Boonville family celebrates end of year "miracle" with homecoming of missing dog from last fall

BOONVILLE- Remember Pearl? The little Boston Terrier that went missing last October from the Boonville, NY area?

Well, she's been found and she is home safe, but what makes this story so remarkable is the fact that Pearl was located miles and miles away from her home.

That is why the Ritzel family is advocating for the community to continue keeping a sharp eye out for animals and/or pets that seem out of place, because one simple share on social media can end ultimately up mending a broken heart for a family longing for the return of their beloved animal.   

"We shared her post on every single lost pet page we could and community pages," Rusty told us.  

"It was shared somewhere between three, three to four-thousand times that we could see. No one saw her, no one saw a thing anywhere... not in our community, not in Oneida County, not in Lewis County."

Pear went missing around the middle part of October and she was found just before the New Year - all the way down in the village of Whitesboro, NY. 

If only animals could talk in a way we could understand them, but the Ritzel family is already convinced that Pearl was dog-napped, because she was found with a pink collar that was not hers and her tags were removed, according to a social media post made by Rusty's wife, Heather.

For context, Pearl is micro-chipped and spayed.

"You would be so surprised, you know, what a quick share, take a picture, quick share 'Hey, this dog is here' or 'Hey, I saw this dog' or just keeping your eyes out and seeing what's going on in your neighborhood, what's going on in the area," Rusty emphasized.

"Just being vigilant and aware, it's helpful. It's so helpful!"

Be sure to listen to our latest on-air story with Rusty for more:

Now that pearl is home safe, it was an end-of-the-year miracle for the Ritzel family and the North Country community.

Image via Heather and Rusty Ritzel.