UPDATE: Craigslist search connected lost Alexandria, Minn., dog with owner

An underweight, tattered dog turned in at the Woodbury Animal Humane Society wasn’t just any stray.

He was a long distance traveler.

The German shorthair pointer named Remington went missing from Alexandria, Minn. – 150 miles away from Woodbury — in August.

He was reunited with his family Saturday after a last cry for help on Craigslist caught a local humane society worker’s eye.

First dubbed “Henry” by the AHS until his real identity was unearthed, the dog was brought in at 38 pounds — down 14 pounds from when he was first reported lost.

He was found outside of Olive Garden in Oakdale by a police officer and brought to the humane society about two weeks ago, said Jenney Miller, customer service supervisor at AHS.

“Very skinny and not in good shape,” Miller said of Remington, who had to go on a special diet to get his weight back up to normal.

He had a scar across his eye and sores on his legs from laying on hard surfaces for too long.

“Whoever had him did not take good care of him,” Miller said.

But one thing that didn’t change and helped identify Remington to his owner Kali Barrett, was his bright orange collar.

“He was coincidently wearing the same collar as he was wearing when he went missing,” Miller said.

On Friday, Jan. 20 humane society customer service representative Brittany Foley was browsing Craigslist when she came across Barrett’s Jan. 14 ad looking for Remington.

Barrett’s ad said Remington ran across her yard toward the Alexandria humane society, but the facility didn’t have any information on him.

She posted notices at her local veterinarian’s office, the police department, humane society and online.

Posting the Craigslist ad was something she did after running into so many dead-ends and almost giving up, Miller said.

“I chased him and I was told that someone picked him up. He is truly a great dog so I can see why,” Barrett wrote in the Jan. 14 ad. “He’s always been with me and I miss him very much. He’s a special dog and does have special needs.”

The ad goes on to say that Remington was seen getting picked up by someone in a pick-up truck, so Barrett knew that someone had taken him in. How the dog ended up in the Woodbury area remains a mystery.

A picture of Remington, just 14 pounds heavier, accompanied the ad. Foley saw the photo and compared it to the dog she had at the shelter.

She immediately got in touch with Barrett and left a message on her cell phone.

Miller and Foley hung around the shelter Friday night to see if Barrett would call back.

“Within 15 minutes she called me back,” Miller said.

Barrett was skeptical because she had been looking for so long with no luck, Miller added.

Then when Miller sent her an e-mail with Remington’s photo, she called back crying.

The next day, she drove to Woodbury to pick him up.

“She was really, really excited. We took a bunch of pictures with him in the lobby,” Miller said.

She said she can’t remember a situation like this in the eight years she’s been with the shelter where a dog turns up more than two hours away from its home.

“We at Animal Humane Society are thrilled to see this reunion,” Woodbury humane society spokeswoman Deb Balzer said.

Miller also praised Foley for being determined to find Remington’s owner.

“It was just really cool that Brittany found that report and took the effort to make that connection,” she said. “She even came in the next day on her day off to see him go home.”

Humane society representatives got in touch with Barrett Monday morning to check in on Remington and see if he was adjusting.

“It’s like he never left,” she said.

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