Lost In The Woods: The Miracle Story Of A Puppy Named Jack Missing For 49 Days

It is a story that has riveted cottagers, locals and animal lovers in Apsley and beyond since September 2nd. That is the night a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever named Jack went missing in the Apsley area near Peterborough.

Jack

Jack is just over one year old and he didn't have a microchip. He was wearing a black collar, and ran away after being scared (likely by fireworks, his parents Andrew and Anjelica Kotsopoulos say) from a cottage on Martin Lane that they were renting, and was last seen on Balmer Road near Highway 28.

A Facebook page called Jack Is Back Home was set up September 6th by Andrew and Anjelica that they thought would help with the search as they don't live in Apsley (they reside in Mississauga, Ont.).

This is Jack with his owners before he went missing...

The Facebook page created drew over 1,300 fans to it who became a part of the search, and helped spread the word about sightings and tips of Jack as the weeks went by—and helped connect those who were searching for Jack.

It also inspired others to create posters in the Apsley area to help find Jack.

The first solid sighting of Jack was revealed in a Facebook post on September 8th...

In a subsequent Facebook post, Andrew and Anjelica revealed that Jack is a real fighter—already a miracle dog—which gives them hope...

"When we first got our puppy Jack, he had a terrible life threatening disease called Parvovirus. He was so weak and we felt helpless because of the state he was in. Fortunately our breeder took excellent care of him and he was strong enough to recover... we were overwhelmed with happiness when we found out that he would be okay when unfortunately some of the other puppies in the litters did not make it.. we were very thankful that we were able to have him back and honestly felt that he was a miracle puppy.. we thought the worst was behind us and that jack or ourselves wouldn't have to go through anything as horrible again. We truly feel like Jack is still our miracle puppy and hope he gets returned to us soon."

Jack as a puppy

Andrew and Anjelica never gave up, posting regularly to the Facebook page and imploring people in the Apsley area to check in their shed, boathouse, shoreline, under their decks... everywhere where a dog could be hiding.

The couple themselves regularly returned to the area, searching for Jack, getting the word out to people and putting up posters themselves.

Christmas 2016

With their desperation growing, on September 12th—10 heartwrenching days after Jack went missing—the couple set up a GoFundMe page (the money raised would be used to make more signs to post in all major surrounding cities near Apsley, newspaper ads, mobile advertising, and to get a tracker out in Apsley to help lure Jack to civilization so he can be spotted) and announced a large reward for Jack.

In that announcement, the couple laid bare their feelings of what Jack means to their family and divulged more about their own passion for life—she a teacher, he a business owner—and their will to help others...

SEPTEMBER 24th (3 weeks since Jack went missing)

In a Facebook post that day, the couple thanked AID 4 PAWS - Search and Recovery and France Lajeunesse for coming to meet them in Apsley that weekend to help set up trail cameras, leaving them with a trap and spending the time helping the couple walk through some potential paths of where Jack could have wandered to.

OCTOBER 7th (MORE THAN A MONTH HAS PASSED SINCE JACK WENT MISSING)

In a Facebook post, the couple announce there have been no sightings of Jack of late, and that he did not show up on any of the trail cams. Hunting season has begun—and their hope was Jack would be spooked out of hiding and into view of people. Andrew and Anjelica refuse to give up, still posting, still postering in the area, still spreading the word. Perserving. Like they hope Jack is.

They included a map showing trails with green dots where he's been previously seen, and even included pictures of what his paw print would look like on trails...

On October 9th, the couple revealed that a solid lead they had received in Woodview turned out now not to be their dog, but a local dog returned to their family.

A subsequent post reminds the public that Jack is very skittish, compounding recovering efforts: "He is exhibiting typical signs of being in full 'survival' mode. This means he likely won't just walk up to someone or respond to usual stimulus such as calling him, whistling, squeaky toys...etc...these would actually have the opposite effect."

OCTOBER 21: THE MIRACLE DAY

It has been 7 weeks—49 days—since Jack went missing, but the day everyone hoped for, the Hollywood ending, arrives when Jack is found on a tiny island in a swampy duck pond (more on that below).

Jack, The Fighter, has lost quite a bit of weight—about 13 pounds—but he's alive. Here he is being lured just prior to securing...

