BAY CITY (WWJ) - One dog got a happy reunion with its owner after the pup went missing for almost a week and was found wandering several miles out on the frozen waters of Saginaw Bay.
Autumn Arsenault of Gladwin, told mLive that her three-year-old dog named Maehem first escaped from her father's care in Bay City on Feb. 26, while she was on a trip to Ann Arbor.
Arsenault said she received a call from her father shortly after 1 p.m. last Saturday, asking her to come home after Maehem, who has separation anxiety, slipped out the front door.
Her father attempted to go after Maehem, but the dog's shy nature made catching her very difficult.
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“My father ended up falling on the ice and startling her, she took off. He chased her more, which in turn scared her more. He lost visual of her on State Park Drive and Lagoon Beach," Arsenault said to mLive.
Maehem is a Kai Ken, a rare breed with origins from Japan, with a distinctive brindle coat and pointed features. Arsenault said her dog's physical appearance was more similar to a wild animal than a dog, which could've put her life in danger.
“Many people even posted about her believing her to be coyote,” Arsenault said. “It’s was terrifying.”
Arsenault spent days searching for Maehem, who was spotted around the bay and near residential areas at nighttime. A few people attempted to catch the dog, but Arsenault said Maehem was scared and ran from people instead.
When Maehem was spotted on the Saginaw Bay again, Arsenault contacted T.K. and Son Ice Recovery, a towing service, who launched a search effort on the frozen water.
“My immediate thoughts when I heard she was on the bay was, well, I had a complete breakdown and collapsed to be honest,” Arsenault said to mLive.
T.K. and Son Ice Recovery used planes to try and spot the dog on the ice from above and passed out fliers to fishermen venturing out on the water.
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It wasn't until March 2 when their efforts paid off; Arsenault said she received a text from a man who caught Maehem.
He agreed to stay with the dog and provided coordinates to his location.
T.K. and Son Ice Recovery responded immediately and plugged in the coordinates to meet the man and the dog on the ice. Arsenault said they were shocked to discover Maehem had wandered over seven miles offshore in Saginaw Bay.
Arsenault said they took three snowmobiles out and cautiously approached Maehem, trying not to frighten her into taking off.
“We made sure to park the snowmobiles at a distance because of the fear she’ll run. We walked up and called her and she came right up to us, crawling into our laps with lots of kisses. We slipped the collar on and road back to shore with her in our arms.”
The happy reunion comes after a tense and fearful week for Arsenault, but she said she is happy to be home and safe with Maehem.
“Relief is a clear descriptor, but there are so many other emotions. While the adrenaline still hasn’t worn off, I can still feel some relaxation," she said to mLive.
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