A six-year-old pitbull named Gracie found herself a long way from home after she dashed out of their house last December. A visitor left their front door open, and for eleven months, the beautiful black dog with white feet voyaged around Chicago streets and had to fend for herself through the seasons that passed.
Her family was devastated by what happened. With their deep, urgent desire to find where she is, they went around rescue shelters within the Jackson Park Highlands area and posted flyers everywhere. The heartbreak was tough for Gracie’s fur mom, Kelly Shade. She said that she cried for months—and how could she not, when she’s had Gracie ever since she was a puppy.
Little did Shade know that two miles away from their home, a woman named Polly Ellison was able to catch sight of Gracie. She discerned that the stray was afraid of other people and fellow canines. And because she was a pet owner herself, she wanted to help the lost dog and prevent her from possibly getting harmed. For months, she took care of provisioning food for Gracie in hopes of earning her trust.
Ellison sought the assistance of her neighbor Katie Campbell, who was also a dog rescuer. Through their teamwork, the two of them maintained a feeding schedule that stretched on for months until they were able to lay hold of Gracie. Immediately, they examined the wandering dog and learned that she’d been microchipped.
That same day, Ellison reached out to Shade to tell her the good news. She was delighted about this—her baby will be back in her arms after eleven months! But above all else, she was indebted to Ellison and Campbell for their selfless act.
Shade expressed enthrallment with what she calls a holiday miracle. Saying that the world we live in, where bad things come aplenty, she’s glad for the existence of kind-hearted individuals who are willing to go above and beyond.
And our hearts are happy too that Amazing Gracie is now home for Christmas.
Source: ABC 7 Chicago / YouTube