The couple made this heartfelt Facebook post about Jack's return:

"Andrew and I are in disbelief, and we are overwhelmed with happiness and relief to have our sweet puppy home with us. We are beyond grateful for Kyle, Max and Jake who came across Jack on a tiny island in a swampy duck pond off of Balmer and Blue Heron when they were on a canoe. They were able to contain and stay with Jack for 2 hours until Andrew and I made it up. Andrew did an amazing job staying calm when trying to get him on a leash and Jack was exhausted, yet still very happy to see us. France from AID 4 PAWS - Search and Recovery blew us away with her caring heart, knowledge and generosity. If anyone is ever put in this situation, we strongly recommend France and her team to help as this is the best option available in our personal experience. Kim from Apsley Veterinary Services and the team at Kawartha Veterinary Emergency Clinic were very compassionate, thorough and helpful in ensuring that he was okay. Despite losing 13 pounds, his blood results showed that he was still relatively healthy. Again, we would like to thank everyone in the Apsley area for coming together as a community and supporting us through this heart wrenching time. We also appreciate everyone everyone who followed us on our Facebook page for giving us your hope, prayers and positivity. Andrew and I have been uplifted with how many heartwarming people we’ve met in this journey and we will never forget how much this has helped to bring Jack home to us.

October 21st is truly a memorable day, it was actually this date last year that Andrew and I picked up Jack from our breeders when he had recovered from Parvo…! We haven’t stopped cuddling with him since. Jack truly is a warrior and is our miracle puppy... we are forever grateful to have him back in our arms."

Here is the miracle dog Jack home again...

AID 4 PAWS - Search and Recovery gave further details on the dramatic rescue in a Facebook post...

"Wow, what a day! What a great day!

Jack, a 1.5yrs old Duck Tolling Retriever went missing while cottaging in Apsley ON, Sept 2nd 2017. Up until today, there was only a couple of confirmed sightings. A lot of work went into the search for him, including Trackers Edge Kevin who came out with his tracking dogs, locals who walked the trails, John, Sandra & Pamela who helped monitor trail cams, Sherri for getting us female Tollers pheromones, our tracking/postering/consult/support of the family, and all the shares online.

Today, Jack was spotted on a tiny island just past a heavy swamp that was difficult to get at. Kyle, while canoeing, saw him, got on the island and attempted luring. At first Jack was very untrusting, but Kyle knew just what to do, based on our advice over the phone to Andrew who related it to him while we were en route to the site: get to his level, speak sweetly, and feed him trying to gain his trust. It took quite some time, but he was able to put a makeshift leash on him and keep him secured until his owner’s arrival. Andrew & Anjelica got there quickly, secured a water craft & had the coyote trap with them in case needed. But Jack quickly recognized Andrew & came right to him!

To get off this island was pretty tricky, and Andrew held on very tight to Jack on the ride back. They made it safely to shore and headed to the Kawartha Veterinary Emergency Clinic in Peterborough, where we met them. Dr Jones was great, and did a thorough exam. Jack lost approx 12lbs, had no ticks, and his blood tests came back pretty normal in spite of his journey. What a lucky boy!

We want to thank everyone who assisted in any way, shape or form, whether physically or online, through support and prayers. And especially Kyle for doing such a good job!

49 days!! 7 weeks to the day!!
NEVER GIVE UP!!

Welcome back home Jack"

More on the amazing Jack in this video...

Never give up. Jack didn't. His owners Andrew and Anjelica didn't. Everyone who helped didn't.

Miracles do happen.

Share this inspiring story with others on your Facebook page.

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Riverview Park & Zoo Staff Helps Ensure Turtle Hatchlings Get To Safety

The staff at Peterborough's Riverview Park & Zoo stepped up bigtime on Friday morning (October 20th) after finding dozens of snapping turtle hatchlings near the zoo's parking lot.

The staff made sure that all the babies made it safely to the river's edge along the Otonabee.

The zoo shared the positive news on their Facebook page...

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The Spill Says Goodbye

The Spill is no more. Wednesday night (October 18th) was last call for this cafe/bar known for its live indie music, its art events, its sense of inclusiveness.

A banner with the humorous goodbye message "So Long And Thanks For All The Fish" hangs at the front of the bar.

This iconic George St. bar was owned by Dave Tobey, and no reason has yet been given for its closure.

Dave and his bar had a huge impact on the local art scene. Friend Ray Henderson (pictured at right below with Dave) wrote this heartfelt message on Facebook about what the Spill and Dave meant to him...

