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Fate smiles twice on a lucky dog

As a Boston terrier roams Pinellas streets, a Miami family wonders if it'll see its escape artist again.

By JAMIE THOMPSON
Published May 29, 2005

LARGO - The little girl dreamed about her missing Boston terrier.

She would wake in her Miami bedroom and ask: "When is Lucky coming home?"

It had been four months since the black-and-white terrier escaped after a bath. But 4-year-old Lindsey Perez was still asking about him. Not even a new puppy, a pug named Lucy, satisfied her.

"I miss Lucky," she would say.

The terrier had run away before. But this time, it seemed he was gone for good.

Little did the family know that 280 miles away, Lucky was roaming the streets in Pinellas County.

Luis Perez and his wife, Luisa, bought the 3-month-old puppy on Christmas Eve in Miami two years ago. "You're a lucky dog, getting out of here for Christmas," Luis Perez said. The name stuck.

They put him in a box with a bow. Their two children squealed when he jumped out on Christmas morning.

Lucky liked to escape and typically headed three houses down to play with the neighbor's dog. But he always came back.

The family removed Lucky's collar Jan. 15 for a bath. Then the doorbell rang. As Luisa Perez opened it, Lucky sprinted outside. No one could catch him.

Hours passed, then days. The family went door to door. Nothing.

"We really gave up on Lucky," Luis Perez said.

Four months later, on May 19, Cathy McGahan stopped at a traffic light on 49th Street and Park Boulevard and saw a black-and-white terrier wandering through the intersection. He looked dirty and lost. As cars swerved and slowed, McGahan scooped him up.

"He got in like we were going for a Sunday drive," she said.

Lucky had a pink collar around his neck, but looked neglected.

McGahan already had a house full of dogs nobody wanted: Almost, a three-legged dachshund. Freedom, a three-legged German shepherd mix. And Bobo, a 16-year-old chow chow.

Her dogs, McGahan feared, would eat this little terrier for lunch.

She called Pinellas County Animal Services. Workers retrieved the dog and scanned him for a microchip, but couldn't find one. No one claimed him, so Animal Services called 56-year-old Karen Dickson of Dunedin. They knew she wanted to adopt a Boston terrier.

She met Lucky on Wednesday. He wagged his tail, bounced up and down, licked her face.

"I just fell in love with him," Dickson said.

He would be the perfect companion, she thought, for her 10-year-old Boston terrier, Bud. He hadn't been the same since their fox terrier, Raisin, died about 16 months ago.

On Friday, she stood at the counter in Animal Services, paperwork completed, checkbook in hand, ready to take the dog home.

Dr. Welch Agnew, assistant director of veterinary services, needed to implant a microchip, about the size of a rice grain, for identification. Although workers had scanned the dog at least twice, Agnew did it again, just in case.

Just as he finished, he heard a beep. Lucky did have a chip. It had migrated from his neck to a spot on his leg, harder to detect with the scanner.

Dickson's heart sank. But she wanted Lucky to be reunited with his family, if he had one.

In Miami, Luis Perez's phone rang about 5 p.m. Friday.

"You found him where?" he asked.

His daughter and 7-year-old son, Lucas, couldn't stop smiling.

Perez and his son climbed into their Chevrolet pickup at 6 a.m. Saturday and drove to Largo. They walked to a cage where Lucky had been sleeping on a gray towel.

At the sight of them, Lucky wagged his tail and licked their faces.

How he got to Pinellas remains a mystery.

After a long drive to Miami, and a quick stop to buy Lucky a new collar, Perez arrived home. His wife and daughter rushed out to greet them, covering Lucky with kisses.

He ran through the house, sniffing everywhere. Lindsey was close behind, smiling, shouting, "Lucky's home!"

[Last modified May 29, 2005, 01:04:12]