Written by Tracey-Lee Cohen, Volunteer at KAWS (Kleinmond Animal Welfare Society)
Professional photography by EarthChild Photography
When a nervous little Yorkshire Terrier was found hanging out all alone near a shop in Betty’s Bay, Western Cape, nobody could have imagined the reunion that was to follow...
Little Houdini
With no sign of an owner and concerned for his welfare, the shop owner contacted Kleinmond Animal Welfare Society (KAWS) explaining that they’d send him home with her colleague to keep him safe and bring him to KAWS the following day.
We immediately posted a photo of the little guy on our Facebook page and waited in anticipation; we were sure his owners would be looking for him. Meanwhile, however, the Yorkie turned out to be quite a Houdini and managed to escape, this time in the Kleinmond area.
A few days later, the police picked him up when they spotted him trotting down the main road with a group of community youngsters. The police then kindly brought him to KAWS.
We immediately fed him, checked him out carefully (finding him in good health), and made him warm and comfy. It was clear that this baby was once very loved, but he was in an absolute state and very nervous.
Far from home
We were stunned when, after several Facebook postings, no one had come looking for this baby. Then, one of our posts caught someone’s eye. Alexis Robb posted that her Yorkie, Viggo, had gone missing from her home in Johannesburg in September 2017; she felt sure that the boy in our care was her missing baby.
Then proceeded endless photos being sent back and forth; when we still weren’t sure, we bundled him into the car and headed to the vet to check for a microchip.
To our joy, he had a microchip; he wasn’t neutered and the vet estimated him at around seven years old: all the criteria of Alexis’ missing Yorkshire Terrier.
Microchip mystery
We asked Alexis to please give us Viggo’s microchip number, which she got from her vet. To our dismay, the chips did not match. However, despite this setback, she was still convinced that this was her baby.
We phoned the microchip company and asked them to whom the chip was registered; after explaining our story, they gave us the number of a dog breeder in Pretoria.
But the dog breeder insisted that it couldn’t be – she hadn’t bred dogs for almost 11 years. Alexis said that Viggo had come from a breeder in Pretoria, but, at seven years old, if the breeder was to be believed, he couldn’t have been from her.
We took him back down to our local vet to check for a second chip; sometimes dogs receive two chips – perhaps both breeder and owner had chipped him and only one was showing up. But, alas, no other chip was detected.
By now we were freaking out: how would we prove to whom the little dog belonged? It seemed that, no matter where we turned, we hit dead ends every time.
Viggo phone home
Then we had a Eureka moment: we phoned Alexis to see what his reaction would be when he heard her voice. Well, HE WENT MENTAL! The previously nervous dog was jumping up and down while looking at the phone, his face filled with joy.
All of us at KAWS were huddled over and crying rivers; we were now sure that this little stray was indeed Alexis’ baby.
We phoned the microchip company back and asked for the date the chip was activated. They told us it had been in seven years ago in September. When had Alexis acquired Viggo? September, seven years ago. No one else had come looking for him, and the dates and other details were too coincidental – he had to be her dog.
My baby is home
After a restless night, we called Alexis and asked if she’d like to adopt this baby – whoever he may be. We knew that, whether he was Viggo or not, he’d be truly loved and that her home was meant for him.
After much stress and anxiety and flight issues, the little guy was finally dropped off at the airport on the 13th of June 2018. We bid him a tearful goodbye, and then he boarded his flight; we then sat waiting, holding our breaths, for Alexis to let us know that she had him safely in her arms.
A couple of hours later, we finally got one simple message from her: “MY BABY IS HOME!”.
Goosebumps, tears of joy and excited shrieks cannot describe that moment.
How he got to Kleinmond from Johannesburg (a distance of some 1400km) we’ll never know. The breeder would no longer answer our calls, so we couldn’t find out anything that way. What we do know is that animals are our family and, after this amazing story, we implore people to never give up hope. Miracles DO happen.
MY DEAREST BOY
By Alexis Robb, Viggo’s original owner
Two years ago, I moved out of the family home to Edenvale; after I left, he became my dad’s little shadow – it was the sweetest thing – but I missed him and loved him very much.
To this day, we still don’t know how my dearest boy got out, but, straight after that, the posters went up, the messages and calls went out… It was absolutely heartbreaking that our softest baby was gone!
