When Samantha Paulino adopted Autumn, a rescue dog from South Korea, she thought there might be some challenges but she never expected what would happen once the pup was safe in America. So after Autumn had settled into Paulino’s home, she thought they were headed in the right direction. But Autumn had other ideas.
Her need for freedom stemmed, she said, from her how badly she had been treated at the illegal meat farm she had been rescued from. But Paulino and Autumn had been making huge strides. “She was starting to lick me, show affection. She was starting to follow me and wanting to go on walks with me,” Paulino recounted.
Samantha Paulino with her dog, Autumn. Autumn got spooked during a walk and it took six months before she was rescued. Photo courtesy of Paulino
However, in late December, Autumn got spooked during a walk in Arlington’s Virginia Square neighborhood and bolted. Despite her small size, only about 12 pounds, Autumn was incredibly fast. “She’s a speedster. She very much runs and speeds through everything,” Paulino said.
So, if she gets loose and you try to chase her, she gets more frantic and just runs faster.”
Paulino took immediate action, printing flyers, alerting animal control authorities, and posting about her missing dog on social media. Sightings of Autumn were reported, but the clever and speedy dog always managed to stay just out of reach. In late December, Autumn was spotted near Arlington National Cemetery, but then she seemed to vanish for about a month. “I can’t lie,” Paulino admitted. “I almost, you know, lost hope at that point.”
In early February, a breakthrough came when Katie, a woman performing in a military band, contacted Paulino. Katie had seen a flyer and was “100% sure” she had seen Autumn at Arlington National Cemetery. Autumn had made a temporary home for herself at nearby Fort Myer, an Army post. Katie helped by posting lost dog flyers around the base, which was inaccessible to civilians like Paulino. The poor puppy was still quite scared of strangers and would run at the slightest movement.
Anna Barrett, the animal control services coordinator for AWLA, spent months attempting to rescue Autumn. Photo courtesy of AWLA
Anna Barrett, the animal control services coordinator at AWLA, shared the lengths they went to rescue Autumn: “We dedicated ourselves to tending to Autumn’s needs twice a day, going on-base (with permission) to feed her at her established feeding station, observing the area for her footprints and further familiarizing ourselves with her routines.”
Despite these efforts, Autumn proved difficult to catch. “I never talked to her, but I whistled in tones to her when I put her food out,” she said. Many times, the cold doggy would sit near Barrett’s car. “A few times, she was really tired and would come up and look at me and lay next to the car,” she said. “If I tried to get out, she would take off. So I would just sit there and let her sleep so she knew she was safe. I’d whisper we weren’t going to give up on her.”
Finally, on June 11, a “trap inside a trap” setup worked. A box trap was placed inside a playpen-type trap, and Autumn was captured. “Once trapped, Autumn settled near to her rescuers, seemingly relieved that the long, lonely struggle had finally come to an end,” Barrett said. The tired pup was reunited with her owner on June 12th.
To prevent another escape, Autumn now wears a GPS tracker and is double-leashed during walks. Paulino is committed to providing Autumn with the best possible life. “Autumn is back to her usual spot on the couch, and for now, we’re taking it slow, getting reacquainted again,” Paulino said. “I want to do right by her and give her the best possible life she can have.”
Sources: Washington Post | Fox News
