Missing Dog Returned Home

Ace the German Shepherd is back with his family, thanks to a little bit of faith and a good neighbor.

Tabitha Marshall of the Lebanon community said Ace went outside with the family’s other dog, Chase, on Feb. 26, and never returned. The eight-month-old German shepherd disappeared from the family’s home in the 3000 block of Lebanon church Road while Marshall was taking care of her sons.

While any missing animal is a tragedy for a family, Ace is special. He is a service dog in training for her autistic, non-verbal son.

Marshall said she searched by car and on foot, contacted the media, put up fliers, and posted about Ace on Facebook for days. She even offered a reward for his safe return, and had neighbors helping search for the wayward dog.

“I was out there at night with a spotlight calling him in the woods,” Marshall said. “I wanted my baby home. I was worried somebody had stolen him, or he had gotten hurt by coyotes or something. We just wanted to know.”

She said she had finally accepted the worst case scenario, that Ace wasn’t coming home, when she decided to share his story one last time Saturday.

“God was telling me what to do,” she said.

Within minutes, Marshall said, a neighbor she didn’t know was calling her from her driveway.

“He said, ‘I think I have your dog,’ and I said, ‘I’ll be there in a minute,’ then he said, “I’m in your driveway.”

The dog recognized her immediately and was overjoyed to be home. It wasn’t long before he was in his favorite human’s room.

Ace was clean and healthy after having turned up at the neighbor’s home. Marshall said the man knew Ace wasn’t just an abandoned dog, but had to be a pet.

She said that even when she had given up on finding Ace alive, she trusted that God was in charge.

“You just can’t stop praying,” she said, “even for a dog.”