Beagle Believed Long Dead Returned To Family 8 Years Later

WINTER HAVEN, FL – Scott Rodgers has never been a big believer in fate. But even he has to admit that his family’s reunion with a dog they thought was long dead is nothing short of miraculous.

Rodgers' mother, Jeanie Rodgers, adopted the year-old beagle she named Hannah from the Humane Society 11 years ago.

She adored the dog, and the dog was equally enamored with her new owner. Neither had any clue that their time together would be limited.

Three years after adopting Hannah, Jeanie Rodgers began to exhibit signs of Alzheimer’s disease that quickly worsened.

It was a difficult time for Scott Rodgers and his brother. They eventually came to the difficult realization that their mother could no longer care for herself and needed to be placed in an assisted living facility.

“It was tough when we realized that she and the dog would have to separate,” said Rodgers. “She really loved Hannah but there was no way she could continue caring for her.”

Fortunately, his mother’s caretaker knew a family at her church that was looking for a dog so Scott Rodgers reluctantly agreed to re-home Hannah with the Winter Haven family.

Before Jeanie Rodgers died in 2015, Scott Rodgers promised his mother that he would check in on Hannah to make sure she was healthy and happy.

Therefore, he was heartbroken in November 2016 when the family that adopted Hannah told him she had escaped from their house and had been hit by a car.

A witness said Hannah had been badly injured but managed to crawl into some nearby woods and disappeared.

Hannah’s owners searched for the injured beagle but never found her. The family assumed she’d died of her injuries in the woods.

Then came the phone call March 9 that made Scott Rodgers rethink his belief in fate.

The call was from his former wife, Carrie Horstman, the public information officer for the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. She had news that Rodgers found difficult to believe.

“She said Hannah’s at Polk County Animal Control,” Rodgers said. “My first response was, ‘Hannah who?’”

Rodgers immediately called his wife, Tammy.

“Her reaction was priceless. She didn’t miss a beat,” said Rodgers. “Right away, she said, ‘Let’s go get her.’ So we got in the car and, as soon as I opened the gate at Animal Control, Hannah walked up to me and stuck her nose in my hand.”

When his mother died, Rodgers inherited her favorite yellow easy chair. Shortly after they brought Hannah home, they found her curled up in that chair as if the past eight years had never happened.

A trip to the veterinarian for a checkup confirmed that Hannah, indeed, had a healed hip injury that may have been caused by the impact of the car.

No one is sure where she’s been for the past year and a half.

“They think she was living in the woods,” Rodgers said. “It’s amazing to think that she survived the hip injury, a hurricane and who knows what else?”

In February, Winter Haven resident Patricia Anderson noticed the dog hanging around Thorn Hill Road in her neighborhood.

“The neighbors said she’d been in the area about three weeks,” Rodgers said. “People had been feeding her but no one had been able to get close to her or pat her.”

Finally, a neighbor notified Anderson that the dog had been spotted at a nearby convenience store. Anderson quickly went to the store and managed to coax the beagle into her car.

Before she dropped Hannah off at Animal Control, she made the officers promise they wouldn't euthanize her.

“She told them that if they can’t find her owners, she’ll adopt the dog," Rodgers said.

Hannah was filthy and flea-bitten from her life in the woods but in otherwise good health, according to Animal Control officer Lynn Davidson. And, fortunately, the dog still had a microchip embedded beneath her skin.

“Lynn went above and beyond the call of duty,” Rodgers said. “She contacted the microchip company and got the phone numbers for my mom and my aunt. But my mom was deceased and my aunt had moved away so both phones were disconnected.”

Anderson persisted. She began to Google Jeanie Rodgers' name on her computer and discovered that Horstman was listed as an associate. She recognized the name and called Horstman at the sheriff’s office.

“I couldn’t believe it,” Rodgers said. “God love Patricia and Lynn. Without them, Hannah wouldn’t be back home.They didn’t have to do all that they did.”

Rodgers said he still can’t believe that his mother’s beagle is alive, well and safely back in their care.

“It’s just an incredible story,” he said. “I’m still a skeptic but my wife is a firm believer that Hannah came back to us for a reason.”

He said that reason may be the fact that the Rodgers’ 14-year-old springer spaniel, Belle, is quickly going downhill and the family is anticipating her death any day now.

“Tammy says my mom sent Hannah to us to help us deal with the loss of Belle,” Rodgers said. “I don’t know if that’s true. I’m just very, very grateful to have Hannah back with us.”

Images via Scott Rodgers

From left, Polk Animal Control Supervisor Pam Waldron, Animal Control Officer Lynn Davidson, 17-year-old Sydney Rodgers and Scott and Tammy Rodgers pose with Hannah the beagle.

Jeanie Rodgers poses with Hannah shortly after adopting the dog 11 years ago.