Lost Dog Reunited With Owner After Days In Woods

RIVERSIDE, IL — A dog which had been lost since April 19 was reunited with its owner after being found by Riverside Police. Police said they received a phone call on Wednesday at 7:53 a.m. reporting a sighting of what was thought to be a coyote or wolf.

When the police officer arrived on scene, he didn't find anything at first. However, calls kept coming in about a coyote, wolf or dog in the 100 block of Bloomingbank Road by the Des Plaines River. Police said when the officer went back to the area, he found a white German Shepherd-type dog walking along the river. The dog appeared to be injured, was completely dirty and disheveled, and looked as if it had been living in the woods for some time. The dog had a leg injury and may have been involved in a fight with a wild animal.

Police said the dog was coaxed into the back of the police car and taken to the police station. Officers learned the dog had been reported missing from Berwyn on April 19. The dog had gotten free after a gate was left open, and the owners had been searching for the dog.

The dog was reunited with its owner Wednesday and the owner told police he would take the dog to the vet to have the leg injury examined. The dog was turned over to a 73-year-old resident of Berwyn and he was very happy to see his beloved dog again.

Photos provided by Riverside Police Department.