'Just a miracle': B.C. family reunited with Delilah the Chihuahua years after disappearance
A reunion with their long-lost dog was the last thing Mary Kleiner's family expected to receive this holiday season. Then came a text message from a stranger.
"It's just a miracle," Kleiner said Friday after retrieving Delilah the Chihuahua from the B.C. SPCA.
The tiny, frail and elderly dog vanished without a trace from the Vancouver family's yard in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. The sudden disappearance was particularly sad, coming just months after their other Chihuahua, Samson, had died on Christmas Day.
Kleiner said they did everything they could think of to find Delilah, from putting up posters to splashing her picture on social media to calling her name day after day in their neighbourhood.
"I know if she heard me yelling, she would come out," Kleiner said.
The family lives near Queen Elizabeth Park, which left them worried Delilah might have had a run-in with a coyote – but they never found her collar, nor any evidence she was harmed.
Kleiner felt certain the dog was still alive, but the family eventually had to give up their search. She and her husband settled on a story that would provide them – and their four children – with some comfort.
With so many people worried and isolated during the initial COVID-19 lockdown, the parents decided Delilah might have been scooped up by someone in dire need of companionship.
"That's what we told the kids," Kleiner said. "We said you know what, we lost her. Maybe she'll come home, but if she doesn't, maybe someone needed her during that time even more than we did."
AN UNEXPECTED TEXT
More than two-and-a-half years later, there was a notification on Kleiner's phone. A stranger had seen the family's social media posts about Delilah from March 2020 and recognized the Chihuahua in pictures shared this week by the SPCA.
Describing Delilah as a "sweet angel," the animal welfare agency said the Chihuahua had been discovered by employees at a Trail Appliances store in Richmond. Delilah was found alone – cold and shivering – in a box.
How she got there, the family may never know. Kleiner urged anyone who recognizes the dog and has information on her whereabouts over the last 33 months, including any veterinarians who might have cared for her, to reach out.
"I don't want to get anyone in trouble, I just want to know where she's been," she said.
Delilah was also suffering a host of health problems. She's now partially blind, her hearing is impaired, her teeth are gone and she's underweight.
While Delilah will need ongoing care, Kleiner said the family was unbelievably grateful to learn that her early vet bills were covered by the SPCA.
"The SPCA is amazing. Donate to them, please," she said.
On Friday evening, the Chihuahua was relaxing in the family's home and getting reacquainted with the couple's four children – plus meeting a fifth who arrived after her disappearance.
"It feels like she's been here the whole time," Kleiner said. "It's crazy."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
Stormy Daniels took the witness stand Tuesday at Donald Trump's hush money trial, describing for jurors a sexual encounter the porn actor says she had with him in 2006 that resulted in her being paid off to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
Air France flight from Paris to Seattle lands in Iqaluit after heat smell in cabin
A plane travelling from Paris to Seattle was forced to make an emergency landing in Iqaluit after there was a heat smell in the cabin during the flight.
CFL suspends Argos QB Chad Kelly at least nine games following investigation
The CFL suspended Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly for at least nine regular-season games Tuesday following its investigation into a lawsuit filed by a former strength-and-conditioning coach against both the player and club.
Boy Scouts of America changing name for first time in 114 years, aiming for inclusivity
The Boy Scouts of America is changing its name for the first time in its 114-year history and will become Scouting America. It's a significant shift as the organization emerges from bankruptcy following a flood of sexual abuse claims and seeks to focus on inclusion.
RCMP not investigating possible foreign interference cases related to Chiu, Dong: Duheme
Canada's federal police force is not investigating any possible instances of foreign interference in the cases of former Conservative MP Kenny Chiu and Liberal-turned-Independent MP Han Dong, RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme says.
Federal government grants B.C.'s request to recriminalize hard drugs in public spaces
The federal government is granting British Columbia's request to recriminalize hard drugs in public spaces, nearly two weeks after the province asked to end its pilot project early over concerns of public drug use.