The terrific tail of Terry the rescue dog who returned home after six years

A six-year search for a missing rescue dog has had a miraculous happy ending.

Terry, a mixed breed who was rescued along with her pups in Nkwenkwezi township in Port Alfred in September 2018 went missing after she bolted from her adopted parents in Howick, KwaZulu-Natal, in 2020.

But her parents ― Johann and Lynne Wilhelm, owners of animal rescue and rehab Retreat to Eden ― refused to give up on her and were delighted when they spotted her familiar face on a missing pets social media post last month.

Now Terry is safely back at home at the animal rescue which specialises in the rescue and rehabilitation of K9 Heroes (ex-service dogs) as well as Shepherds (German, Belgian and Swiss) based on a 43-hectare farm in Southwell, Eastern Cape.

Lynne said Johann responded to an alert from a kind-hearted Nkwenkwezi resident about a mother and her pups in need of help.

However the mercy mission became a mass rescue operation when after the owner surrendered the mother and her pups, her husband was surrounded by several others who offered their “unwanted doggies”, she said.

He called her to prepare for 20 new canine boarders.

“There were 16 pups in total, three adults and one teenager. I named the adults Tina, Trixie and Terry, who had six pups. She lived with us for about a year and a half and finally we found a home for her along with another of the rescue dogs in Howick,” said Lynne.

But things didn’t turn out as planned.

In June 2020, when the dogs arrived at their new forever home in Howick, Terry, spooked by people and noises, fled into nearby bushes as she was being handed over.

While the handler and the new owners tried to search for her, they weren’t immediately successful.

For two months neighbours and the community pitched in to help search for the dog ― with foot searches, food traps and even drones ― to no avail.

Lynne said she and her husband were horrified and he decided to drive up with Trixie, who was rescued along with Terry, after she was sighted.

At the time he posted: “I am walking and driving the streets of Howick, calling for her and hoping she will recognise my voice and that Trixie might pick up her scent.

“A reward of R1,500 will be paid to anyone who spots her and whose spotting results in her capture.

“What must be emphasised is that NO ONE MUST ATTEMPT TO CAPTURE HER,” Johann said.

But despite a two-month stay, he was unable to track her down and he returned to the Eastern Cape.

“We were devastated ― but we never gave up hope or stopped praying,” said Lynne.

She said they continued to scan lost-and-found posts hoping to see Terry’s face.

When I put her on my lap she whimpered, as if trying to communicate what she had been through. We feel so so blessed to have her back.

—  Lynne Wilhelm

The couple were dumbstruck then when they saw the post about a stray, frozen dog being found in Hilton about 10km away from Howick at the beginning of July.

“Almost six years to the very day she disappeared, I sat down at my computer one morning, and what I thought was Terry’s face appeared on Facebook. The similarities between her and Terry were striking,” Lynne said.

The couple made contact with Taelin Haylett, a Hilton resident with whom Terry stayed for a few days before being transferred into the care of one of their trusted KZN handlers.

A few weeks later, Terry was back in Port Alfred, reunited with some of her offspring, including son Jayan, the leader of the pack of animal therapy dogs.

“There is no doubt she has been through a lot. You can see she had to fend for herself as a dog in the wild. She is little but she had to fight for food, fight to survive.

“When she came home, there were several ‘aha’ moments ― places and smells she recognised. When I put her on my lap she whimpered, as if trying to communicate what she had been through. We feel so so blessed to have her back.”

Haylett said she was thrilled to be part of a “truly special moment”.

She said she and her brother were out walking their dogs on a Sunday morning when one of them, Major, was piqued by something on the other side of the fence, near a river bordering a forest.

“The area is inhabited by buck and rabbits so the dogs go crazy sometimes, but there was something different about Major’s behaviour. When I got there, I saw this dog curled up, frozen stiff next to the river.”

They took the dogs back to their yard and fetched her father and a blanket.

“When we put her in the blanket she just whimpered. She was full of ticks and fleas and scratches. We took her back to our house, gave her food and water and put her in front of a heater.”

Later that day they took her to a vet where she was given shots and kept overnight.

Haylett said they fetched her the next day and she was silent for several days. By then news of finding the dog had gone online and the Wilhelms made contact.

Terry was then handed over to a handler who helped her adjust and prepare for the 10-hour journey back to the Eastern Cape.

Lynne, who is about to launch two books dealing with resilience, healing, reflection and hope, said: “Terry has become a reminder that every rescue dog has a story. Every rescue dog has value and deserves love. A dog’s past does not determine their worth.

“Rescue dogs are often described by what has happened to them. They are called abandoned, unwanted, frightened or damaged. Perhaps we should look at them differently. They are survivors. They are companions. They are loyal souls waiting for someone to see beyond their past and discover who they truly are.”