How a Baby’s Cries Reunited a Virginia Family With Their Missing Australian Shepherd Puppy
Luna’s family was having trouble luring their lost dog home, but 5-month-old Bowen’s fussing proved to be the trick. By Austin Cannon February 14, 2022 Advertisement Pin FB More Tweet Email Send Text Message Print 
dog laying with baby whose cries are the reason he's reunited Credit: Amber Myers
After becoming separated from her Virgina family earlier this month, Luna the Australian shepherd puppy was thankfully still nearby.
What eventually brought her home was neither a well-placed trap nor a helpful passerby. Instead, it was the crying of the Myers' 5-month-old baby, Bowen.
"I guess she loves him a lot more than we ever thought she did," Amber Myers, Luna's owner and Bowen's mom, tells DailyPaws.
Luna—who at 8 months old loves to play, happily wiggle her backside, and receive belly rubs—escaped the afternoon of Feb. 5. She was in the back of the family's truck while they were running errands close to their Fries, Va., home, Myers says, and at some point, Luna escaped.
The family looked for Luna for the rest of the weekend. They sought help from Sandra Colston, a helpful member of the Missing Animal Response Network who made them a handy map. They also set out their clothes for Luna to smell along with her crate, Myers says.
A trail camera spotted Luna last Monday morning, and the family kept searching for her. Myers' brother-in-law and niece saw her and called for her to come back. She bolted away.
"It spooked her," Myers says.
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That morning on Facebook, Myers wrote, "if you were to see her PLEASE do not call for her she WILL RUN."
When dogs are missing or lost, their behavior will become almost unrecognizable. Their fight or flight instincts will kick in when they're in unknown areas. In a Facebook post celebrating Luna's eventual return, Myers said she was "a completely different dog while she was lost." She wouldn't even approach her sibling dogs, owned by the Myers' nearby family members.
"This is so sad to see her this way," Myers' husband, Travis, texted her.
Later on Monday, much of the family was out looking again. Amber's sister, her 10-year-old daughter Braelynn, and Bowen were sitting in a truck while the others searched on foot. Bowen started to fuss, so his aunt picked the crying baby up and exited the vehicle.
Lo and behold, Luna came running to see her baby brother.
"That's what lured her in, his screaming," Myers says.
The family hadn't planned to make Bowen cry, but someone had mentioned to Myers that dogs do have special bonds with their kiddos. Now that they're reunited, they can enjoy laying down and playing together. Belly rubs sound much more fun than a lonesome adventure outside.
