Heartbroken after losing his dog, Dylan Summers, of Bourbon, Missouri, decided to open his home and his heart to another animal in need. But scouring an adoption website, he was shocked to come across a familiar face: the same three-legged pup that went missing from his yard 10 months earlier.
Athena had been hit by a car and went through surgery to amputate her tail and one hind leg. During her recovery in February 2020, she went missing from the yard. Summers was frantic; Athena was still on postoperative medication yet had disappeared without a trace.
Summers persisted in his search for months, but to no avail. Little did he know that Athena had ended up at the center of an Illinois police investigation.
St. Clair County Animal Control, in conjunction with the police, staged an animal cruelty rescue in December 2020 at a property. Several dogs, many in states of physical neglect, were removed from the home.
Athena was among them, standing out from the pack with surgery scars.
It was clear that someone, at some time, had once cared immensely about this three-legged dog.
The charity took Athena into their custody, dubbing her “Miss-A-Toe.” They uploaded photos of the sweet dog wrapped in a pink scarf, hoping to find her a new forever home.
Vianello called him back immediately. “I was so happy to hear that she was safe and doing well,” said Summers.
“All the missing pieces really came together when I spoke to Dylan,” Vianello recalled. “The next day I contacted [Athena’s] foster family, who was thrilled for her, and arranged a time for everyone to meet at the GPG facility.”
Summers described the New Year’s Day reunion as “incredible,” adding that Athena has since settled back into her old life like she never left. “I am so appreciative of Gateway Pet Guardians for getting her back home to me,” he added.
