Navy sailor's dog was given away while he served. Social media led to a reunion
Navy sailor's dog was given away while he served. Social media led to a reunion
Show Caption
Hide Caption
Brave military duo reunites for best reason
After being deployed in South Korea, retired military working dog Akim found his forever home in Kirtland AFB with handler Senior Airman Jenna Canada.
Militarykind, USA TODAY
When Paulo Silva returned home from Navy combat deployment in the Middle East, he discovered his beloved dog Archie was gone. What happened next shows how social media can be a positive, unifying force.
Archie, a 5-year-old golden retriever had been entrusted to a relative in New Jersey, while Silva was serving an eight-month stint aboard the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman.
'A family member that was well-trusted felt they had no choice but to give away my dog,' Silva, who lives in Virginia and enlisted in the Navy in 2014, told the Asbury Park Press, part of the USA TODAY Network.
'At no point was I told about it and I had asked time and time again about him. I was told he was having good days and bad days, but he was hanging in there."
The relative gave Archie away, Silva said, because "they said my dog wasn't settling in too well – that he was having problems staying at the house. But I've had numerous people look after my dog before, with no issue.'
Silva's dismay grew to heartbreak when he asked the relative for Archie's whereabouts.
'They refused to give me the contact information of the person who has my dog,' Silva said.
So he turned to Facebook, posting a plea for help.
'This dog isn't just a pet to me," Silva wrote. "He is my heart, my companion, and a piece of my soul that helped carry me through some of the hardest times in my life."
More: Pet health care prices are so high that most owners are skipping treatments
Within a day, he said, crowdsourcing helped him find Archie. The sad story now has a happy ending.
'I'm very happy to share that Archie has safely returned to me,' Silva wrote. 'I want to sincerely thank the family who has been caring for him during this time. Your kindness, care, and love for Archie have not gone unnoticed, and I am deeply grateful for everything you've done. I appreciate the time and effort you've given to ensure his well-being.'
Silva said to show his appreciation, he connected the family to a golden retriever breeder, which has offered to donate a puppy to the family.
"I can't thank them enough for being so supportive in this situation," Silva said in a follow-up interview on June 5.
On Facebook, he implored the public to stop blaming the family who had cared for the dog after an initial misunderstanding about whether they would return Archie.
"The family is not at fault, and I believe we can all agree that it's time to put this chapter behind us for the sake of everyone involved, especially Archie," Silva said.
Silva said he's "speechless" by the "overwhelming" amount of support he's gotten throughout the ordeal.
'Thank you to everyone who has shown support throughout this situation,' he posted on Facebook. 'I am incredibly grateful for the love and care our community has shown, and I'm happy to bring Archie home where he belongs.'
Jerry Carino is community columnist for the Asbury Park Press, focusing on the Jersey Shore's interesting people, inspiring stories and pressing issues. Contact him at jcarino@gannettnj.com.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Veteran Decorates Neighborhood Sinkhole While Awaiting Repairs: 'I'm Tired of Looking at This Thing'
Michigan resident Breck Crandell began seasonally decorating a sinkhole in his neighborhood while waiting for city officials to fix the issue The Navy veteran says the local sinkholes are a safety hazard, but his creativity around a temporary fix has made neighbors smile "Watching the kids go through the neighborhood with their parents and cars would stop and take pictures – it just made me happy to see that other people were enjoying it," he tells PEOPLEA Michigan veteran has found a way of turning a lingering neighborhood issue into something the whole town can enjoy. Breck Crandell lives in Ypsilanti, where he said there are a handful of sinkholes in the neighborhood, including one right outside his driveway. It first appeared around 2017, got filled in, then reappeared a few years ago. "Instead of fixing it, they just put a big metal plate over the top of it," Crandell tells PEOPLE. The Navy veteran's temporary fix has been seasonally decorating a construction cone, which was placed over the sinkhole as a warning. "I'm a hunter and I've got turkey decoys, so I took one of my turkey decoys and put it out there, and then it just kind of started from there," Crandell says. "For me, it was just — I'm tired of looking at this thing because I have to back around it to get in and out of my driveway." Depending on the time of year, Ypsilanti residents can expect to