I never gave up
My friend Courtney Lowe helped me from day one of Viggo’s disappearance; she’s been tagging me in Facebook posts that I’ve missed or in photos in groups I am not part of. That’s where we finally saw Viggo’s story.
I ended up speaking to Kleinmond Animal Welfare Society, who are an absolute blessing to all of us, especially to our animals. Everything matched except that microchip. It was so frustrating: we were all convinced that it had to be him!
Tracey from KAWS suggested I try speaking to him “on the phone”. At this stage, I was so nervous because I’d been there before, calling out at one, hoping it would be him…
Sheer happiness
It was the most tearful, joyful, overwhelming feeling when I called for him and he went ballistic. In fact, it seemed that everyone went ballistic with delight – it was amazing!
When I said: “Come to the phone” and Tracey responded: “Ah, he’s trying to get to the phone”, I KNEW it was my boy. I’d found him at last! My heart felt like it was going to explode with joy; it was utter, sheer happiness. It’s quite something finding out you have many more emotions than you thought you had!
When he came through my door and I said “Where’s my Viggi?”, all you could hear was the doof-doof-doof of his tail pounding with excitement (and, I mean, he’d just been on a plane for two hours – should you not be too tired, young one?).
I don’t know how, who, or what would have taken my baby, but the important thing is that, after 10 long months, he was safe with us. We’re all abundantly blessed. Thank you to everyone who made this dream come true!
All change
But this was not to be Viggo’s final stop on his “homes tour”. Viggo moved in with my parents as he’d previously been so happy around my dad. Unfortunately, their dog, Sakkie, was not at all happy with what he saw as an intruder, and the two dogs fought; they had to be kept separated at all times. Viggo decided to head for the hills, managing to pull yet another “Houdini Act” and running off when my mom was in hospital.
Fortunately, we found him soon thereafter, but my dad had incurred many grey hairs, my mom wasn’t well, and we realised that constantly having to keep the dogs separated was simply not going to work.
As it turned out, though, he’d met his perfect forever home already. Although we all miss him terribly, we know he’s so happy and loved.
SAVED
By Heidi Smit, Zaviour’s (previously Viggo) new owner
I was on my way to gym on Saturday, the 30th of June 2018, when I noticed a little Yorkie sitting in the middle of the road. I immediately pulled over and picked him up; he sat in my car happily and I knew he must be someone’s baby.
Desperately seeking owners
Having two Yorkshire Terriers myself, I could see that he’d been groomed in the same style, so I took him to D-Tail, the doggie parlour we usually use, hoping that they might recognise him.
When we couldn’t locate the owner, I drove up and down knocking on doors to ask if someone had lost him. We put a post on the neighbourhood WhatsApp security group, and even the armed response was looking for his owner.
Leaving the little guy at the parlour, I took another drive later and spotted a couple with a dog leash. I stopped and asked them if they were looking for a Yorkie, and the lady replied that she’d been in hospital and her Yorkshire Terrier had somehow gotten out of their gate. Excitedly, I showed her the picture, and she confirmed it was her Yorkie. We headed back to the parlour and they were happily reunited. I thought: well, it was a happy ending.
I couldn’t get him out of my mind
That Monday, I emailed the parlour owner, Naomi, to thank her and her staff for helping me that day. I was heartbroken when I heard that the lady had decided that he needed to be rehomed.
For the rest of the week I was quite upset about this; I just couldn’t get this dog out of my mind. He was so obedient, respectful and really loving. I felt like it was meant to be…
My husband and I discussed it and we agreed: this little Yorkshire Terrier would join our family. So, the very next day I phoned Naomi and told her the good news. She groomed him for me and gave him a very handsome jersey.
Family
On Friday, the 5th of July, just under a week after I’d swooped him off the street, my 18-year-old son, JJ, and I went to pick him up. JJ fell in love with him immediately and asked if we could please keep him. Of course, the answer was yes!
And, so, Viggo became Zaviour, Latin for “I am saved”.
Today we are one happy family – both of my Yorkies love him and they get on very well. In fact, although I bought him his own bed, all three of them sleep together in one bed. He’s still a bit scared that someone will take his food when he eats, but that too shall pass. At night, he sleeps in our or JJ’s room.
He’s absolutely a loving doggie, and I’m so glad it turned out this way. God knows what is best.
