Community rallies to find missing dogs after fatal crash in southern Alberta

In the wake of a fatal crash in southern Alberta, a community effort to locate two missing dachshunds is giving a grieving husband some comfort.

Last Friday, two pickup trucks collided on a wet highway head-on about one kilometre west of the village of Cowley.

In one of the vehicles, three dachshunds were riding along with their owners, Susan and Wade Lunn, who were returning from a vacation in British Columbia.

Susan died in the crash. Wade was taken to hospital after first responders arrived at the scene.

Amidst the wreckage of the crash, two of the dogs ran off. But when first responders found Susan, she was being guarded by her dachshund named Sherlock, said Shauna Holthe, the couples' oldest daughter.

"My dad was really touched by the way that Sherlock stayed by my mom's side the entire time until the paramedics tried to take him away," said Holthe.

"[Sherlock] was trying to attack them because he thought he was protecting her."

Hunting for dachshunds

After learning the sad news of the crash, Beth Holthe, who is Shauna's sister-in-law, knew she had to do something for the family. She offered to help, and Shauna asked her to help find the missing dogs.

"The only thing I could think of was, you know, it would really help if you could help find the dog because it's something that could help my dad and my family heal," said Shauna.

On Saturday, Beth posted on Facebook photos and information about the dogs in hopes that someone out there could locate them.

"I had no idea this Facebook post was going to go as far as it went, but people have shared it all over and everybody has been looking," Beth said Wednesday.

"It's been crazy because my phone literally goes off all day right straight into the evening."

On Tuesday, Beth got a phone call with some good news. A woman taking her child to school had spotted what looked like a small dog, just south of the site of the collision.

Beth says a couple, Bruce and Laurie Anderson, spent hours looking before locating Willow. They took her into their home.

"They have Willow right now and we're picking her up today," said Beth.

"The lady that called me, she was in tears … so sad for the family but so grateful that she was able to find the dog for the family."

She believes the communities of Lethbridge and surrounding areas have been so eager to help because many of them knew Wade and Susan, and they want to help in any way they can.

"Everybody has been looking and … the people in the county and Pincher Creek area have been amazing," she said.

"They just have really decided that they care about this family and they care about the dogs … in a genuine loving caring way. They want to reunite these dogs with their owner."

Like family

Willow will be reunited with Sherlock and Wade sometime Wednesday evening, which is good news, says Shauna, as the smallest of the puppies has been despondent.

"My dad's so thrilled and I'm sure that Sherlock will be just as happy because he's been kind of moping around the house," said Shauna.

"I'm sure he's going to be just as excited. And my dad's just thrilled to know that he'll be able to have her back, too."

The dogs were their own little world. You know, like they're their kids.- Shauna Holthe

Shauna says the dogs were more than pets to her parents. They were considered part of the family. Susan and Wade included them in family portraits and took them camping.

The couple has five children, 17 grandchildren, one great grandchild and the three dachshunds.

"The dogs were their own little world. You know, like they're their kids," said Shauna.

"We've all grown up and have our own family and this is what they poured their heart into at home."

Finding Whisper

The family hopes Whisper is found soon, and will continue their search. If Whisper is spotted, Shauna urges people to approach her gently and with a bit of food, as she may be spooked.

"It would be such a blessing [to find Whisper] and it will really help us heal," said Shauna.

"It's hard enough to have one loss in such a tragic accident but to have [the dogs] gone as well, it's that much more that we're mourning. So if we're able to find them all, then that healing is going to be more complete."