Missing dog found after extensive search

A 22-day search in the Cooper area for a dog named Lulu had a happy ending last month. The one-year-old black German shepherd was finally reunited with her very happy owner, Jeremy Sanders, on January 18, after she fled from the scene of a car accident back on December 27.
"Jeremy and the dog were both traveling across Cooper Road in Alexander when the vehicle rolled over in a bad spot. The dog escaped and the chase was on," reports Ron Mahar of Baileyville, one of the people who would dedicate a lot of time trying to capture Lulu.
"It was my first week here and I was new to the area when I hit a patch of ice on the Cooper Road," recalls Sanders, who had been transferred to the U.S. Coast Guard Station in Eastport. "I dropped four feet into a creek. My car had flipped, and I was upside down dangling from my seatbelt. I'd lost my glasses and there was no cell phone coverage.
"I could feel Lulu licking blood from my face, but when she heard the ambulance coming, she freaked out and went into a pure defensive mode and disappeared.
"My fiancée came up and caught sight of Lulu on December 29, but she bolted," says Sanders. "[Lulu] would run from anyone who got near her. She was pretty spooked.
Approximately 50 people assisted in what turned out to be three-week-long search, including new Alexander animal control officer Jake Randall, who would drive around at night looking for the black dog. "I hoped she was all right, but I couldn't sleep. I worried about her leash getting caught.
"They don't have a vehicle, but Audrey Rood and her husband would saddle up horses to search for Lulu," reports Randall.
"I know people would leave food out for Lulu and they'd let us know anytime she was spotted," says Sanders of the hunt.
On the day Lulu was finally caught, Sanders, Mahar and Randall had met on the Cooper Road in below zero weather in a rescue attempt when the dog saw them, bolted and ran out onto a frozen lake.
"Jake fell through the ice, and we had to get him out, but we couldn't get near Lulu," recalls Sanders. "I just kept throwing treats out and saw her coming closer to the bank. I just buried myself in the bank and was hoping she'd think the treats were like a five-star restaurant.
"She would come within 10 to 15 feet away from me and no closer," says Sanders of his beloved pet. "After about 20 minutes to half an hour of crying and yelping, she wound up jumping and landing in my lap.
"It was very emotional. She was down to skin and bones and her pads were bloody," he recalls. "You could see that there were strips of hair missing on her neck and leg where the leash had gotten tangled, and she got frostbite.
"Fortunately, when we took her to the vet, they found out that she was in pretty good shape and had broken no bones.
"She's made an amazing recovery," sums up her happy owner. "She's back to normal and chasing cats.