ST. JOHN's, N.L. - It was a tough 10 days.
When anyone from the family dynamic is missing, it’s stressful for all involved.
When the protagonist of the story is an 11-year-old boy with Asperger’s syndrome, for whom his missing pet is far more than just a pet, that stress is amplified.
Liam Whitton was forced to live without his companion dog, Mary Margaret, a one-year-old Boston terrier, after she got lost while being walked May 6 in Pippy Park in the Three Pond Barrens.
The small black dog is now safely home where she belongs after an exhaustive search by a host of community-minded friends, neighbours and virtual strangers who took time out of their own lives to try to find the dog.
“I am very happy she is back home,” Liam said Thursday afternoon in his east-end St. John’s living room.
“I was sad when I found out she was gone, but I am happy now, delighted she is back. I didn’t know (she was missing) while we were away on vacation in Jamaica. We were told on Monday after getting home,” he said, referring to himself and his brother, Keith.
Through the power of social media and kind-hearted people in and around St. John’s, the Whittons had enough clues to narrow down the search area to a spot near Pritchard’s Path in St. John’s, and set out to hopefully bring their cherished pet home.
Cindy Whitton said more than 1,200 people signed up for the Facebook page giving them feedback and comments on Mary Margaret’s whereabouts, a wide-ranging array of sightings, well-wishes and thoughts and prayers for a happy ending.
“After we narrowed down where she was through the many reports we got on social media, we took Liam and Keith to the area and they called out to her once each — and just like that she came running out of the woods,” Cindy said.
“The amazing thing is we found her.”
They had an idea they were in the right place before they called the dog’s name, as they could hear Mary Margaret’s tags rattling.
“I can’t believe the good in people’s hearts and the support they showed us as a family. Hundreds of people we have never met.” Cindy said.
“It was the power of positive energy that helped us.”
Mary Margaret weighs about 15 pounds and has a distinct white stripe on her face and a prominent white chest. She is a little worse for wear today, a lot lighter than when she went missing, and she stayed pretty close to Liam and Keith during the interview.
Liam said Mary Margaret has done some funny things since she came to live with his family, like chasing butterflies and startling birds in the backyard.
“She snores a lot, too. It is quite loud,” he said.
Keith also enjoys having Mary Margaret around and said the dog is great at cheering him up when he is sad.
“I was sad, too, when I knew she was gone, but I’m happy now,” he said.
Keith said Mary Margaret likes to hide under his bed at night when he is supposed to be going to sleep.
“I just about get to sleep and she decides to come out and try to scare me,” he said with a grin.
Mary Margaret has an abrasion on her upper left leg and, after being checked out by a veterinarian Wednesday night, she was OK’ed to go home. The Whittons monitored her the entire day, and planned to ease her back onto her regular diet Thursday night.
“The vet was very impressed at how healthy she was considering she was out there for 10 days,” Cindy said.
Mary Margaret, who the Whittons obtained through a dog breeder in Hamilton, Ont., has been a great addition to the family. They had considered two types of dog, a Boston terrier or a Labrador retriever.
Cindy said they were looking for a dog that didn’t bark a lot, lives a long time and is good with children.
They hit the jackpot with Mary Margaret, for whom they can tick off all those boxes and more.
“She keeps me calm, keeps me happy. She is such good company,” Liam said.
“She even keeps my feet warm sometimes at night. She always waits for me after school when I am getting off the bus.”
