Community helps St. John woman track down her dog

ST. JOHN, Mo. - The power of social media helped a desperate dog owner reunite with her dog after discovering someone else was trying to sell the pet.

Valerie Sherrill's 13-month-old Mastiff, named Tucker, was her older brother's dog, who died in August from health challenges. So when Tucker got out of Valerie's yard two weeks ago, she was devastated.

With the help of several organizations, including Camp Paws and Claws, Sherrill was able to get the word out across social media. Over a week passed by with no sign.

However, someone recognized the dog from a post on social media soon after. The man helped Sherrill trace the dog back to a homeless couple that was trying to sell him.  

St. John Police don’t have enough evidence to make an arrest currently, due in-part to the fact that the dog was recovered just outside of the department’s jurisdiction. But they do have advice for pet owners: make sure your animals are chipped, keep a recent photo of your animal handy and report it to police immediately if they do go missing.