EPIC Animal Recovery

ATHENA FROM KANNAPOLIS IS SAFE SAFE SAFE!! It was a long 4 days!! Athena’s family reached out so we took the Search dogs out on day four… I kind of messed up the mapping, but the orange line is the actual track… The purple X is where Athena was located. The red mark shows the location that we actually stopped the track… In this location, Joker stopped and started to circle back… So we decided to take a break and we were about to start working the backtrack when we got the phone call that somebody had Athena. We jumped in the vehicle and rushed to their house! Come to find out it was just a couple of houses down from a corner lot where Joker got a hard hit & we had made a note to go back to check that area. The finders took the reward and Athena is home safe..🧡 Nothing like the added pressure of a search dog, looking for the dog that they had in their possession for FOUR days…. Maybe they saw us.. Maybe it was a coincidence.. Maybe not.. 🤷🏻‍♀️ 🤣😜 Athena’s family knocked this out of the park! They were ready to find their girl!! And that’s exactly what they did… 🧡 CONGRATS!! #epicanimalrecovery #epictrailingdogs #lostdogs #nopetleftbehind #nevergiveup

TEDDY IN HICKORY IS SAFE AFTER 4 LONG DAYS!!! Poor Teddy’s herding instincts got the best of him and he decided to try and herd a car that was speeding through the neighborhood!! In the blink of an eye, the car hit Teddy as his Mom watched, helplessly. It was a horrible accident.. Teddy took off so quickly that no one saw where he went. After multiple people searched for hours, they still came up empty-handed… The following day, his mom reached out for help… Terrified at the thought of Teddy being lost and wounded his family feared the worst… Nicole took the call and created new flyers for them and gave them some great coaching.. They wasted zero time and followed instructions perfectly! Nicole told me what had happened and I was able to get the search dogs out on Day 3. Nicole and I met the family at their home. They were ready to roll! We put Seeker out immediately and she was hot on Teddy’s trail! After working through the saturated scent areas, we followed Seeker through the woods, over a creek, more woods and a steep climb out to a nearby neighborhood. Seeker didn’t miss a beat. And poor Teddy must have been so scared to cover the distance that he did.. But this is good. He was moving and we saw no sign of a major injury along the way. We stopped to give Seeker a break and let EPIC step up. Epic got us across a very busy intersection into another neighborhood… Teddy was a busy boy…. But to wrap things up, we put Seeker out one last time and she crossed back over through the busy intersection along a different path and started to circle back around to the area we had just come from. This was exciting information! We knew there was a good chance that Teddy might be circling back… The icing on the cake was the ride back to Teddy‘s house…. His mom said “Let’s just take the shortcut back…” When I saw this shortcut, I couldn’t believe how close we were to their home! Teddy could surely find his way back!

THE EPIC FUND IS HERE!! 🐾 We’re beyond excited to launch THE EPIC FUND—a donation based program to assist pet owners facing tough times with the cost of Pet Prescription Diets & Pet Medications!! After Hurricane Helene, we saw a need for ongoing support, especially for pets on special diets & meds.. Now, thanks to our amazing donors, we can help!! ❤️ 📣 NEED ASSISTANCE?? We start accepting applications February 15. Please email [email protected] for an application!!.. 📣WANT TO HELP?? Every donation makes a difference! Use the donation link below or email us for contributions over $250. Thank you for helping us, help them!! This wouldn’t be possible w/o each of you.🧡 *501c3 status pending* LET’S KEEP PETS HAPPY & HEALTHY TOGETHER! PLEASE SHARE FAR & WIDE!! Side note: This is not limited to hurricane victims… Anyone that needs help can apply!! #THEEPICFUND #epicanimalrecovery #epicdonors #keepthemhealthy #savinglives #nopetleftbehind https://donorbox.org/epic-fund-pet-prescription-diet-food-meds

