CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW) – Toy fox terrier Lucy caught a flight out of Clarksville Thursday morning to reunite with her family in York, Pennsylvania, nine years after she went missing.

Wearing a pink, jeweled collar, once airborne she was affectionally referred to as “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.”

It all started in 2011, when the family lived in Clarksville, with Lucy in a fenced-in back yard, according to Lucy’s owner, Alexis Regula. Regula said she looked away for just a moment, and Lucy was just gone. Regula said she’s not sure if Lucy slipped out somewhere or someone took her.

After searching the neighborhood, checking with shelters and on social media, Regula never could find her. She moved to Pennsylvania shortly after that and kept tabs on local shelters and social media but was never able to learn anything.

Nine years later, on Tuesday, Sept. 8, Montgomery County Animal Care and Control received a call about a dog on a porch in the Brentwood neighborhood off Ringgold Road. Sgt. Courtney Louk and Officer Taryn Miller responded to the call.

“We came by, and she was still on the porch, and she trotted away and went about four houses down on the next street under a shed. Officer Miller and I fed her treats until she crawled out to us.  It took her a few minutes. She’s little, and she’s nervous,” Louk said.

A microchip held some information about Lucy’s secret life, and, after a little investigation, it was discovered that she was 10 years old and had been missing for nine years.

Paul Schechter, with Pilots N Paws, met Lucy and Animal Control at the Clarksville Regional Airport Thursday morning to take her first to Huntington, West Virginia, where he would meet another pilot who would fly her home York, Pennsylvania.

The reunion

Lucy arrived safely in Pennsylvania Thursday afternoon and was reunited with Regula, with the help of Penny Edwards with Forever Changed Animal Rescue and Pilots N Paws.

On her arrival at the airport in York, Regula said she had a flood of emotions.

“Oh my gosh, it was amazing to have her back and to see her again, and she hasn’t really changed much,” Regula said.

The reunion was possible because of Pilots N Paws, a volunteer organization.

“Basically what they do is transport dogs, cats, or other animals sometimes from shelters or rescues to adoptees or other rescues, shelters or fosters,” Schechter said. “They try to keep them from being put down as much as possible.”

Schechter, who has been with the organization for close to 16 years, said in 2019 he made around 50 flights and added that he and the other pilots use their own time, money and aircraft to move the animals around to try and give them a better life.