Dog originally from Egypt returned to Edgebrook family after missing for 9 days
by BRIAN NADIG
A rescued dog from Egypt was returned to her foster family in Edgebrook on Jan. 27 after it had been missing for nine days, as dozens of volunteers had been searching the area for Kitty.
Kitty, a brown and white Basenji mix, and her sister were brought to the United States from Larry Hammond of the nonprofit Barrington Area Animal Rescue and Kennels. Hammond periodically travels to Egypt and rescues abused dogs.
“We are so relieved. I still can’t believe she’s back,” said Kevin Campbell, the father of the family that is adopting Kitty. “This is our first dog.”
Kitty had been with the Campbell’s for about three weeks when one of the daughters slipped on ice and lost her grip on the dog’s leash. Campbell said that the family has since learned to secure the leash better by placing the walker’s hand through the loop at the end of the leash and wrapping it around the wrist.
Shortly after Kitty took off, there was a sighting of her near Queen of All Saints Basilica, 6280 N. Sauganash Ave. “Some people tried to get her there, but she’s very fast,” Campbell said.
About a week later there was a report of Kitty being seen at the entrance ramp of the inbound Edens Expressway on Touhy in Lincolnwood, and doggie prints and leash prints were found in the snow near there, but Kitty could not be located, Campbell said.
On the day Kitty was found, about 30 volunteers were looking for her and eventually she went into a yard which was partially fenced off near Minnehaha and Ionia avenues, said Garrido Stray Rescue Foundation co-founder John Garrido, who had joined the search. He added that the search was complicated by the fact that not many yards in the area have fences.
Garrido said that he eventually jumped and grabbed Kitty’s leash while others blocked the portion of the yard where there was no fence.
The Niles Animal Hospital and Bird Medical Center, 7278 N. Milwaukee Ave., later gave gave Kitty a clean bill of health, Garrido said.
Campbell said that without the community’s help, he doubts that Kitty would be back with his family.
