It's hard to believe it's been a year since the Alaskan sled dog, Beaver, who had been on the run in the Bangor area for weeks, was finally found and rescued.

Remember this?

"In what's got to be one of the happiest endings, to a story that's had most of Bangor on alert for the past month: Beaver, the Alaskan Sled Dog has been found, safe and sound!

Beaver, Courtesy Denise Lawson
Beaver, Courtesy Denise Lawson
loading...

Beaver was a retired Iditarod Sled Dog, being transported to Maine to be adopted by a family from Searsport. Unfortunately, Beaver got spooked as she exited the plane, and took off! She was wearing her harness, leash, and collar, thankfully, so when folks started to spot her running around, she was pretty easy to identify. That was on February 27, 2021.

Beaver, happy and running, photo credit, Denise Lawson
Beaver, happy and running, photo credit, Denise Lawson
loading...

In true sled dog fashion, Beaver managed to outrace all who tried to catch up with her! Despite the massive effort to spot, track and capture Beaver, which was being organized by local animal lovers and Bangor's Animal Control Officer, she managed to elude everyone for weeks!

Courtesy: Johanna Athas
Courtesy: Johanna Athas
loading...

In a move that made this story super-awesome, Denise Lawson, one of the volunteers who had originally helped find Beaver a home in Maine, knew that the only way to stop this poor pup from running, was to bring in familiar reinforcements. So she drove from Virginia to Maine, with members of Beaver's pack, and set up shop to help with the search. And just like something out of a movie, it worked!

Get our free mobile app

Bangor resident Johanna Athas, who had been keeping a lookout for Beaver since the dog was reported missing, explained how it all went down:

'We live on the lower part of Silver Road and Beaver has come into our driveway multiple times, so I texted Denise Lawson and told her we kept seeing her late at night, so she and Gordon came over to meet with us yesterday afternoon and came up with a plan to sit outside our house by the golf course with a small grill to leave a scent trail and they had a few other huskies from her pack with them who she knew and just like clockwork, right before midnight, Beaver showed up and started eating from a bowl of food they had set out, so Denise texted me and told me not to open our door since she was standing right at our door and Gordon was able to slowly approach her and grab her!'

Beaver, Courtesy Denise Lawson
Beaver, Courtesy Denise Lawson
loading...

As for Miss Beaver, Athas says she didn't look any worse for the wear; 'She is returning to Virginia for now and then I think back to Alaska to be with her pack and recover from this traumatic event!'

Beaver and some pals make a pit stop on the way to her forever home. Photo courtesy of Denise Lawson
Beaver and some pals make a pit stop on the way to her forever home. Photo courtesy of Denise Lawson
loading...

A happy ending to what has been an amazing story about an incredible dog and a community of caring folks hoping to help her! Hooray!"

Beaver, courtesy Denise Lawson
Beaver, courtesy Denise Lawson
loading...

To add to the happiness of the story, Lawson wrote an actual children's book about the entire ordeal. The illustrated "Black Bear Goes To Bangor to Find Beaver; Another Black Bear Sled Dog Adventure" is available on Amazon if anyone is interested in owning a cool story about a little piece of Bangor's more recent history.

Black Bear Goes To Bangor to Find Beaver, by Denise Lawson, author/illustrator. Published by Brown & Lowe Books.
Black Bear Goes To Bangor to Find Beaver, by Denise Lawson, author/illustrator. Published by Brown & Lowe Books.
loading...

RANKED: Here Are the 63 Smartest Dog Breeds

Does your loyal pup's breed make the list? Read on to see if you'll be bragging to the neighbors about your dog's intellectual prowess the next time you take your fur baby out for a walk. Don't worry: Even if your dog's breed doesn't land on the list, that doesn't mean he's not a good boy--some traits simply can't be measured.

More From WQCB Brewer Maine