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Lost Rescue Dog Returns Home Proudly Wearing A Dog Show Award

Written by: Molly Weinfurter
Molly Weinfurter is a writer for iHeartDogs, and she’s passionate about helping animals in need. She volunteers for Bailing Out Benji and a local dog rescue.Read more
| Published on July 19, 2022

When dogs go missing, they can’t talk to us about their crazy adventures. Many families wish their dogs could tell them stories about their time away, but for one family in West Sussex, England, their dog doesn’t have to. She has someone who can tell her tale for her.

Bonnie the Beagle mix went missing from her yard one day, sending her loved ones into a panic. But little did they know, a dog lover found Bonnie shortly after she disappeared and kept her safe until they could talk to her family. Bonnie’s journey ended with her winning third place in a dog show!

Lost dog wins award
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Dog Enjoys Her Unique Adventure

5-year-old Bonnie snuck out an open gate when her humans, Peter and Paula Closier, weren’t looking. They searched all over the neighborhood and got the help of their neighbors and two daughters.

Paula called everyone she could think of, including the police, veterinarians, and local shelters. No one knew where Bonnie was. As it turned out, she found a human to stay with shortly after going missing, so the Closiers had nothing to worry about.

John Wilmer had been driving his two dogs to a dog show when he saw Bonnie on the side of the road, not far from her home. She didn’t have a collar on because her family had briefly taken it off. Wilmer let the Beagle mix into his car so she wouldn’t have to keep wandering the road, but he was late for the dog show, so he rushed there with Bonnie in tow.

Beagle mix wins award
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Once he was able, Wilmer posted a photo of the lost dog on Facebook. It wasn’t long before someone connected him with Bonnie’s family so they could schedule a time to meet up after the show.

Found with a Special Award

While Wilmer was at the dog show with Bonnie, he figured he might as well enter her since she was there. He entered her in the “Best Rescue Dog” competition, and she won third place! The pup got a beautiful yellow ribbon to take home with her.

So, when Bonnie’s family came to pick her up, they were surprised to see that she was heading home with a prize. They had entered Bonnie’s sister, Cleo, in dog shows before, but they’d never considered entering their adorable mixed breed. Bonnie proved to her family that she could be just as talented as her sibling.

Daughter holding lost dog
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RELATED: Lost Dog Rings Her Own Doorbell At 3 am After Crazy Adventure

“Bonnie was absolutely fine when she got back. She just thought she was having a great day out,” Peter said. “When she was missing, I had five different outcomes in my head, the best being that she came back. This was even better than that; she came back with a rosette.”

Bonnie’s family is grateful that their dog’s day out ended up being so positive. Not all dogs are that lucky, so everyone is thankful that Wilmer was kind enough to look after her.

Stories like this are an excellent reminder to keep a collar and tags on dogs when they’re outside, so people will know they’re missing if they run off. It’s also a good idea to get your pet microchipped, so they can come home even if they lose their collar.

Featured Image: Facebook