08/25/2026
Toby ❤️
Some dogs leave paw prints on your heart.
Toby left his on our’s.
On June 14, we received a form online and a call from Beavercreek, Ohio. On the other end of the phone was a Dog Mom whose heart had been breaking for 20 days. Through the emotions, Kristen asked if we could help find her 14 year old Beagle mix, Toby.
Twenty days earlier, fireworks had sent Toby into a panic, causing him to escape from his fenced in yard. From that moment on, Kristen’s life stood still. Kristen had other organizations come out for a K9 and drone search, but there were no sightings and no answers. Instead, she was left with heartbreaking theories about what may have happened to Toby. But a Dog Mom’s heart doesn’t give up that easily and she didn’t believe the theories.
As we listened, we learned about Toby, not just as a missing dog, but he had been by Kristen’s side through the chapters of her life. He wasn’t “just a dog.” He was her soul dog
We had a decision to make. Do we simply provide coaching miles away, or do we suit up, show up, and search for Toby as if he were our own?
We chose Toby.
After reviewing every map and every detail of the previous searches, we knew …
Every missing pet writes a different story.
Every search deserves its own strategy.
Every pet owners efforts matter.
During several conversations, we prepared Kristen for what searching for a dog missing this long might look like. We explained survival mode, movement patterns, scent, and behavior.
One thing weighed heavily on all of us.
The Fourth of July was quickly approaching.
Believing Toby was still out there, another night of fireworks could push him even farther away.
Time mattered.
Hope mattered.
Every decision mattered.
While others had started accepting the worst…
We couldn’t shake the feeling that Toby was still alive.
On June 20th, Bob, K9 Carly, and Bernie deployed to Beavercreek, OH. K9 Carly picked up Toby’s scent and confidently led the team into an area where Bob and Bernie launched the drones and flooded the surrounding areas with flyers.
When we left Ohio, we carried one belief with us.
Toby was alive. He just needed someone to help him find his way back to the person he loved most.
A few days later…
The flyers were working.
The community had become part of Toby’s search.
Then came the sighting that changed everything. A young boy told his mother he had seen Toby at a local park.
One little boy.
One observation.
One person that paid attention.
Never underestimate the power of a flyer, a community that cares, and a Dog Mom that won’t give up.
Kristen never missed a step. She faithfully followed every step of the coaching. She placed trail cameras exactly where we recommended.
She maintained the feeding station.
She trusted the process…
The following evening, we instructed Kristen the time to refresh the feeding station and to spend time walking through the area, allowing her scent to drift through the woods.
That night…
Everything changed.
Her husband was setting out fresh water when he suddenly froze. He spotted Toby.
He immediately called Kristen.
“Toby is headed your way.”
Imagine hearing those words after 38 long days.
Kristen remembered every conversation we had.
Stay calm.
Don’t chase.
Trust Toby.
Trust the process.
Slowly…
Toby walked toward her. You could almost see him trying to convince himself that what he was smelling couldn’t possibly be real, his mom.
Kristen softly spoke to him.
Then she whispered one word.
“Stella.”
The name of Toby’s fur sister.
That was all it took.
Every doubt disappeared.
Every fear melted away.
Toby knew.
He wasn’t searching anymore.
He went to Kristen.
Thirty-eight days of fear.
Thirty-eight days of tears.
Thirty-eight days of wondering if this moment would ever come.
All those emotions gone in an instant.
On July 2…
Kristen’s patience, hope, faith were answered. Her family was complete again. Toby made it home before Fourth of July fireworks filled the sky.
There is another reason this rescue meant so much. Kristen and her family had built a beautiful new home. Boxes were packed. They had the keys in their possession. Toby escaped before they could move in. Kristen refused to leave him behind. She couldn’t imagine starting a new chapter without the one who had been part of every chapter before it. She waited. Because home wasn’t home without Toby.
Some stories stay with you forever.
Toby’s will always be one of them.
This story was about unwavering faith, relentless perseverance, and the unbreakable bond between a soul dog and a Dog Mom who refused to give up.
Welcome home, sweet Toby ❤️🐾🐾
