "There have been no solid leads. None."

Smith, who lives in California, flew out to stay with her sister at their Bridgewater, New Jersey home, from where they conducted the search. They've created a pair of Facebook pages, Justice for Rain and Bring Rain the Leonberger Home. Hundreds have followed the pages and numerous animal welfare and rescue organizations have assisted in the search. Whitpain Police helped with sign postings throughout the area. The online group "Chester Montgomery County Lost Pet Search" helped mobilize online and in person. Neighbors and friends searched the woods near where Rain was last seen, as her last known location was not far from the Green Ribbon Trail.

Plenty of false alarms have popped up, and both of Rain's Facebook pages are filled with posts detailing renewed heartbreak and the scams and spam that attend any Internet venture these days.

Still, nothing solid. Which is perhaps the most bizarre part of it all.

Rain is big. Even for a big dog. She last weighed in at around 120 pounds, and 27 inches tall.

"It boggles the mind (that a dog this size) just vanishes," Smith shared on the page early in the search.

Rain is deeply beloved by her entire family. Smith's young 11-year-old niece and 14-year-old nephew, who lived with Rain, are heartbroken and confused. Smith described her "special soul" and noted that Rain "looked me in the eye every day."

If you have seen Rain or have any information, call (951) 287-8997.