SNOWBALL IN CHARLOTTE IS SAFE, AFTER 6 DAYS!!! On 1/18, this kiddo saw his chance for adventure and off he went!!.. After having no luck, Carolyn (his Mom) called us for help!! Initially, Nicole took out a couple of traps and cameras, hoping to go ahead and snag him while he was close to home, but there was no sign of him… Thx Nicole!! His mom didn’t want to wait any longer… And it’s a good thing that she didn’t… I took EPIC & SEEKER out on Day 5.. TEAM SNOWBALL greeted us with enthusiasm and was ready to go!! Carolyn and Jodie (Snowball’s previous foster mom) hit the ground with us.. I also had the pleasure of meeting Snowball’s kitty brother, POTUS! What a cool little dude! NO PRESSURE!! Did I also mention that there was a little girl that was missing her kitty cat big time??!! Ok maybe a LITTLE PRESSURE! 🧡 We had a bit of a contamination issue with our first scent article using Seeker… So we tried a different scent article using EPIC and that did the trick.. 🤩 We were hot on Snowball’s trail! He had quite the adventure!! After almost 2 miles of trailing him, the trail circled back to Snowball’s street.. So we knew he was close. Food station and camera was set up a few houses away where we found the heaviest scent… The following day I got the best text from Carolyn!! They had found Snowball right next door in the garage!!! Nicole & I were stoked!! But Snowball wasn’t coming home without a fight… So they set the trap up in the garage and Snowball went in overnight… 🧡🧡🎉🎉 WELCOME HOME SNOWBALL!!! WAY TO GO CAROLYN & TEAM SNOWBALL!!! Scent works!!! 🎉🤩Be sure to watch the video of POTUS welcoming his brother home!!🧡🧡 #epicanimalrecovery #epictrappers #epictrapping #nopetleftbehind #lostcats #lostpets #neverevergiveup #searchteamsrally #TeamEpic

DOLLY IN JOHNSON CITY, TN IS SAFE!! Dolly is only 2 yo and used as a breeder dog and once no longer needed, she was rehomed at the ripe old age of 2yo!! Yep. 2!.. At the end of September, she escaped from her new home and ran like the wind. Her new “Owner” said he had no time to try to recover her and just left her. BUT!!….. Dolly settled into the corner of a nearby neighborhood where she met some amazing people that would take good care of her.. And maybe spoil her just a tad. lol 🧡 JOLENE, ADRIENNE & KENT!! YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST! Dolly was just too scared to give in and often slept out in the elements. Even with a warm doghouse right next to her.. It was gut wrenching knowing how cold she must have been.. We got the call to assist with her capture so off we went!! Volunteer extraordinaire, Rhonda, and I loaded up equipment and headed out to TN. After attempts with a conventional trap didn’t work, we knew it was time for the Mac-daddy trap.. Especially with colder weather settling in… We got the trap set up yesterday and due to timing, we left it open overnight. Dolly eventually let her guard down and wandered inside last night… So we knew that it was GO time today… The team rallied, got everything set and within minutes, Dolly was safely trapped!..🧡🧡🧡 She has been transported to a Rehab facility in Knoxville, where she will receive the TLC needed to learn how to be a dog and family member and not just a backyard producer. We saw her beautiful face on camera everyday and knew that she was something special. Jolene, Adrienne & Kent.. Thank you for loving this girl and for giving us the chance to help!! You guys are amazing!!! GOOD LUCK DOLLY!!!!! #epicanimalrecovery #epictrapping #neverevergiveup #lostpets #lostdogs #stopsupportingbackyardbreeders #saveashelterdog

THREE MORE SAFE!!! We help when and where we can.. And we have been so fortunate that loving homes have been found for the strays we help. Shout outs to Sharon, Chrystal & Valentina for stepping up and helping with these pups!! GREAT TRAPPING NICOLE!! You all rock!!!! #epicanimalrecovery #lostpets #straylivesmatter #epictrapping

THIS JUST NEVER GETS OLD.. 🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡 This blonde beauty was being seen in Charlotte, near MacKenzie’s neighborhood, for about a week.. They reached out to MacKenzie and offered to keep her once trapped. If no owner came forward. Nicole & MacKenzie went over to set up a trap.. No sooner did they get the trap ready, and here comes “Blondie”.. She smelled that yummy concoction!. The girls didn’t even have time to set up a camera!! So they rushed back to the vehicle and Nicole was actually able to record the trapping live!! This pup was trapped and safe w/in 5 minutes of set up! Another pup safe and off the streets!! Now, with any stray we help with, we always do our due diligence, by following proper protocol and we try to locate an owner. We were actually able to connect with this dog’s owner and come to find out this dog had been missing for TWO months! She was lost from the pet sitter. The owner had given up hope, and actually had moved to a location where they do not allow dogs… So unfortunately, she was not able to take the dog back… However, she did relinquish ownership and this pup now has a brand new home and a new family who absolutely adore her!! GREAT TRAPPING NICOLE & MACKENZIE!!! 🎉🎉👏🏼👏🏼 #epictrapping #epicanimalrecovery #straylove #notallwhowanderarestray #nopetleftbehind

