01/21/2025
Wow.
On Sunday, Dec. 15, Carisa Leslie and her husband were visiting Arizona from Canada when their 4-year-old Yorkie, named Khloe, went missing while staying with a pet sitter for the day. Khloe was not familiar with the area, so they were especially concerned that she wouldn’t be able to make her way back to them on her own.
The next day, Carisa's daughter posted about Khloe in Straydar of Arizona, a Facebook group for posting lost and found pets. With assistance from members of the group, the local community and HARTT - Humane Animal Rescue and Trapping Team, a volunteer-based Arizona nonprofit organization that helps locate and reunite lost dogs, they searched day and night for Khloe.
As the days went by, they received multiple reports of Khloe being spotted in and around a retirement community in Mesa. Knowing she was still alive gave them hope, but they were never able to catch up with the skittish pup. They even spotted her once, but she got spooked and ran off.
Then, on the morning of Friday, Dec. 27, the Arizona Department of Public Safety received a report that a small dog was spotted on US 60 near Sossaman Road and that was shared with dispatchers at ADOT’s Traffic Operations Center (TOC) in Phoenix – this is common when animals are spotted on or near freeways. In the TOC, ADOT dispatcher Kristin Godbehere was able to locate Khloe on our traffic cameras, and, thankfully, the dog exited the freeway. Via camera, Kristin continued to follow the dog and posted an update in the Straydar Facebook group.
Leslie said that when they saw the pictures Kristin posted, they knew it was Khloe, who was still wearing the pink harness she had on when she went missing. But, they were surprised to find out the location was more than 3 miles from the area where Khloe had been sighted over the past 12 days.
They went to the area of US 60 and Sossaman Road to try and find the exact locations of where Khloe was standing in the pictures. They stopped to discuss whether they were in the right spot when, after a few minutes of them talking, Khloe came walking out of a nearby bush.
Leslie said so many things aligned to lead them to stand in that exact spot where they were able to finally get back their evasive pup, starting with the pictures and information Godbehere shared.
After surviving on her own for almost two weeks, Khloe was malnourished, dehydrated and tired, but otherwise uninjured and safe. Leslie said they were lucky to find her by the time they did, and that it was amazing she was still alive. Now, she said Khloe is adjusting very well back at home in Canada.
Godbehere said she always tries to help find owners of lost dogs, as she has a Yorkie just like Khloe, and knows she would be devastated if her own dog went missing.
Unfortunately, not all of these animals are as lucky as Khloe. No one wants to think about their beloved pet in a situation like this. That’s why it’s important to always make sure your pet is secured in your home, yard and, especially, in your vehicle when traveling with them.
Reminder: If you see an animal on the freeway, stay in your car and call 911. It may be tempting to get out of your vehicle to try to help them, but by doing so, you could be putting yourself, other drivers, first responders and the animal in more danger. It’s always best to leave it to the professionals.
