CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW) – A local family is rejoicing after their lost German Shepard was brought home safely Wednesday.
The Hill family had been desperately searching for their beloved dog Max since Saturday. Chris Hill, who is in the process of retiring from the Army, said Max was spooked during a storm on Saturday and jumped the family’s six-foot privacy fence. He ran toward the Sudden Service gas station near Trenton and Tiny Town roads, but by the time the family got there, Max had disappeared.
A gas station attendant told the family a woman had picked up Max, and the Hill family assumed she would turn him into a shelter by Monday. By that time, however, the Hills called around to several local agencies but no one knew anything about Max.
They contacted the Clarksville Police Department and a detective was able to obtain surveillance footage from the gas station. Photos from the footage provided a clear description of the woman who took Max and her vehicle.
The Hills used the photos to post alerts on social media. They contacted ClarksvilleNow.com and a few local lost pet pages for help.
As the search hit social media, several strangers reached out to the Hills and offered to contribute reward money or provide a free ride to Indiana. The Hills were appreciative but declined.
Police determined that the woman lived at Fort Campbell, so the Hills visited post to look for the dog. While they were searching, a group of soldiers that they did not know offered to help, and they eventually located the home of the woman. After contacting military police they found out she had been told to leave Fort Campbell for an undisclosed reason and had left town, headed for Indiana. Max was with her.
CPD, Fort Campbell MPs, and Evansville Police worked together to track down the woman. After an extensive search Max and the woman were located. They called the Hills to confirm Max’s identification with his rabies tag, then seized him and brought him to an animal shelter Tuesday night.
On Wednesday morning, Chris, his wife Keri, and their two children packed into their vehicle and drove all the way to Evansville to pick up Max. When they arrived, they flew out of the car and ran to embrace the dog they have raised since he was a puppy.
“We have been heartbroken,” Keri said. “We have lived and breathed this for the past three days, and it’s been exhausting. It’s really just an unbelievable story, it’s just crazy.”
Chris compared the feeling to the song lyrics “reunited and it feels so good.”
The Hills said at this point they don’t know if they will press charges against the woman because they’re just happy to have their dog back. They explained that the woman who took Max has ‘problems’ and possibly some legal issues, and they just want her to get the help she needs.
For now, they are grateful for the kindness of strangers and the help they received from law enforcement to bring Max home. “The family is together with Max,” Keri said.
