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| After six weeks apart, JJ Pierce and Louie were reunited on November 21, 2014 |
On October 9, J.J. Pierce brought her dog Louie along on a quick errand to Home Depot in South Philly to get keys made for her dogsitter. When she exited the store minutes later, her car and beloved dog were gone. The vehicle was recovered in North Philly on October 14, but Louie, a 2-year-old black lab, was lost. He remained missing for six weeks until November 21 when Pierce posted an update on her "Help Louie Get Home" Facebook page announcing that she and her pup had been reunited. For "Team Louie," a 15,000+ strong group of followers dedicated to finding Louie through organized and private searches, a flyering campaign and social media, it was a dream come true.
It is unclear how or where Louie spent his 43 days away from home, but the reunion was set into motion on November 21 when a couple (who wished to remain anonymous) contacted Team Louie members to say they had found the dog.
The next day, Pierce, a schoolteacher, wrote on the Help Louie Get Home page that initially, she was unaware of what was unfolding. "I got a call from a member of my team last night telling me that we finally had a good lead and that I needed to come meet an informant immediately. I showed up fully expecting a shady discussion in a car, not even remotely anticipating the beautiful reunion that was about to take place. Louie recognized me before I recognized him, and it wasn't until he was nuzzling my face that I realized it was actually him."
Pierce said that Louie lost 15 pounds during the ordeal and he was exhausted and sleeping a lot, but that he had briefly played with one of his squeaky toys."I feel like I am literally watching him come back to life before my eyes as he slowly regains energy and strength," Pierce wrote.
Once Louie has had time to recover, Pierce is planning to throw a party to thank Team Louie and to benefit rescue organizations.
For our previous coverage of JJ Pierce and Louie:
Reward Offered for Safe Return of Dog Stolen in Philly Car Theft
Photo © JJ Pierce / Help Louie Get Home
Posted on Monday, November 24, 2014
