08/02/2025
After a bad fall and a wrist-to-scalpel detour, which I’m still recovering from , we here at Sadie’s have some exciting news to share.
🐾 A Journey of Hope, Determination, and Love 🐾
On June 30, Apollo vanished from his home in Lakewood, New Jersey. What followed was a three-week odyssey that tested the limits of hope, resilience, and the unbreakable bond between a dog and his human. Apollo didn’t just go missing — he embarked on a 19-mile adventure that would lead him through storms, trails and farmland, all the way to Cream Ridge, New Jersey.
From the moment Apollo disappeared, his family sprang into action. His devoted dad, AdahnDray, reached out for help, and together we began a mission to bring Apollo home. Flyers were printed and posted across a three-mile radius to start .. Social media lit up with Apollo’s photo …as well as the Ring app in hopes that a camera might catch a glimpse of him.
Sightings trickled in, and each time, cameras and feeding stations were set up. However, he just kept moving always one step ahead , never returning to the same place twice , never creating a pattern. It was as if he were dancing through the woods, elusive and determined, navigating the trails of Colliers Mills with a quiet strength.. The weather didn’t help. Storms rolled in, and for a week, there was silence. No sightings. No clues. Just the aching uncertainty of not knowing where he was or if he was safe. But we didn’t give up. AdahnDray and I worked tirelessly, day and night, driven by love and the belief that Apollo was still out there, trying to find his way home.
Then, on Monday, July 21, we would receive that break that we were waiting for.. A call came in from Art, the owner of a farm in Cream Ridge. He’d seen the posts and realized the dog his workers had spotted since Friday was Apollo. Art didn’t hesitate — he called AdahnDray immediately. Following our instructions, he left out a plate of food just enough until his dad would arrive . It was at this point where we would determine whether we needed to place a trap for his reunion or whether his dad would be able to lure him.
When AdahnDray pulled up to the farm, Apollo was there — just behind the house. I stayed on the phone with him, guiding each step. He got out of the car slowly and began to walk up the side of the house. It was then that he saw Apollo but he trotted off again behind the house .. I instructed him to sit down on the ground and wait , sprinkling liquid smoke around him and food in front of him . It was at that moment his dad could hear rustling behind him as he kept his back to Apollo, speaking softly and never making eye contact. .. I hear him,” AdahnDray whispered. “He’s behind me. I can feel him getting closer. I can almost feel him breathing on me.”
And then, in a moment that felt like magic, Apollo walked right up to his dad — not for the food, but for love. He began licking his face, tail wagging, heart full. The reunion was pure, raw, and beautiful. No trap, No force, Just trust, patience, and the deep connection between a dog and the person who never stopped searching for him.
Apollo was finally safe..
This story isn’t just about a lost dog. It’s about a community that came together — neighbors who shared posts, left out food, and called in sightings. It’s about a father who never gave up… It’s about hope, even when the odds feel impossible.
To everyone who played a part in Apollo’s journey: thank you. You helped write the ending to a story that could have gone so differently..
Thank you to AdahnDray for trusting me, and the process ..
🐾Welcome home, Apollo. You were missed. You are loved and you are finally where you belong🐾 ❤️🐾