see anything from pumpkins, to toy Santas or Easter bunny figurines placed near the cone. "Watching the kids go through the neighborhood with their parents and cars would stop and take pictures — it just made me happy to see that other people were enjoying it," Crandell says. "I've done it for all the seasons, and right now, the most current thing I have up is a tribute to vets." "Actually, until very recently, almost nobody knew who it was that was doing it, because I never said anything to anybody," he adds. There have even been festive gatherings centered around the hazard-turned-neighborhood attraction. "Last fall, one of my neighbors was retiring, and he and a bunch of his friends from the neighborhood made a nightly meeting out there with their wine and coffee," Crandell says. "And then the night he retired, they shot off a bunch of fireworks in my front yard." Bonnie Wessler, Ypsilanti Director of Public Works, told local ABC affiliate WXYZ that they "bid everything out" last year. "We tried to get a contractor in to come and fix it all for us. The total bill for all that would've been more than $600,000," said Wessler. This year, Wessler's department found a contractor who will do the repairs for half that price, so city officials anticipate it will be repaired in the next few months, per WXYZ. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Crandell tells PEOPLE he hopes the display will draw attention to how long it's taking to get the sinkholes repaired. "We're a pretty tight knit community. There have been just dozens, if not more complaints about these sinkholes," Crandell says. "We'd just like it fixed and fixed properly." Read the original article on People
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
Volunteers 'devastated' at garden centre closure
Learning disabled volunteers and their families say they are "devastated" a west London community garden centre is set to be closed down. More than 4,500 have signed a petition urging the Hillingdon Council to keep the Rural Activities Garden Centre (RAGC) in Colham open. A group of learning disabled adults help maintain the garden centre, and some have attended for decades and see it as a critical part of their routine, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service. Hillingdon Council says the centre is making an annual loss of £137,000 a year which is being subsidised by local taxpayers and and volunteers will be offered alternative "learning and developmental opportunities". Terry, who has been volunteering at the garden centre for several years, said he had "stopped leaving the house" before he began working there. Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, he said: "My mum got ill with dementia and I had to look after her, when she died I was suggested to come here, it's now the only place I come to. "If this place closes I won't be doing anything again, it makes me upset." Wayne, a volunteer of over 30 years at the RAGC, says he loves the work and the people he works with. His father Stuart says it is the "one thing that gives them a purpose in life". Without it, he says, many volunteers would be "stuck at home". "All of these people will be devastated," he added. "We all need this place, what it does for people, and the community it brings. We need it." Hillingdon Council says it will continue supporting volunteers by offering horticultural placements in gardens and public areas around the borough's Civic Centre in Uxbridge. The local authority says this will provide "enriched learning and developmental opportunities" and "a wider range of activities than they currently experience at the garden centre". The report on the future of the Rural Activities Garden Centre is due to be will be considered by the council's Cabinet on 26 June. Hillingdon Council said: "We are committed to ensuring all volunteers with assessed social care needs receive enriched learning and developmental opportunities. "Unfortunately, the RAGC's retail operations are not economically viable and we cannot expect residents to subsidise a loss-making garden centre." Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to London Borough of Hillingdon
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
Pub's wooden chalet destroyed in fire
A fire has destroyed a pub's chalet after it ripped through the building. Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service were called to the Malt Shovel Pub in Highley on Saturday at about 00:12 BST. Pictures posted on the fire service's Facebook page show firefighters extinguishing glowing red and orange wood. Three crews from Bridgnorth, Kidderminster and Cleobury Mortimer were sent to the blaze and discovered the remains of a wooden chalet, a spokesperson added. Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram. Fire crews tackle blaze at former city pub Watch: Multiple fire crews tackle blaze at old pub Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service
