GREAT FALLS — Sonic the dog has been reunited with his family in Great Falls. Ben Houston said that on Tuesday morning, his mother was walking her dogs when she was hit by a car near Central Avenue and 30th Street.
Sonic, her little Papillon, got scared and ran away. Ben's mother was not seriously injured and began searching immediately, but Sonic managed to escape. Sonic's disappearance quickly went viral online, and was posted on numerous lost-and-found sites and Great Falls community pages. The family offered a $500 reward, and then increased the amount to $1,000.
On Friday morning, Ben was down in the Giant Springs area searching for Sonic, and he got a call from a woman who said that her husband had found Sonic.
The man who found Sonic - Bob Schield - was on his way to work at Flawless Auto Body on 38th Street North when he saw Sonic on the side of the road.
Bob said that he, his wife, and his daughter were talking about the story the night before at dinner. They all hoped that Sonic would be found before the weekend’s winter weather hit town. “We have several dogs ourselves, so it was a story that hit close to home,” said Schield.
Bob also said that he “absolutely” recognized Sonic from the news and the social media posts as soon as he saw him.
Sonic was spotted running along River Road near traffic when Schield drove by, but the dog was initially scared when he came near.
“I pulled into the dog park parking area, got out of the truck and tried to call him. He looked at me but just kept running so I jumped back in my truck, followed him down River Road a little ways until traffic was clear and I pulled out around him, got past him and parked in the middle of the road,” Schield explained. “As soon as I got out of the truck he stopped and turned and headed over towards the river. So I turned around, went back and parked, and when he saw me walking towards him, he dove off the bank into some heavy brush along the river. So, I ran over and retrieved him out of the brush.”
Sonic was scared at first, even scratching Bob on the hand during the rescue attempt, but eventually he calmed down and Bob was able to corral him and return him to his owners.
Ben said that Schield initially refused to accept the reward, but Ben insisted, saying that he is a man of his word.
Ben expressed his gratitude to everyone that helped with the search and shared social media posts.
(WEDNESDAY, SEPTMBER 25) Several people have contacted KRTV about a little dog named Sonic that is missing after being involved in a crash on Tuesday.
Ben Houston said in a Facebook post that at about 7:30 a.m. his mother was walking her dogs when she was hit by a car near Central Avenue and 30th Street.
Sonic, her little Papillon, got scared and ran away. He is wearing a harness and a leash, which means he could be tangled in something or in a field. He was last seen at around 1 p.m. or 2 p.m. near 42nd Street and 2nd Avenue North, by Play and Learn Academy.
Houston says that they offering a $500 reward to bring Sonic home, and asks that if anyone sees him, please do not chase him; instead, keep your eyes on him and call Ben at 788-5885 and he will come to the rescue.
Ben also says that his mother is OK - still sore, but "nothing broken."
