After one hundred and one days on the run… Sonya missing in Edison, NJ since December 9, 2022 has been captured!!
A survivor from a hoarding situation in South Korea, she had only been in her new home for a week when she escaped.
Early efforts to capture Sonya using conventional traps and enclosures had failed. As months passed with Sonya continuing to evade capture, Amy Ray from the Edison shelter reached out to me for help. I drove to Edison to evaluate the area and to determine the best approach to bring her to safety. I felt that at this point, conventional methods would never work for this girl.
The best option I believed would be the collarum. It is a humane ground based capture device used to rapidly throw a cable loop lead over the dog. The dogs will resist the loop just as they would a snappy snare or leash upon capture. There was no question that one moment of resistance compared to the imminent dangers she faced daily was the right choice.
For weeks we conditioned her to come to a particular location, all the while monitoring her behavior and progress. This week we were finally ready to set up for capture.
Early this morning I headed out at 3:30 AM to get to Edison to set up. I met with Amy Ray from the Edison shelter and Tanya and Anna from Sonya’s rescue organization, Sochi Dog. The collarum was set and we waited in our cars from a short distance so that we could be to Sonya by the railroad tracks immediately once captured.
We had an outstanding coordinated group effort …Amy Ray, you were her guardian angel, your compassion and dedication to saving Sonya enabled this rescue to happen. Tanya and Anna from Sochi Dogs, you fought for this dogs life every step of the way. These three women never gave up and I am honored to know them and to have been a part of such a beautiful rescue.
Welcome Home Sonya… you’re safe now!
