A family dog who was believed stolen is now home, and somehow, she's squeaky clean.
It's that detail that supports Cheryl Wight's belief that Boots, the Australian Shepherd/Border Collie mix, was stolen.
Wight was helping to unload chicks at the family's farm on Monday when she felt something pounce on her back. Her dog was home, but she wasn't sure how.
Stranger still: the white fur on her feet was clean, Wight says, and her coat smelled fresh and bathed.
"She looked in better shape than a dog who has been missing for a week," she explains.
In the excitement, Wight says she barely noticed as a white pickup truck driving away from the family's farm.
The dog went missing on Sept. 9 at around 4:30 p.m. from the family's property on Line 39.
The family says that the dog has been perimeter trained since she was a puppy and rarely wanders off.
After she went missing, the family combed the property and spoke to nearby neighbours. Wight posted on social media about the missing dog as well.
That proves to Wight that it wasn't an accident or a misunderstanding.
Still, she says that, while it's a little unsettling to believe that someone took the dog in the first place, she's focusing on being happy.
"I'm just thankful that she's back," she says.
While tips are still being accepted on Crime Stoppers, the family is glad their story has a happy ending.
