An exotic dog that evaded capture since escaping Sunday evening from a competition at the University of Rhode Island in Kingston has been found.
Pagan, a two-year-old borzoi, jumped out of his owner, Winnie Kelly’s window after winning 4th place in the hound category at the Providence County Kennel Club dog show.
Kelly slept in her van, searching and calling for two days, then left the search in the hands of a friend, Denise Schumitz, who owns one of Pagan’s litter mates and helps find missing greyhounds.
Schumitz told the Providence Journal Wednesday evening that she and volunteers set up feeding stations and cameras on campus Tuesday night, but they captured no images of the white dog.
Schumitz said later, “Pagan popped out of the woods and started heading toward Flagg Road.” She said within about five minutes, the dog was caught.
Pagan was taken to a veterinarian in Swansea to be checked and then returned to his owner.
Lost Show Dog Still At Large: Police Baffled, Owner Rattled
An exotic dog has so-far evaded capture, since escaping Sunday evening from a competition at the University of Rhode Island in Kingston.
Pagan, a two-year-old borzoi sighthound, escaped from his owner Winnie Kelly of Fall River at the Providence County Kennel Club dog show. The dog leaped from his owner’s van and dashed away not long after winning 4th place in the hound category.
Pagan is probably living in the woods around URI, according to Kelly, who said students have reported numerous sightings since the dog ran away. She’s been combing the area hoping to find Pagan and said she expects him to wear out soon.
“He’ll get so Goddamn tired, that, whoever finds him, he’ll come right away,” Kelly said on Tuesday in a telephone interview.
Kelly has been staying on the URI campus since Sunday. She said she follows up on tips about sightings of Pagan, but so far without success. She advised anyone who sees the dog to play dead, and wait for him to investigate. The dog was located soon after it first escaped, but was accidentally scared off by URI students.
“He probably saw a bunny, he probably wanted to go chase the bunny. And the people around my van, they had other dogs. Their dogs were barking, so he got scared and he took off,” Kelly explained.
The last official sighting of the borzoi was Monday at 6 a.m., according to URI Director of Public Safety Stephen Baker. He said Kelly was considering putting food and cameras on one of the trails in the woods near URI.
“Oh God, what a nightmare,” Kelly said. “I’ve been here for two days straight.”
She urged anyone who sees the dog or wants to help put up fliers to call her at 508-858-6376 . For now, Pagan is MIA.