BUCKY FROM MORGANTON IS SAFE!!! A picture is worth a thousand words….. The last pic in the video is no exception!!! 🧡🧡 This 30lb snuggly boy was on the move!!! His mom stayed hot on his trail and with Kristel’s guidance, we now have a great reunion and another one home.. Way to go Team Bucky!! #epicanimalrecovery #epiccoaching #nopetleftbehind #lostpets #reunionsrock #neverevergiveup

CALDWELL CO DOG IS FREE!! They are calling him Grizzly… 🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡 He is on his way to the vet to get his splint changed… And get a thorough check up… Then he goes to his foster home for lots of love and healing.. Holly said he let out a huge sigh of relief, when he laid down in her vehicle.. 😢🧡 I’ll post any new pictures of him here.. Again, many thanks to Labor of Love Transport Rescue for pulling this handsome guy!! And huge thanks to all of you for your donations!! It’s a happy happy day!!!! Go get ‘em Grizz!!!! Yayyyyyyyy!! 🎉🎉🎉👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 Donations and pledges can be sent via the information below… LOL EIN 84-2308030 Donate by Check Labor of Love Transport Rescue PO Box 392 Horse Shoe, NC 28742 Credit Card or PayPal https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=88BNUG3FKD436&source=url Venmo https://www.venmo.com/u/laboroflovetransportrescue #epicanimalrecovery #showthelove #community #itsalaboroflove #teamwork

Another stray off the streets.. 🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡 This amazing Belmont community reached out about this handsome guy that had been wandering the area for about three months… It was a matter of us being able to find a rescue that would agree to take him before we could do any trapping… In the meantime, Nicole along with a few wonderful ladies that helped with the recovery efforts, mapped out his routine and got a couple of food stations with camera set up… It was no time before we were seeing him on camera and got him locked into a food station… As soon as we got the greenlight from one of our local rescue partners, Nicole took a trap out.. Within two hours of going LIVE with the trap, this big guy was caught and safe… Even after the trap door went down, he continued to eat… 🧡 He did not even turn around to acknowledge the door closing behind him… He was safely transported to a secure location where he was released from the trap. As you can see in the video, he is a sweet, scared and very tired boy. WELL DONE NICOLE!! 👏🏼👏🏼 This could not have been done without the help from Jaime, Jean and DeAnn!!! WAY TO GO TEAM!! Many thanks!! #epictrapping #nopetleftbehind #epicstrays #lovearescue #epicanimalrecovery

After being lost for a month, Olive from Lincolnton is safe! Weighing in at 82 pounds and only 6 months old, Olive, the Great Dane, made her way across the country to her new home. But after just 3 days in her new surroundings, she was so overwhelmed and shut down. A friend of her new mom was walking her and accidentally tripped over the grill and dropped Olive’s leash. Olive seized the moment and took off!!.. A month is a long time for this little gal to be on her own… Initially, sightings were coming in and then everything went quiet. Her owner quickly realized this beautiful pup needed more specialized help and love than she could provide, and she made the heartbreaking but selfless decision to relinquish Olive to us. MacKenzie and Nicole immediately got to work putting up flyers and spreading the word. The calls started coming in, but it was one call that changed everything. Kenny, a kind neighbor, called and shared a picture of Olive resting in his yard. He mentioned she had been there for over a week and graciously gave us full access to do “whatever we needed” to bring her home. And thats exactly what we did. Armed with a trap and cameras, MacKenzie and Nicole made the hour long trek out there and set up that night. Olive never showed. On the second night, Olive appeared on camera – but showed no interest in the food or the trap. So, we left the trap open and began conditioning her to go in. To our surprise, that night she ate inside the trap! The next evening, they set the trap to go LIVE and had plans to do an overnight campout. While setting everything up, Olive watched them from a distance, waiting patiently for her dinner. Then the magic happened… I was watching the Live feed cam when Olive went into the trap. Nicole & MacKenzie had not even made it out of the driveway… I texted Nicole immediately.. “IT’S DONE. GO GET HER!” And just like that, Olive – now renamed Nala – was safe. She’s now with our friend