VANCOUVER -- Sherri Storoshenko said when her 16-year-old dog Sheba went missing on April 1, she felt like her world was missing.
“I got her right before I was 19, so I’m 34 now,” she said. “She’s been with me my whole adult life.”
At the beginning of the month, Storoshenko was preparing for a camping trip, which she said is a favourite activity of Sheba’s. She let her two dogs into the backyard while she packed.
“My other dog somehow got our gate open,” she said. “And (Sheba) decided to take herself for a little walk.”
Storoshenko said she was soon running down the street, calling her dog’s name.
“Unfortunately, it was getting dark at that time, and she’s almost entirely deaf and blind,” Storoshenko said. “So that made it very, very difficult.”
Storoshenko said neighbours quickly came to help her search, but by 2 o'clock in the morning, they had to call it a night.
“I didn’t sleep at all that night,” she said.
Storoshenko said she hired a professional pet-searcher with tracking dogs, but they weren’t able to pick up a scent. She canvassed the neighbourhood with flyers, going door to door and even searching people’s backyards. She said nearby cliffs leading down to the beach and covered in thick brush were also covered “as best we can," but there was no sign of her beloved dog.
“My spirits were starting to go down, after a week of not finding her,” Storoshenko said.
Then on Saturday evening, she received a text message from someone named Nicole, saying she had found Sheba.
“I honestly didn’t believe it at first,” she said. Storoshenko went to meet Nicole and her boyfriend after confirming some details about the dog’s appearance, and saw Sheba sitting in their SUV, drinking water and looking confused.
“I instantly broke down in tears,” she said, and added she dove into the vehicle and hugged her pet. “It was the best feeling in the world to have her back.”
The couple that found Sheba had spotted her in a clearing in a local park. She was dehydrated and has lost weight, but after a short stay at the vet, she’s now home.
“This morning, she was wanting to go for a walk,” laughed Storoshenko. “So, I’d say her spirits are already coming back.”
Storoshenko said she’s beyond grateful for everyone’s help.
“I definitely know that the amount of support I had in this community, is what kept my hope going, and kept me going,” she said. “It really shows that there’s so many good people in this world, still.”
Storoshenko said Sheba is getting “lots of love," and someday they’ll head out on the camping trip they had originally planned.
“My heart is so full right now.”