Share your memories on our Facebook page about the Spill.

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Peterborough Petes Break Into CHL Top 10 Rankings

The Canadian Hockey League announced their recent CHL Top 10 Rankings for the 2017-18 season, which sees the Peterborough Petes ranked 10th in the CHL. This marks their first appearance in the weekly rankings since the 2005-06 season.

The Petes have a record of 7-2-01 so far this season, including three wins in three days last weekend in two games against the Kingston Frontenacs and one against the Sudbury Wolves. The team is first in the East Division and tied for first in the Eastern Conference with the Barrie Colts.

The weekly rankings, which are made up of teams from the Western Hockey League, Ontario Hockey League, and Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, are selected by a panel of National Hockey League scouts.

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Peterborough Petes Unveil Plaid Jerseys To Be Worn November 2nd In Support Of United Way

On a plaidtastic Monday (October 16th) in the Pat Casey Alumni room at the Memorial Centre, Jim Russell CEO of the United Way of Peterborough and District together with the 2017 Campaign Chair Neil Morton (co-founder of PTBOCanada.com) gave more details on Petes Plaid Night for the United Way to take place on Thursday, November 2nd—unveiling the plaid jerseys the Petes will wear for the first time in their storied history.

Here they are - the #plaidtastic jerseys that your Petes will wear in support of @unitedwayptbo on Nov. 2 vs @stinghockey!

A post shared by Peterborough Petes (@petesohlhockey) on Oct 16, 2017 at 9:03am PDT

Matt D’Agostini of the Petes front office was unabashed in his support of the night and the partnership with the United Way. He was joined at the podium by three of the Petes players: Cole Fraser, Matthew Tims and Dylan Wells. They all sported redesigned special edition maroon, black and cream, plaid game day sweaters.

Unveiling of Petes Plaid jerseys at Memorial Centre

The jerseys will be worn during the game and be auctioned off, with all proceeds going towards the 2017 United Way campaign. Co-sponsors of the one of a kind sweaters are Cambium Inc. and Patrick McAuley of Bowes and Cocks.

Thanks to the @PetesOHLhockey for supporting #petesplaidnight, November 2, 2017 at the Peterborough Memorial Centre pic.twitter.com/OXfs3rA18X

— Pat McAuley Realtor (@PatrickHMcAuley) October 16, 2017

It's game time! Next time you'll see these jerseys are November 2nd when the @PetesOHLhockey face-off against the @StingHockey! #plaidtastic pic.twitter.com/iZAjuW1LlW

— GauvreauCPA (@GauvreauCPA) October 16, 2017

Jim Bailey of Cambium Inc. spoke of the culture of his workplace and the importance to give back to the community: "For us it was a perfect fit, with both the United Way and the Petes being important to Peterborough," he says.

In addition, Ashburnham Realty is sponsoring the Petes Skybox for this special evening. 

REPRESENT THE NEW @petesohlhockey PLAID JERSEYS! Join the Ashburnham Realty team on Nov 2 - @unitedwayptbo #petesplaidnight @ptbo_canada! 👊 pic.twitter.com/f2WXzWH0k3

— Ashburnham Realty (@AshRealty) October 16, 2017

Noah Crowley, of Sun Life Financial—Chair of the silent auction table for the event—shared a list of items so far secured including, Gold Leaf Tickets, an Anaheim Ducks game jersey signed by Nick Ritchie, a Fitbit from Best Buy, a signed Kurtis Foster hockey stick, and a special “Suite Night Out” package which will include a box, tickets for 8, and food for the evening sponsored by Ricky’s Peterborough.

Our Brand Strategist @A_Elliott_ rocking the #plaidtastic jersey @PetesOHLhockey will be wearing November 2nd in support of @UnitedWayPtbo. pic.twitter.com/1sAMt4b7AN

— PTBO_CANADA (@Ptbo_Canada) October 16, 2017

Plaid dream come true: We revealed #PetesPlaidNight jerseys for their November 2nd game in support of @UnitedWayPtbo. #plaidtastic pic.twitter.com/neWXh8EBDj

— Neil Morton (@neilmorton) October 16, 2017

@PetesOHLhockey players unveil #PetesPlaidNight unis’ for the Nov 2 @UnitedWayPtbo fundraiser. #plaidtastic pic.twitter.com/l5JdWNGoVK

— Darcy Bonner (@darcyjbonner) October 16, 2017

United Way organizers want a "a sea of plaid" for the game November 2nd, and encourage everyone coming to the game to wear some kind of plaid. There are $20 tickets still available, $7 of each going directly to the United Way, as well as Plaid scarfs for $25. Both are available at the United Way office.

