LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) – A Louisville family is hoping to be reunited with their dog after she escaped from the kennel they put her in when they went on vacation. That was three weeks ago.
They’ve even hired a canine search and rescue professional.
The Comley family adopted Looska when their son James was just six months old.
”I grew up with her,” James said.
For the last three weeks, her dog bed in his room has been empty. The 7-year-old just has the hand drawing of the pit bull mix.
”I normally call her when I go upstairs, and I can’t do that now because she’s not here,” James said. “It’s hard.”
On Feb. 27, they put Looska in the Dogwood Kennels near Valhalla on Shelbyville Road, where she’s stayed before. That Friday, they got a call.
”It was actually from my mom,” Patt Comley said. “And she said the kennel just called, Looska’s gone.”
Yulia said it never crossed her mind their dog, who’s never run away before, might escape.
“That’s what the kennel is there for, to keep her safe while we’re gone,” Yulia said.
They quickly spread the word on social media. Some people sent them pictures and videos of their dog from Thursday afternoon, the day before the kennel told them.
”I think alerting us when she got out would have helped,” Patt said. “We could have organized a better search party.”
The owner of the nearly 40-year family run kennel said they told the family as soon as they realized she was gone.”
We’ve had dogs chew out from the inside, but we’ve never lost one,” said Bud Thompson, owner of Dogwood Kennels. “I’ve been praying so hard for Looska. We’re so sorry.”
They showed WAVE how Looska escaped from her kennel. They think the dog knocked the metal door off the track in her kennel to get in the outside run. Once there, they said she pushed out of a fence, and then got to the last gate keeping her safe.
“She pushed the bottom of this gate,” Dogwood Kennels Office Manager Jennifer Sturgeon said. It was pushed out.” They’ve since added a bar there, so that won’t happen.
Now, the family has hired a canine search and rescue professional from East Tennessee. She’s using a drone, searching the area of Old Henry and Avoca Roads, four miles away from the kennel.
”I believe there’s a strong possibility someone may have her, or she’s hurt from the trails she’s gone through and all the rocks,” said Angela Fayard, the owner of Smoky Mountain K9 Search and Rescue.
James is hoping Looska might find her way home, 16 miles away. Propping open the back gate and leaving out a bowl of her food.
“I just love her,” James said.
The family says Looska is microchipped. There is a $1,000 reward for her return.
If anyone has information about where she could be, go to the Help Find Looska Facebook Page or call (502) 552-2605.
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