Arizona transportation dispatcher helps reunite missing dog with owner
Jan 22, 2025, 5:00 AM
PHOENIX — An Arizona transportation dispatcher’s quick wits helped reunite a dog missing for 12 days with its Canadian owners, officials said Tuesday.
Khloe, the 4-year-old Yorkie, made the journey of around 1,500 miles with her owners, Carisa Leslie and her husband, Scott Butz, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT).
She went missing while staying with a pet sitter on Dec. 15.
Story of missing Canada dog found in Arizona
Leslie’s daughter posted about Khloe in a popular Facebook group called Straydar for Arizona, USA, which people use for lost and found pets.
The local community teamed up with the Humane Animal Rescue and Trapping Team Arizona (HARTT) to search for Khloe.
She was found after multiple reports said she had been spotted near a retirement community in Mesa, ADOT said.
Unfortunately, bringing Khloe in was tough due to her skittish personality. She once got spooked and ran off after people tried to bring her home.
How was missing Canada dog found in Arizona?
During the ongoing search, the Arizona Department of Public Safety received a report of a small dog on the US 60 near Sossaman Road on Dec. 27.
Dispatchers at ADOT’S Traffic Operations Center in Phoenix received the information. One dispatcher at the center, Kristin Godbehere, followed Khloe’s journey as she exited the freeway through traffic cameras. She followed Khloe and posted an update to Straydar.
Leslie later went down to the exact location Godbehere had posted. While she was wondering if she was at the right spot, Khloe walked out of a nearby bush. She was malnourished, dehydrated and tired, but she had no injuries.
Now that she’s back home in Canada, she’s much happier, according to Leslie.