TARPON SPRINGS — The booking photo of a furry, four-legged fugitive that helped a Tarpon Springs woman reunite with her pet on Monday has gone viral across the internet this week, appearing on national news outlet web pages and in Facebook posts throughout the country.
Tarpon Springs police say Willow, an 11-month-old, hound-labrador mix, wandered away from her home before being found by a citizen who called the department. When Officer William Volker responded to the call, he was glad to see Willow was a "sweetheart."
"I opened my door and asked 'do you want to go for a ride?' and she hopped right in," he said.
The pair went to an animal emergency room in Palm Harbor, and Willow was checked for a microchip. She had one, but it was registered under an old address in Georgia, so Volker loaded her back into his patrol car and headed toward the department.
He said it is fairly common for Tarpon Springs police to find missing dogs, and normally whoever responds to the call will contact animal control to come pick up the dog. But after losing his own dog recently, Volker wanted to do everything he could to help Willow get back home.
"I know how it feels to lose a dog," he said. "and it's not a good feeling."
After placing Willow in a kennel with food and water, Volker spoke with dispatcher Juanita O'Harra and Officer Kevin Lang, who thought Facebook might be a good way to get the word out about Willow.
"We thought social media could be a good resource," O'Harra said. "We also thought, with everything going on around the country, it would be a fun way to remind people about the good, small things police department's do that sometimes go unnoticed."
She said within 45 minutes, someone had contacted the department saying they recognized Willow as a dog from In Our Hands Rescue of Florida, a nonprofit run by Amy Scarlett. The caller also told the department that Willow is deaf.
"It suddenly made sense why she didn't come when you called her," O'Harra said. "It explained why she wouldn't sit when we told her to."
Scarlett, who was seeing a movie with her son for family date night, said she was shocked to see so many messages on her phone when the movie ended.
"My jaw just dropped. I was completely confused," she said. "But now that she is safe, I just crack up every time I look at the picture."
On Tuesday, Scarlett took to Facebook herself to share the department's original post on the nonprofit's page.
"Huge thank you to our women and men in blue at Tarpon Springs Police Department," she wrote. "This inmate is still looking for her furever [sic] home and will be at Petco this weekend (hopefully not in stripes)."
Those interested in meeting or adopting Willow can do so this weekend at the Tarpon Springs Petco store, 40962 US 19, or call Scarlett at 203-830-9367.
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Explore all your optionsContact Megan Reeves at mreeves@tampabay.com or (727) 445-4153. Follow @mreeves_tbt.