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The 24 Hr Project Takes Place October 21st At The Gordon Best Theatre

The 24 Hr Project is back Saturday, October 21st at 8 p.m., at the Gordon Best Theatre. This is when five plays are written, rehearsed and then performed at the end of 24 hours.

Photo from 2016 24 Hr Project courtesy Ray Henderson

THE BREAKDOWN

Friday, 8 p.m. -> 5 writers begin scripts
Saturday, 6 a.m. > 5 directors read scripts and each choose one
Saturday, 7:30 a.m. > 30 actors arrive and audition
Saturday 9 a.m. > rehearsals begin
Saturday 7:30 p.m. > Doors open at the Gordon Best Theatre
Saturday 8 p.m. > 5 new plays are performed

Photo of Linda Kash from 2016 24 Hr Project courtesy Ray Henderson

UNIQUE PROJECT MIXING THEATRE VETERANS & ROOKIES

What makes the 24 Hr Project special, aside from its format, is the inclusion of theatre veterans with those who have never performed before. A "crash course" if you will for newcomers who have been given the opportunity to get on stage for what may be the first time in their life. It consistently provides great results and a thrill for those on and off stage.

Photo from 2016 24 Hr Project courtesy Ray Henderson

Many audience members at the Gordon Best Theatre can't believe what they are seeing wasn't even on paper the night before.
 
*Featuring: Linda Kash, Daniel Smith, Klint Davies, Lindy Powell, Tamara Bick, Brian Macdonald, Tim Etherington, Lydia Etherington, Ray Henderson, Drew Antzis, Dane Shümak, Amy M. Cummings, Adam Martignetti, Allison Wallis, Riley Tutert, Sean Quinlan, Karen Jordan, Sarah Jayne Riley, Kayla Fraser, Chelsea Munro, Meg O’Sullivan, August MacDonald, Tilly O’Sullivan, Tom Keat, Tonya Kimberly, Vanessa Erin Ferreri, Justin Boyd, Grace Horseman, Luke Foster, Andrew Root, Aiden Wilson, Angie Sorensen, Carol Lawless, Collin Chepeka, Katrina Hynes, Conner Clarkin, Mélanie Dubois, Karen Jordan, Lucas DeLuca, Mallory MacDonald, Noah Henderson, Jacqueline Kerslake, Chase Kilbourne, and many, many more...
*List subject to change

Photo from 2016 24 Hr Project courtesy Ray Henderson

Tickets are $15 for Adults and $10 for Students at the door. Doors open at 7:30 p.m., and Showtime is at 8 p.m. on October 21st.

The Gordon Best is located at 216 Hunter Street West. Call 705.741.8763 for information.

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Lucky Seven: Trent U Tops Maclean's Rankings For The Seventh Year In A Row

Trent University—which has experienced record-breaking numbers as the provincial leader in increases in applications and first choice accepts—had another strong showing in the Maclean’s University Rankings issue this year.

It ranked as the No. 1 undergraduate university in Ontario for the seventh year in a row, and No. 3 in its category for all of Canada, and led the way on a number of other key indicators.
 
“This year’s rankings affirm the transformative learning experience at Trent’s Peterborough and Durham GTA campuses,” says Dr. Leo Groarke, president and vice-chancellor of Trent University. “Our jump to number three undergrad university in Canada and our position as the number one university in Ontario for the seventh year running highlights that a Trent education is widely-respected and deeply valued by our students across the country and worldwide.”

In addition to Trent’s impressive overall ranking in the undergraduate category, the University was once again ranked No. 1 in Canada for scholarships and bursaries.

Adding to Trent’s national leadership, the University was also named No. 1 in Canada for academic advising staff in addition to several more provincial No. 1 rankings in categories including: student awards, extracurricular activities, and course instructors.

In overall national rankings—these compare all 49 universities across the country—Trent also ranked as the No. 1 primarily undergraduate university in Canada for producing leaders of tomorrow.

In the 2018 report, Trent also moved up in several other categories, including: overall education, highest quality, and most innovative.

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