Man’s Best Friend is Home Again!

Biggy had been with RL, our SSPSH client, for 9 years since he was a pup. They’d never been apart. That is, not until someone kidnapped Biggy just before RL was moving to the new Westmount site. RL was heartbroken as was everyone at SSPSH. RL searched for Biggy, checking around apartment doorways and entryways to see if he could spot those familiar pawprints but had no luck.

Rychele Cole, RL’s Case Manager, and RL made posters, including a small reward, and put them up in the area. After that, Rychele fielded multiple calls especially when a dog at the SPCA looked just like Biggy. But it wasn’t Biggy, so the search went on.

Finally, after three weeks,  a text came in from someone who said they’d found Biggy. Not wanting to get RL’s hopes up, Rychele and Laura Ostapovich, Team Lead, went to see if this was the lucky day and, yes, this was Biggy! RL had no idea that Biggy was back and in the building so, later that morning, RL stepped out of the elevator to the best surprise possible. He was in tears and so was everyone else at the big reunion.

The photo shows how close RL and Biggy are. It also shows Biggy’s favorite position, monitoring everything from RL’s shoulder. It turns out that Biggy and RL have fans across the prairies and into Ontario. Last year the team hitchhiked to Toronto and back. Not only were people keen to give the pair a ride east (who could resist Biggy perched on RL’s shoulders?) but they were also keen to see them heading back west. The trip to Toronto took a week but it took RL and Biggy a month and a half to get back to Edmonton because so many people had made them promise to stop and visit on their way back.

RL and Biggy are now happily settled at Westmount. RL says the long hallways are a special treat for Biggy. He is fully obedience trained but when given permission, RL says “he goes down the hall like a free spirit.” Biggy is there because Homeward Trust agreed to a special exception so clients with existing pets could bring them when moving to Westmount PSH. Biggy has made lots of friends at the site and loves it there — and, Rychele says, everyone loves him. RL and Biggy, and all of Biggy’s fans at Westmount, would agree this exception was the best ever.