This is Tali, a 16-year-old American Eskimo dog who lives with her family in Sacramento. She went with them to visit friends in Oakland and somehow she wandered off. Her family was desperate to find her before they had to return home to Sacramento. They searched and searched and put up flyers, including at Oakland Animal Services. Days passed and they still were unable to locate Tali.
On April 23, 2011, Animal Control Officer Strong responded to a call from a citizen about a dog crying in a vacant lot. She had a large number of calls that day and was the only Animal Control Officer in the field. She could have easily justified stacking the call for the next day. However, she had a feeling the call was important and made sure to handle it. When she arrived, she searched the entire vacant property and discovered an American Eskimo dog at the bottom of a steep ravine. Strong climbed down to the dog, who was very frightened. She gathered the dog up and managed to climb back out with the 30 pound animal. She knew the dog was in medical distress so she immediately drove the dog to the shelter. She realized that she recognized the dog from one of the lost posters that had been left at the shelter and she was able to call Tali’s desperate owners.
Tali had been missing eight days and somehow survived those eight days at the bottom of the ravine. Her owners were ecstatic! It is truly incredible she survived! Strong drove Tali directly to VCA where she was treated and reunited with her family.
Tali and her family were reunited just in time for Easter. See the photo above of their celebration on Easter! Tali’s owner wrote us and said, “Thank you to the exemplary service and personal sensitivity of Officer Tanya Strong who found, rescued, and returned home to me my beloved dog Tali on 4/23/2011. Thank you!”
