PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Last week, Benji the dog went missing from his Fishtown home the day before the snowstorm. With the help of a thermal drone, he was found safe in the snow a couple of days later. The Bernedoodle's owner plans to use Benji's newfound social media fame to help other lost dogs.
“He is a local celebrity. There has not been one walk that we have gone on where at least two to three people have not stopped to talk with us and have recognized him," Benji’s owner Ece Bal said.
Bal said she and her husband Justin received Facebook and Instagram messages from as far away as Australia offering thoughts and prayers that the couple would be reunited with their newly adopted Bernedoodle.
"Everyone just kept saying don't lose hope," she said.
The couple hired a drone, and the 1.5-year-old dog was found in Kensington about 48 hours later. Bal said she was a quick study when her dog was missing and developed tricks and tips that she will pass on to other pet owners who lose their dogs.
"To putting something that smells like you outside of your front door, starting to distribute flyers, how to word your social media posts so it's easily readable and shareable for folks, what kind of pictures you should include like the clarity of them,” the dog mom shared.
Bal said she wants to help other lost pets by posting them on Benji's social media platforms, as well as offering to lead crowd-sourcing efforts to raise money for drone searches.
As for Benji, he now has an AirTag on his collar. A baby gate is set up near the front door, and a neutering appointment has been scheduled to help keep him from roaming.