Sassy, Geraldine Brown’s dog, is credited with finding Brendle and saving his life.
Vass Police Chief Rick Bibey determined that Brendle was stolen, because the chain in the yard appeared to have been cut.
Brendle was taken from the yard of a friend of Hayward’s in Vass on Thursday, May 29. The friend was helping Hayward, who lives in Carthage, take care of the dog.
The Browns were aware of Brendle’s disappearance when Sassy discovered her tied to the tree on June 2.
“Sassy investigates everything,” Geraldine Brown said.
Sassy, a poodle-and-Pekinese mix, found Brendle in the woods near the Brown residence. On her walk, she began relentlessly barking toward the woods, and Brendle barked back, prompting Brown to investigate.
“It’s a Lassie discovery,” Brown said.
The tree Brendle was tied to for five days had four large holes surrounding it where she had tried to dig in the ground for water or to keep cool.
After she was released from the tree, Brendle was very weak. The Browns provided water and tried to feed her, but the dog acted traumatized.
Geraldine Brown began to revive Brendle with water at the oak tree.
“She would walk a little way and stop,” Brown said. “She wobbled a lot.”
Brendle would not eat dog food, even with warm chicken broth poured over it. She would eat only when hand-fed a piece of chicken.
Brown calls Brendle the “Wonder Dog” as a testament of her will to survive while tied to the tree.
North Carolina law forbids animal cruelty. That law, however, may not apply in this case, because the reason the dog was tied to the tree is unknown. Although Brendle suffered considerably, Bibey said it is unclear at this point if the dog was placed there intentionally to cause it to suffer.
Hayward is relieved to have Brendle home again.
Brendle, who was named “Best of Show” in 2002 in the Moore County Animal Show at West End, is now fully recovered and is back to normal in Carthage.
“I’d like to thank the Lord, Rick Bibey, Animal Control and the Browns that she got back safely,” Hayward said.
“Our Sassy’s a hero!” Brown said, and Hayward adamantly agreed.
The Browns credit Sassy’s find to her personality. Brown said Sassy acts exactly like her name. “If she wants to do something, she’ll do it,” Brown said.
Bibey was pleased that the dog was returned.
“I’m glad that things worked out the way they did, he said.
The case is still open, and Bibey asks that anyone with information contact him at 245-4676.
