During the previous summer, a spirited yellow Labrador retriever named Kota Bean managed to break free from her backyard due to a damaged electric fence caused by a storm. Kota had always possessed a knack for breaking through barriers, but this particular escape was unlike any before. Kota's owner, Kellie Deck Tuten, shared on Facebook, "Kota has always been an escape artist. We have tried countless crates, kennels, and cages to contain her during the few hours we needed her contained."
Whenever Kota managed to escape, she would never wander too far from home. If her owners couldn't locate her on the same day, she would always return on her own later. However, as the day turned into night, Kota remained nowhere to be found. The Tutens immediately sprang into action, distributing flyers and contacting every nearby animal shelter in their desperate search for Kota. They exhausted every possible avenue, but after a year without any sign of their beloved dog, the Tutens were on the verge of losing hope.
Then, a few weeks later, they stumbled upon a familiar face on the Bibb County Animal Shelter's website. "They provided a general location in the description, and that's when I spotted her," Tuten wrote. "I instantly knew it was her." Tuten recognized the area and promptly reached out to a friend who resided nearby. The friend confirmed having seen Kota and promptly alerted Tuten after each subsequent sighting. Tuten would rush over, but Kota would always vanish by the time she arrived.
Eventually, Tuten received information from another helper who seemed to possess more knowledge about Kota's life since her escape. "Lisa Wood... had been feeding my dog twice a day, took in her (not one but two litters of) puppies, and found them all loving homes," Tuten wrote. Wood had recently encountered Kota but had no idea about the whereabouts of her latest litter of puppies. Determined to reunite Kota with her offspring, Wood joined forces with the Tutens, pooling their efforts to bring their long-lost pup back home.
Despite their relentless pursuit, Kota managed to elude most of their attempts. However, Wood's perseverance paid off as she successfully approached Kota, allowing her to slip a collar equipped with a GPS tracker over her head. With this breakthrough, the team was able to trace Kota's movements and ultimately discover the exact location of her puppies. Unfortunately, they were still out of reach, hidden away from sight and sound within a drain pipe.
Undeterred, the team enlisted the assistance of their friends, Amy Beth Wall and Sean Wall, to aid in their mission. Together, they embarked on the arduous task of cutting into the tunnel, hoping to improve their access to the precious little family. Hours of tireless digging finally yielded results, as they managed to extract four plump puppies from the confines of the drain pipe. The Tutens rejoiced at the sight of the babies safely in their arms, yet Kota remained too frightened to join them.
"It was not until the following night that we managed to convince Kota to join us in the car along with her puppies and return home," Tuten wrote. Presently, Kota and her puppies have settled back into the Tuten household and are thriving. While the puppies quickly adjusted to their new surroundings, Kota is still acclimating to her new life at home. Tuten shared with The Dodo, "She is still warming up to us. She shows little interest in coming inside, which is a significant departure from before. However, she does come to greet us when we sit in the backyard." Kota finds joy in receiving affectionate head scratches from her devoted owners, but she is still recovering from the harrowing year she spent alone.
Tuten mentioned, "She also seems disinterested in her old toys or anything else. It has been challenging for us because it gives the impression that she is unhappy here, but I believe it is more a result of the trauma she endured while fighting for her safety." Kota's family is allowing her to dictate the pace of her adjustment, eagerly anticipating the day when their beloved Kota Bean feels completely at ease in her home once again. Until then, they remain grateful that their precious girl is back where she rightfully belongs.
