I learned from Sam Connelly, of Pure Gold Pet Trackers, that you are looking for successful pet detective stories. First of all, I can't say enough about Sam, who, with her dog Salsa, tracks lost pets simply for the love of animals.

Now, for a brief history of this successful recovery ... Keeper, a Border Collie, belonged to a good friend of mine who has a sheep/cattle farm in Missouri. My friend sold Keeper to another friend of mine, Cynthia, who lives in Virginia. Keeper was sent by plane, and at Washington National (Reagan) Airport, Cynthia accidentally released him from his crate. So began a four-month saga. I was the only person in this area who knew Keeper, so I immediately went to the airport to help recover him. He was not to be found.

Cynthia relentlessly put up fliers and checked with animal shelters frequently. She also checked on any news of sightings of the dog. In addition, a growing number of people searched for Keeper, mostly in the wooded areas south of the airport. This was November, and little did we know that the search would continue until March! My friend even drove out from Missouri in December to join the search, but we never saw Keeper.

In mid-March I received a call from Kim, who works at the Alexandria Animal Shelter. Keeper had been positively sighted by shelter workers! I immediately left for the area where he had been seen. No luck. I went home, and placed a notice on Craig's List. I got a response from someone whose dog had been found by Sam and Salsa.

The following weekend Sam and Salsa met me at the wooded area of the neighborhood where Keeper had been sighted. By this time, I had spoken with neighbors who lived by the edge of the woods. Keeper had been seen frequently, at least since December. Several people were leaving food regularly by this time. Sam and Salsa easily picked up Keeper's trail from scent material from the crate he had traveled in. Sam and Salsa, along with Kathy and Kim, from the Alexandria Shelter, saw Keeper several times, but he was feral now, and afraid of people. They saw he was limping, but he moved quickly on three legs.

Cynthia (Keeper's new owner) and Kim picked up a large trap from the shelter, and it was set up behind one of the homes near the woods. The neighbors did everything they could to help us. We saw Keeper's paw prints in the snow. Sam, with her thorough knowledge, knew just how to set up the trap to make Keeper feel easy about going in. Food was put just inside the trap, and the door was tied up. They wanted to be sure Keeper would go inside before the trap was actually set. That first night they knew he had been there. The food was gone, and the bowl was pushed to the very back of the trap. The next night, the trap was set for real. It didn't take long. After four long winter months, Keeper had been found!

After some initial barking, Keeper soon quieted down and was taken to the Alexandria Animal Shelter for the night. I was called and went to get him first thing in the morning. Cynthia, had agreed to have him stay with me for awhile, as I was the only person here that he knew. I went to him, touched his head, and he started licking my hand. He remembered me! This was the feral survivor of a difficult winter? He was dirty. He was extremely thin. He was unable to use one leg. But he was a dog again.

I took him directly to my vet, who determined that Keeper's right hind leg was broken. I was referred to an orthopedic vet and surgery was scheduled for the next day. It turned out to be an old break. We guessed he had been hit by a car early on. The distance from the airport to where he was located was about six miles, and he had to cross highway to get there!

So now, in addition to my three Border Collies, Keeper has joined the pack for his recovery. He gets along well with my dogs ... and he should since they are relatives. He is with his sister Lys, his niece Sage and his distant cousin Spot. We expect his recovery to take seven to 10 weeks initially, then Keeper will have more months of rehabilitation. It is my hope that before too long, he will be doing what he loves best, i.e., herding sheep.

Davida Hall