Lost Puppy Has a Happy Ending in Haines Falls

HAINES FALLS – A heartwarming community effort in the mountaintop Village of Tannersville led to the safe return of Xutu, a beloved 8-month-old Bernadoodle, who went missing near Laurel House Road in Haines Falls during the Holidays.

Ellson Chen, his partner Ariel Xiong, and another couple visiting from NYC were spending time in the area when the incident occurred. After a day of skiing at Hunter Mountain on January 2, Chen and Xiong began their journey home, leaving Xutu with their friends. The friends decided to visit Kaaterskill Falls, parking on Laurel House Road. During the outing, Xutu escaped, sparking a two-day search involving community members, local authorities, and rescue volunteers.

An hour south on their way home, Chen immediately turned the car around when he received the call about Xutu. “We slept in the parking lot on Laurel House Road that night,” Chen said. With temperatures dipping below 20 degrees on the first night and 14 degrees the next, according to weather.com, concerns grew over Xutu’s safety. “The temperatures were cold. Very cold,” he added.

The search drew significant local support. Village of Tannersville Mayor David Schneider, NYS Troopers, and Town of Hunter police officers joined the effort alongside two drone operators with heat-seeking technology, Alfie’s Pet Rescue members, and a number of community members, including two keylocals, MaryEllen and Jill.

“Our friends saw Xutu multiple times,” Chen explained. “The dog wouldn’t come to them. I thought she would just come over to me if I was there if she saw me. But when I got there, we couldn’t locate her.”

Chen quickly printed and distributed posters while spreading the word through online platforms like Nextdoor and Facebook. The Facebook group named Pawboost specializes in reuniting lost pets with their owners, and was instrumental in helping this story have a happy ending. One post gained over 800 shares, drawing even more volunteers to the area. “At different times, at least 10 people were helping that first day,” Chen said. “The next day, even more volunteers with four-wheelers and cars stopped by to help.”

Despite initial setbacks, the search gained momentum. Drone operators Leon Taufield and another local resident searched by air, while officers with powerful flashlights combed the area.Town of Hunter Police Officer Marino Romio, off-duty at the time, also assisted by flagging down drivers to alert them about the missing dog.

Chen saw Xutu briefly for the first time on Friday morning, darting across North Lake Road. Later that night, she appeared again in the same area. Acting on advice from MaryEllen and Jill, Chen adjusted his approach, leaving items with his scent and food around the area. They explained that Xutu was likely in “feral mode,” a survival state where animals become wary of everyone, even their owners.

“They advised me to sit down on the ground once we saw Xutu, not make eye contact, and slowly throw out food toward her,” Chen said. Jill and MaryEllen also helped disperse food around the Laurel House parking lot to lure Xutu out of hiding.

The breakthrough came Friday night around 10 p.m. when Xutu was spotted near the treeline at Laurel House Road and North Lake Road. Chen followed the advice he’d received, sitting down and calling her name. “She heard my voice and walked over a little but was hesitant and kept backing up,” he said.

Finally, Chen tried calling his other dog’s name, Bobo, who was at home. “The moment I called Bobo, Xutu started getting closer and closer,” Chen said. He believes it was either jealousy or the familiarity of her sibling’s name that made her trust him. Xutu cautiously approached as Chen continued to toss chicken to her. “At a point when she was right by my hand, there was a split second where she smelled my hand, caught my scent, and you could see her snap out of feral mode. She then jumped into my arms.”

Chen expressed deep gratitude to everyone involved in the search. “If we didn’t have Maryellen and Jill, we wouldn’t have known how to approach her,” he said. “We are super thankful for everyone’s help.”

The Village Mayor also played a role, bringing his Labrador, George, to track Xutu’s scent. “Mayor David Schneider was really nice,” Chen noted.

The safe return of Xutu was a testament to teamwork, kindness, and perseverance.