Proving that age ain't nuttin' but a number, twelve year old Princess from Hardyston, NJ went missing January 14th after bolting from a car accident in Hardyston, NJ. After 4 weeks on the run traveling the power lines, surviving a blizzard and sub zero temps, Princess was safely trapped almost 5 miles from the accident, deep in the woods off Clinton Road in West Milford, NJ.
To say this case was a challenge is an understatement. Sightings were few and far between but we followed up on each and every lead. One of our first sightings came from a man who spotted a black dog holding what looked like a bone in Cliffwood Lake off Canister Rd. We immediately headed over to set a feeding station and to our surprise saw a dead deer carcass in the back yard, Princess had taken the leg from the deer and then she was off and running yet again. Our next possible lead came the day after the blizzard from a man off Holland Mountain who heard a deep raspy bark back in his woods, again we headed out trudging through feet of snow to set up another feeding station, Princess again was a no show. Although disappointed it gave us hope that Princess survived the storm and was still out there. Then last Tues night we received a call from a woman who had seen our poster on Paradise Road in the middle of no where and saw Princess walking down the road in the middle of the night, when the car approached she bolted in to the woods. Her prints in the snow went deep in to the woods, again another feeding station was set.
Friday we received the call that would lead to her capture. Princess was sighted coming out of the woods in to a yard off Clinton Road, the people did not chase her, Princess turned and headed back in to the woods and they called us immediately. A feeding station was set deep in the woods where we believed she was traveling by a quad trail off the power lines. When cameras were checked we finally saw that beautiful grey face we've been desperate to see. Tears flowed along with screams of joy... she had found our feeding station and was coming back repeatedly. I was in the process of trapping another dog over an hour away and double backed to set the trap. Yesterday she did not show but this morning my camera started going off and she was there checking out the trap and soon came the pic of her in it. I made the call to Sue and Jeff, Princess' aunt and uncle... WE GOT HER!!! I ran into the woods and greeted a shivering, skinny Princess, I just kept repeating, you're safe now sweetheart. Jeff met me in the woods and we put the the trap with her in it on a sled and guided her out of the woods to safety and warmth.
Never ever give up on these babies, they can and will survive out there!!! WELCOME HOME PRINCESS, you are so loved by so many!!!!
