On July 25, Westmounter Greg Daniels was walking Lou off-leash along Summit Circle, something he’s done for the past eight years.
“I never walk him on a leash,” said Daniels. “He’s always beside me.”
Lou likes to stick close to Daniels (except once when he ran off with his brother, Max, a German Shepherd mix, for over an hour) and this time seemed no exception.
But near the end of the walk, when Daniels turned around to check on him, Lou was nowhere to be seen.
“He didn’t chase after a squirrel or a cat,” said Daniels. “I would have heard him romping through the bushes. I called out, 'Lou! Lou! Lou!’”
But the Malamute was nowhere to be found.
Daniels searched the area for over two hours before calling Westmount Public Security and the SPCA.
His girlfriend, Loretta Levinson, also swung into action, beginning an Internet campaign using social networking sites, and the couple drove around Westmount placing posters around town and emailing Lou’s photos to pet stores, veterinary offices and grooming centres.
“I didn’t sleep for two nights,” Levinson said.
Even worse, the weekend brought a tremendous overnight storm. “Lou’s absolutely terrified of thunder and lightning,” Daniels said. “I really thought he would die of a heart attack.”
But despite the couple’s efforts, there was no sign of their dog.
Finally, on July 28, Daniels got a call from Public Security.
“'We believe we found your dog, but we have a problem’ they said,” recalled Daniels. “'He’s on a cliff.’”
Daniels was there in minutes, greeted by two SPCA trucks and four Public Security vans and later, four fire trucks. Lou had gotten trapped behind a fence on the edge of a 170-foot drop near Summit Circle and the only way to save him was to scale the fence and catch him.
Finally, a Public Security officer climbed the fence, wrapped the frightened pup in a blanket and harness, and hauled him back over.
Daniels said Lou was happy to be reunited with his owners.
“There’s no rhyme or reason for why he took off,” he said. “The bottom line is: he’s back.”
With Lou safely home, both Daniels and Levinson say they’re grateful for the help from Westmount security services. Levinson singled out the SPCA and the police for their compassion and Daniels was so impressed by Public Security he wrote a thank-you letter to the department.
Meanwhile, Daniels is a little more careful when he goes out with Lou.
“I only walk him with a leash now,” he said. “I don’t take the chance.”
