Frightened Dancer Still Running After All These Years

An energetic pup named Dancer ran away from her South Austin home eight years ago. Her owner, Alison Murphy, made all the right moves to find her: called shelters, vets and animal organization as well as put out fliers even offering a $500 reward for the terrier mix. Unfortunately, Dancer who was wearing two ID tags and had a microchip was nowhere to be found until last week.

The Humane Society in New Braunfels called to tell them that their little white dog had been found. Dancer who no longer responds to her name is back at home. A musician in New Braunfels found the dog running around his neighborhood and took her home last week. He kept her a few days, and then went to the Humane Society to see if the dog had a microchip, and perhaps, an owner.

How the dog spent the last eight years is a mystery. Dancer is in good physical shape, her teeth are in great shape and she doesn't even have fleas. Obviously, she was well taken care of.

But old habits die hard. Just last week, she bolted out the door of a pet store when Alison when she stopped to by the dog a new collar and leash. It took and hour and more than a dozen dog lover samaritans to capture the frightened dog.

Murphy has learned a valuable lesson and will take Dancer to obedience class.

Moreover, sometimes dogs need more than a license, identification tags and a microchip. This is why it is so important to train your dog. All dogs should sit, stay, and COME. Although it is one of the hardest commands to teach, dog owners should practice this command on a daily basis. Like Alison, you never know when you are going to need it, even after eight years.