SOUTH ST. LOUIS, MO (KTVI-FOX2now.com)—
Strangers came to the rescue of two young, blind women who lost two dogs Friday night, one a pet and the other a critical part of their lives. Both women are blind and rely on service dogs to be as independent as possible. Toby, a black lab, is Amy Morrison's service dog."He's my eyes when I am on the streets when I am in public and that means a lot to me," Morrison explained. A tan mixed breed dog named Eli has been her pet for a year. She calls him her "rambunctious, wild child."
Amy and her roommate Christy Schulte had let the dogs out to play in a fenced backyard Friday night. By 9pm they realized the animals were gone and discovered an open gate.
Two St. Louis City police canine officers responded to their call for assistance after a neighbor could not find the dogs. One officer checked the Humane Society of Missouri's emergency overnight holding area and located a dog he thought was Toby about 11pm. Since Toby was a service animal, the Humane Society sent a staff member to unlock the facility and help verify the animal was indeed Morrison's.
"I just want to tell them how grateful I am," said Morrison as she offered thanks to the mystery person who found the lab and took him to the Humane Society. She added, "They may never know that the dog they picked up was a guide dog and he's my eyes when I am on the streets when I am in public and that means a lot to me."
Saturday morning, Morrison's roommate Schute called animal shelters looking for Eli. She then contacted a nearby Petsmart where Morrison and Eli had attended training classes. Within ten minutes a staff member called back to say Eli had been found. This time another stranger had rescued Eli Friday night near the Target store at Chippewa and Hampton..not far from heavy traffic. She thought the vet at Petsmart might be able to read a microchip in the dog.
Both women say they are very relieved since service dogs give them confidence. "I tell him where I need to go and he gets me there," said Morrison about her service dog Toby.
"Just a big thank you not only to the person that got Eli back to us but to the mystery person that found Toby and brought him, probably not knowing that he was a service animal even, brought to him to where he was safe," said Schulte.
The Humane Society of Missouri warns people its emergency drop off area is not for injured animals. They urge anyone who finds a lost pet after shelters have closed for the day to keep them in a safe place like a garage or basement if possible and then bring the animal to the shelter the next day.
