Holiday miracle: Lost dog Bella found in Saskatoon after 5 days in the cold

Tamara Fournier didn’t lose hope in searching for her lost dog Bella following a major snowstorm this weekend. On Tuesday, her search ended with the holiday miracle she prayed for, the safe return of her pet.

Bella was brought to the groomer on Friday and was reported missing after she was let out by a customer and escaped through the building’s fence.

Twenty-five centimetres of snow blanketed the city over the weekend, while Fournier and a chorus of determined volunteers trudged through the snow to find Bella, buying traps, putting up flyers, and turning to high-tech options like thermal imaging.

On Tuesday, Fournier said she received a tip that her dog was spotted by a man named Dave across Spadina Crescent. The dog owner rushed to the area with treats in hopes of finding her.

“I truly wasn’t sure how long I was going to sit there. I was just hoping and praying to find her that she was in the area,” she said.

Then, Fournier received a call that changed everything and was relieved to hear the words “Tamara, your dog has been found, and she is in your mother’s arms.”

Fournier’s mother Chantelle Schaan, found Bella, who followed the sighting on Spadina Crescent leading her to Bella who was on the driveway of a home on Avenue K.

“I walked up, I dropped to my knees, and I just said, ‘It’s time to go home,’” Schaan said.

“We’ve got her, and it’s the best thing ever,” Schaan said “We didn’t know at this point what we were going to do — the weather is just so awful, and she’s so tiny.”

Fournier said she is most thankful for the dozens of volunteers who came out to help her search in the cold, noting a man drove an hour up to Saskatoon from his house to help canvas the area.

“I thank each and every person. From the bottom of my heart, it’s just been an overwhelming amount of support, and I am so happy,” Fournier said.

“The Saskatoon community is one like no other. I don’t think I’ve ever had so much outreach and support from people I’ve never known,” she said.

“So, dog lovers win on this one.”

Fournier said Bella’s story has also led to increased awareness and safety measures being made at the business where she went missing such as an improved crate system and a new gate.