Lucy the Silver Labrador was only 5 months old when she went missing. Her dad, Mark Krichbaum, had allowed her to play with his sister’s Boxer on his 80-acre farm.
Krichbaum was busy repairing a sawmill on his property, so he was unable to keep an eye on the dogs. After hearing a gunshot in the distance, the Boxer came running back to Krichbaum, but Lucy was nowhere to be seen.
When Krichbaum realized that Lucy was lost, he was heartbroken. He spent days searching for his beloved puppy, but it seemed hopeless. He started to fear the worst for poor Lucy.
“She’s just a pup, five months old at the time, and without the other dog there she didn’t know where she was at, and how to take care of herself or anything,” said Krichbaum.
The Search for Lucy
After talking to some neighbors, Krichbaum learned that Lucy was still alive and well. His neighbors informed him that their young daughter had been playing with Lucy. They saw Lucy’s collar, so they had assumed she could find her way home. This gave Krichbaum enough hope to continue his search.
Krichbaum made plenty of lost dog posters and social media posts. He checked shelters and rescues nearby, but no one had seen Lucy yet. Months went by with no good news. Sadly, Krichbaum started to feel less hopeful.
Some of Krichbaum’s friends tried to tell him that Lucy probably wouldn’t return. They offered to help him find another dog, but Krichbaum just wasn’t ready to admit defeat. He knew that Lucy was out there somewhere. As much as he wanted to give a home to a dog in need, he didn’t want to give up on the dog he had raised.
A Christmas Miracle!
Nearly 5 months later, just before Christmas, Krichbaum received a life-changing message. Lauren Ashley Prater, a veterinary technician, told him that she found Lucy.
Prater first saw Lucy when she was camping in the summer. She could tell that the sweet puppy was not a stray, but she couldn’t tell where she had come from. As the parent of her own Silver Lab, Prater knew that she had to get this puppy home.
“Working with animals my whole life, you know, I just felt like I obviously just can’t leave her out there,” said Prater. “So we opened up the car door and she jumped in like she already knew us.”
Lucy stayed with Prater and befriended her Silver Lab. For months Prater searched for Lucy’s family, but it wasn’t until December that she saw Krichbaum’s post on Facebook. She reached out to him as soon as she could. He was thrilled to hear that his dog had been in good hands all this time.
Prater and Krichbaum met at a dog park a few days before Christmas. Lucy recognized her dad right away, and she ran toward him happily. It really was a Christmas miracle.
“He had tears in his eyes, and it was really sweet,” Prater said. “I wanted to try and get a video of them reuniting, but I was holding back my tears, too.”
Krichbaum says that from now on, he will always hold onto Lucy’s leash tightly. She is such an important part of his life, so he can’t risk losing her again.
H/T: usatoday.com
Featured Image: Mark Krichbaum Facebook
Toledo, United States.
