This toy poodle's days on the mean streets are over

The toy poodle was spotted on Fort Harrison, then on Drew, then was finally caught and returned home.

By CARRIE WEIMAR, Times Staff Writer
Published October 13, 2007

Abby is home again.

After nearly two weeks on the lam, the 18-month-old apricot-colored toy poodle was reunited Thursday with her owners, Doug and Tress Eveleth.

"She was covered in fleas," said Tress, 55. "And she had sand spurs everywhere in her coat and an eye infection. But other than that, she's just fine."

On Sept. 30, Abby escaped from an animal clinic in Clearwater where she was being boarded. The Eveleths were in San Francisco on business but returned to search for their beloved 9-pound dog.

Since then, they papered the area near the Clearwater Animal Clinic with posters and spent hours driving around the neighborhood.

There had been plenty of Abby sightings. They got calls from people saying they saw the little dog trotting around the Missouri Avenue area. She was spotted in Belleair, crossing Fort Harrison Avenue and running up Drew Street.Two people reported seeing her around the Publix at Jasper and Missouri.

But when the couple rushed to the area, Abby was nowhere to be seen.

Then, on Tuesday, a friend of the Eveleths saw Abby at the Shangri La Mobile Home Park, about half a mile from the clinic.

The couple learned the little dog had been returning to the park each night to sleep.

They got a trap from their vet and baited it with Abby's food and toys.

On Thursday morning, the Eveleths got a call from a woman who lived in the park. "She said, 'We have your Abby,' " Tress said.

After a trip to the vet and the groomer, Abby was home Thursday. She licked the couple's other poodle, 14-year-old Madeline, and romped in the back yard for most of the day.

Staff writer Eileen Schulte contributed to this report. Carrie Weimar can be reached at 727 445-4151 or cweimar@sptimes.com.

[Last modified October 12, 2007, 22:32:55]