Hundreds Mobilize To Find Lost Puppy

Hundreds of people in Shenandoah, Pennsylvania left their homes on Sunday following word that an area resident, 7-yar-old Jackie Shepard, had lost his Labrador pup, Felix.
Breaking up into teams, the volunteers scoured a 20-mile radius around Jackie’s home over the past three days, canvassing homes and stores and plastering towns with flyers.
“This really pulled at people’s heartstrings,” said Ben Pardsley, a sherrif’s deputy in Shenandoah who helped organize the volunteers and tracked their progress by sector.
Reporters from several local television stations and three major newspapers covered the search and donations poured in around the clock until about $33,000 was raised for the Find Felix Foundation.
“It was really touching,” said Jackie’s father, Frank, as his son played with his three remaining dogs in their backyard. “For so many people, seeing that boy reunited with his puppy became their mission, their purpose in life.’
The search came to a happy conclusion late Wednesday night when Felix was found about two miles away from his home by a man who had seen the flyers and called a special hotline. He was given a $10,000 reward. Frank Shepard said the remaining funds would probably be used to build doghouses for disadvantaged kids who can’t afford them.
Jackie Shepherd thanked the volunteers and said he most likely would put the dog up for adoption, since he had grown more attached to another puppy during Felix’s absence.
In other news, some 60,000 people are dead after an earthquake in China that came one week after 15,000 people died from a cyclone in Myanmar. Relief efforts are underway for the survivors.