LAFAYETTE, Colo. -- Thousands of dogs run away from home each year and it’s a miracle when they make it back safely. A dog owner in Boulder County has an even more rare story with his dog.
Bosco, an 11-year-old beagle mix, ran away from owner Bill Ballato’s yard in January 2014. They lived in in Rhode Island at the time.
It was a small town, so everyone knew Bosco and knew what dog they were looking for. Ballato put up missing posters, and contacted police and animal shelters, but no one could find Bosco.
A few month after Bosco disappeared, Ballato relocated to Lafayette.
“There were nights, horrible nights that I wondered, especially after big storms. But something told me that he’d make it,” Ballato said.
Fast forward two years.
“I received a message from a friend of mine that is a Wesley, R.I., police officer saying, ‘Hey, I saw Bosco last night’,” Ballato said.
It turns out, Bosco had been living on the streets of a small beach town near the home he originally ran away from. Someone spotted Bosco, so Sheilah Graham set a trap and lured him in with treats.
“Bosco played a good game of chess. But I love chess, so it’s just a matter of narrowing down his playing field,” she said.
Graham does not work for a rescue, but she volunteers with Missing Dogs of Massachusetts. She has assisted in more than 70 rescues over the past six years. Until now, all of the reunions have been local.
