Editor’s note: The photo of Siberian Huskys is a pair similar to Kenai and Juneau, respectively.
Henry Ward Beecher stated, “The dog was created for children. He is the god of frolic.” That might describe the blizzard adventure of Stephanie Shelton’s two Siberian Huskys, who broke from their tethered rope and invisible fencing to go for a run, on Sunday night, November 25, 2018.
Shelton told the Editor her two Huskys went missing in the snowstorm about 5:30 p.m. and had not returned, as of 9:30. Both wear invisible fence collars with their names; one dog had an attached 30′ rope. Kenai is black and grey and weighs about 40 lbs. Juneau is red and weighs about 30 lbs. They were last seen in the Morrison, IL, Greenwood Drive area.
On Monday morning, Shelton called the Editor to report they were discovered about 3:30 a.m., Monday, November 26, “all curled up in a ball, sleeping on the patio. I didn’t think they would freeze [with temperatures in the 20’s]. I thought they could find shelter in the woods.”
One-year-old Kenai “gets out of the yard freely; he got out a couple times in the fall. We followed his footprints and trail of the rope in the snow. We drove to the Milnes’ [Deerview] condos [where Kenai has been to in the past.]” She reported turning back, because “cars were getting stuck. How would we get help?”
They checked throughout the night, calling from the backyard.
The 3:30 a.m. check was a pleasant one. “I thought I might be dreaming that they were really home and all right [Kenai and Juneau] are very calm this morning and exhausted.” So are their owners.
Shelton acknowledged the 911 Call Center and Police Chief Brian Melton for their advice and understanding about a pet owner’s concern.
