Vango, a cute Australian shepherd who is only five months old, may have played a major role in saving his own life when he drew the attention of staff members at a pet store in Gatineau, Que., by barking incessantly. The little pup had accompanied a couple who were regular customers of the store, and while they usually came to purchase cat food, Vango’s enthusiastic barks caught the attention of Yves Jodoin, a dog trainer and staff member at Au Royaume des Animaux. Jodoin recalls that Vango was so insistent on getting his attention that he couldn’t help but notice him.
Jodoin became worried when the couple didn’t seem to know basic information about the dog, such as its age, whether it had been neutered, its diet, and how much they had paid for it. They were evasive when he asked them questions, and the dog continued to bark even after being given biscuits. In the meantime, Jodoin’s colleague searched social media for reports of missing dogs and found a photo of Vango, who had been reported missing from his home in Buckingham, Quebec, just two and a half hours earlier. Jodoin then realized that he had trained Vango as a puppy and called out his name. The dog immediately recognized him and began jumping and wagging its tail to show that it was not the dog the couple claimed it was.
According to witnesses, the couple claimed to have discovered the dog in the woods. The woman requested to keep the dog as a support animal due to her poor health and inability to financially afford a trained dog. However, Jodoin urged them to surrender the animal and contacted the legal owner, Josée Francoeur, who was emotional when she received the call. Francoeur reported that Vango went missing after she let him out for a bathroom break in her enclosed yard and he was not microchipped. She immediately posted notices on social media and sought help from local authorities to find her beloved dog.
As she was feeling hopeless, her phone suddenly rang. Francoeur expressed that it was fortunate those people decided to visit the pet store because otherwise, she would have never found her dog again. Additionally, she reported the incident to the police.
Due to the unfortunate incident of her dog being taken, she has decided to take legal action by filing a report with the police. Her intention is not to cause trouble for the couple who took her dog, but to make them realize the gravity of their actions. She believes that discouraging others from doing the same thing is important. The police are currently investigating the case to determine whether the couple took the dog intentionally or merely found him. The SPCA de L’Outaouais is using this opportunity to remind all pet owners about the importance of microchipping their pets. The dog’s owner has also realized the importance of microchipping and has taken an appointment for Vango to be microchipped. She believes that with such measures in place, the incident could have been avoided altogether.