'Everyone in Woodhull was bawling.' Dog missing more than a year turns up in Allegany Co.

It's the kind of story you'd expect to see in a Disney movie.

'Beloved dog goes missing and miraculously turns up miles away from home — 14 months later.'

However, writing a script for this movie would be difficult, because most of the story is still shrouded in mystery, said Suzy Clark, of Woodhull, who lived through more than a year of anguish and uncertainty after her Great Pyrenees, Brutus, disappeared one night in July 2021.

A chance encounter the next county over led to Brutus' rescue in September, and Clark would love to know what happened, where Brutus went and how he survived the intervening months.

But most importantly, she — and an entire community that pitched in to help — can finally breathe easier knowing the elderly dog she raised from puppyhood is safely home.

"We are people of very strong faith. We were not giving up," Clark said. "Everyone in Woodhull was bawling. They all looked. But he's home now."

A sudden escape, a frantic search

Brutus and several other dogs live with the Clarks on their alpaca farm, Heavenly Sunset Farm, on county Route 99 in Woodhull, in southern Steuben County.

Brutus, who was 10 when he vanished and recently turned 11, has always been afraid of thunder and other loud noises, Clark said.

It was late at night July 5, 2021, the day after Independence Day, when a neighbor decided to light a few more fireworks, she said.

Clark and her husband Dan were already in bed, but she said her mother-in-law called after a few window-rattling blasts and suggested she check on the dogs.

Clark took that advice, and what she found made her heart sink.

"Brutus blew through a 5-foot, no-climb electrified fence, and he was gone," she said.

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Brutus had gotten loose before, but had never gone farther than the top of a nearby hill, Clark said.

But this time was different.

Days stretched into weeks, and weeks into months, and no sign of Brutus.

Clark said she made many new friends as she followed up one lead after another, but each promising new sighting led to a dead end.

"He vanished into thin air," she said. "We asked people who had (motion-activated) game cameras within a 20-mile radius to check them. Nothing."

A surprise appearance and prayers answered

For months, Clark's friends and family members spread the word on Facebook and other social media sites about Brutus.

She also got help from a Tioga County, Pennsylvania-based animal rescue group.

Ultimately, a good Samaritan spotted Brutus in the Allegany town of Angelica, more than 40 miles from Woodhull, but had no idea at the time about the dog's story.

It was Sept. 7 when Jackie Bainbridge, of West Almond, was on the road heading back to her farm when an unusual sight caught her eye.

"I saw something large as I came around the corner. It was almost the size of a deer but the color wasn't right," Bainbridge recalled. "As I got closer his head looked like a lion's head. I thought, 'Wow, this is a big dog.'"

Bainbridge could tell the dog was exhausted and in rough shape, and while she was concerned how he might react to her if she approached, she also knew she couldn't just leave him there.

"We got him off the road," she said. "I'm an animal lover. I would not leave an animal to potentially get injured or killed."

Not sure what to do or who to contact, Bainbridge posted a plea for help on her Facebook page.

"Need help. Just found this dog on County Road 2A, Angelica. Very friendly, half-shaven older dog in rough shape. Who do I call?" she wrote.

Several people who commented on Bainbridge's post thought the dog had been dumped there.

After some confusion over what entity was responsible for dog control in her area, the Hornell Area Humane Society, which handles animal control in West Almond, came to pick Brutus up.

Fourteen months on the lam had clearly taken its toll on the once hefty and fluffy dog.

Much of his thick and luxurious fur was gone, as was a good deal of his weight. Dark circles surrounded his tired and pleading eyes, and hordes of bloodthirsty fleas swarmed over his body.

"He was in pretty rough shape. At the time we had no idea it was (Brutus)," said Bethany Hurd, dog handler at the Hornell Area Humane Society. "The power of social media got him home."

Word about the mystery dog quickly spread, and before long, Clark finally had the lead she was waiting for.

"On Sept. 8, my sister started blowing up our phone with pictures," Clark said. "I told my sister 'I'll call the shelter.' I left a voicemail. They called back and said 'You can come in tomorrow.' I left work and went down."

A plain doughnut, a 'Gimme 5' and an emotional reunion

Clark traveled to the Hornell Area Humane Society shelter to see the dog they took in, but she had a problem.

Brutus looked so different, she barely recognized him, and after wandering loose for 14 months, he didn't show any signs of recognition toward her either.

Fortunately, Brutus hadn't lost all of his quirks, and Clark was able to use a few of his known traits to verify his identity.

"He loves plain doughnuts. I gave him a plain doughnut and he took it from my hand," she said. "Thank God for Entenmann's doughnuts."

If that act didn't provide definitive proof the gaunt and bedraggled dog was indeed Brutus, Clark had one more test to try, courtesy of her father-in-law, Gail Clark.

"My father-in-law had a little game he would play with (Brutus) where he would give him his paw. He got down on the floor and said 'Gimme five, buddy' and he did it," Clark said.

"Oh my god, it was emotional," Hurd added. "We sobbed our eyes out. So did they."

Brutus is finally home and healing

The Great Pyrenees was bred over centuries in France to protect sheep from wolves and other predators, and Clark said Brutus has always been protective of their property and their flock of alpacas.

The average lifespan of a Great Pyrenees is 10 to 12 years, and Clark doesn't know how much more time they will have with their cherished pet.

But she intends to make the most of the opportunity. For a start, she plans to have Brutus microchipped the next time he visits the vet — just in case.

Clark is also dying to know what Brutus was up to for more than a year, and she hopes anyone who might have encountered him along the way will contact her, by email, at HSF@zoominternet.net, or c2@zoominternet.net.

Clark was also able to meet Brutus' rescuer when Bainbridge visited Heavenly Sunset Farm on Oct. 10 for a reunion.

"I'm happy I was able to place him back with his family who missed him very much," Bainbridge said.

After more than a month back home, Brutus still shows signs of his ordeal.

He was bathed and treated at the shelter for Lyme disease, fleas and worms. He is still missing a lot of fur and has difficulty walking.

But the circles around his eyes have faded, his fur is slowly making a comeback, his energy is bouncing back and so is his personality, Clark said.

"He was so tired and weak and dirty," she said. "He got his appetite back about two weeks ago. He's been a lot of miles. He has a lot of trouble walking. We keep him in a pen, and take him out to walk.

"Every day some nuance of his personality returns," Clark said. "We tell him he's retired now (as a watchdog), but he still sits out there and barks at the garbage man."

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This article originally appeared on Elmira Star-Gazette: Steuben County dog missing more than a year found in Allegany County