Friday, July 07, 2006 02:32 PM

Dog returned to owners

By Jennifer Saltman - Staff Reporter

A Port Coquitlam woman is relieved to have her constant companion, Teddy, back by her side after the 10-year-old cockapoo wandered away from her Port Coquitlam home on June 6.

"It's just a big relief for everybody," says Peggy Adams, who adopted Teddy from the SPCA in 2001. "He's loved so much. You know you love them, but until they aren't there you don't know how much you'll miss the little things."

Teddy was brought to the Coquitlam Animal Shelter the day he went missing. After postering and calling around, Adams found out on June 22 that Teddy was at the shelter.

When she went to pick him up, however, she found out that he had been adopted to another family a week earlier.

The adoption went ahead despite the fact that Teddy was licensed with the City of Port Coquitlam. A mix-up involving the SPCA Coquitlam Shelter, the Coquitlam Animal Shelter and the City of Port Coquitlam meant that nobody could find Teddy's registration, and he was adopted after being held for a week.

Adams was at a loss for what to do, so she turned to the media.

After the tale of Teddy's disappearance and adoption was published in The NOW last Friday, Adams says she received phone calls from friends, clients at the animal hospital where she works and even Coquitlam Coun. Richard Stewart.

"He was amazing," she says, adding that he empathized with her situation. "I almost cried - I was so happy he was on our side."

Other callers offered support and suggestions for how to get Teddy back, as well as expressed their outrage at the situation.

Still, Adams says she felt lost.

"Those last couple of days I was at my wit's end," she says. "I broke down a couple of times - I was getting really stressed out. It was taking too long, and I was starting to worry that I'd never see him again."

Adams was at work Tuesday when she received the call from the Coquitlam Animal Shelter saying that Teddy would be at the shelter and ready for pickup at 5 p.m.

"I felt like I was going to vomit. I didn't expect her to say Teddy was up there right now," she says.

Adams went home, grabbed her three-year-old daughter, Bari, her fianc, Brandon Oldershaw and his daughter, Amber, and was at the shelter by 5:05 p.m.

After paying about $165 for boarding and other fees, Adams was told that Teddy was waiting for her outside.

"He was just so cute, just trotting along there," Adams says. "I was just so happy to see him. He was happy, he was wagging his little tail - I think he was shocked to see us."

To keep such a thing from happening again, Adams says her family is building a better fence around their back yard and she has added a microchip tag and name-and-address tag to Teddy's collar.

She also says other people should learn from the fiasco to double check everything, because she certainly has.

"Hopefully this will raise awareness for people: Don't take things for granted. I know I'll never just go through life again not asking questions."

As happy as she and her family are to have Teddy home, Adams says she feels bad for the family that adopted him.

"I feel so guilty about that," Adams says of the media attention, "but I'm so happy that they saw it in their hearts to give Teddy back."

published on 07/07/2006

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Returned dog's owner grateful

Re: "Families in fight over adopted dog," Friday, June 30.

I'm writing to express my sincere thanks for running Teddy's story in your newspaper. I am so happy to say that we got Teddy back home last night (Tuesday) around 5 p.m.

There was such an empty place in our hearts and home while he was missing. I love him very much and treat him as if he's one of the kids.

Teddy is very dear to me and my family; he goes everywhere with us, including McDonald's. We went and picked up dinner there last night and we all enjoyed it in the park together. Teddy loved his plain burger.

We missed him so much while he was not in our home, but in a stranger's. I'm very grateful to The NOW for bringing attention to my distress and helping make the people who had Teddy realize that he is loved and was missed very much. Our lives basically stopped while we were searching for him.

Thank you to everyone for your concern and support.

I hope this never happens to anyone again. Nobody should have to go through what my family and I just went through.

I realize Teddy is just a dog, but to us he is a member of the family and just as important as a child to me.

I would like others to please remember to check your dog licences with city hall after purchasing them. As you have seen, mistakes are made and things can be misplaced, so just to help protect yourself, your family and your puppies, please double check.

I know I will from now on.

Peggy Adams
Port Coquitlam

published on 07/07/2006