User:Naturecindy

Guide Dog Goes Home Across 1,000 Miles

On Dani York’s simple funeral, there were his adoptive parents, trainer, and his elder sister Wendy. His father -old York who was seriously ill – was lying on bed in Greeley Hospital, Colorado, nagging the name of "Dani". In addition to old York, everyone heard Professor Sean Wentsic’s narrative, watching the valuable videos (although not complete). All of them understood how Dani got home from 1000 miles away, which toughed everyone to cry. What is the strength to support this guide dog get home of no return? The book “The loyal dog of Dani” written by Sean Wentsic, published by the United States Intel Corporation records all of this...

In June 2002，puppy Dani was born in York’s house with its five brothers and sisters. In spring of this year, Tonny York’s wife was dead , leaving this blind old man lived along. Old York suffered from cataract a few years ago, he almost can’t see anything now as a result. York’s married daughters wanted York to leave home and live with them, but York didn’t want to. York’s daughters had nothing to do with him, so they hired a tender to take care of their father. Then, York’s female dog bored six little children, which made York very happy. York especially likes the puppy named Dani.

Six puppy’s father is a Labrador fed by York’s neighbor Johnson. At York’s youngest daughter’s suggestion, they sent Dani who was one month old to the guide dog training school in Kansas. Then, Dani got its adoptive parents- Mr. and Mrs. McDonald, and was looked after in every possible way. Mr. and Mrs. McDonald gave the best food to Dani and talked instead of criticize if Dani made mistakes.

Dani took training by itself for the first 11 months, and training with old York for 1 month. In Dec. 2003, Dani finally went back to the York’s house to live with old York. At that time, Dani was 1.5 years old, and old York 67 years old. Old York knows that dogs can live for 13 years on average, so he set a goal of living for 78 years, so that he could be buried with Dani. Since then, Dani got his family name: York. At 8:00 every morning, Dani would be standing in the garden, waiting for his master and guiding him to the park nearby for a walk. Once Dani was put on the special saddle, he would be full access to a working state, “which is very handsome,” said old York.

Days went by, things changing subtly. Old York’s health suddenly turned bad, often being hospitalized, sometimes for a month, putting Dani in Wendy’s house. But it was so unlucky that Wendy’s husband suffered a car accident in spring of 2008, with a leg lost. The expensive treatment put this family to a difficult position. Old York insisted that Wendy doesn’t rent her flat any more and moves to York’s old house. All the housework was taken by Wendy, and she was the only one who could earn money in the family. Very soon, her meager wages were not enough for relief.

In June 2008 when Dani was 5-year-old, old York made a shocking decision: to sell Dani! He said he was often in hospital and didn’t need Dani any longer. What’s more, they were too poor to raise Dani with nice food. Later Dani was bought by a blind man in the city of Garden, Kansas. The deal was 15,000 U.S. dollars. On June 22, Dani’s was sent to the car by York. When the car was driven away, the old man’s eyes were full of tears.

After departure, old York began to stay sitting in the yard alone, not taking a walk in the morning as before...

One morning of the last day in July, when frail old York was still asleep, he heard the familiar dog bark. He got up, opened the door, and found Dani. It was Dani! He toughed, even he was smelly, thin, with some hair missed, but he was Dani! Old York was so excited.

The story of Dani’s coming home from 300 miles away was soon spread, and a number of media asked for interviews, but were refused.

Old York had to figure, that Dani had been sold. It didn’t belong to the York now. then York called the Garden family, ready to give back the dog. But the new master required to refund, because he would never trust Dani again. Old York gave back 15,000 U.S. dollars, embarrassed, upset but also happy.

The news caused the interest of a zoologist--Professor Sean Wentsic. He phoned to York’s home wishing to study at Dani. But Old York firmly rejected the requirement. After refunded the 15,000 U.S. dollars dog purchase, Yorks family life was even more difficult. They decided to sell Dani again. In the next few days, several buyers had contacted York. Finally, taking into account a variety of reasons, they selected Pierre, 1,000 miles away in Chicago. Professor Sean Wentsic came after hearing this .He was feeling that Dani would go back to York’s home it had been sold. Because guide dogs (especially Labrador) memory was very strong. It could remember the difficulties encountering home and the joy of meeting its owner. Heard these speculation of Professor Sean Wentsic, Pierre hesitated. At this time Professor made a suggestion that he can pay the other 7500 dollars but a tracking device must be injected in Dani's body for two months. After these two months, he would remove the tracking device by himself if Dani was still in Chicago. Pierre agreed.

September 14, Pierre, his son and Dani boarded the train from Denver to Chicago, began the 18 hours 40 minutes journey, more than 1000 miles. It was Dani's longest journey in his life. With the help of the GPS, the Professor saw the yellow spot represented Dani moving from west to east. Thereafter, Professor has only seen the yellow spot moving in the small-scale. However, a phone from Chicago informed that Dani has gone when Professor was ready to give up .One morning, all Pierre ‘s family members were out, after walking back with Dani, Pierre did not close the door completely. Dani took this opportunity to escape.

Professor immediately turned on the tracking system. The yellow spot was moving toward to western quickly. Pierre called the police, but police didn’t set file on the grounds of missing less than 24 hours. Furthermore, the role of calling the police was not really helpful because police would not put too much spirit on finding a common dog. There were only two possible reasons for Dani’ stopping: The first : it was adopted by veterinary clinics, and the second: Dani was dead.

In order to solve this guide dog’s backing home secret, Professor decided to bring notebooks, DV and other tools to track Dani. If lucky, Professor would catch up with it. Professor interviewed people who had seen Dani and got the video side of television and removed the location of Dani via satellite. He also made all his ways to contact the masters of the field recorders and got some useful information to restore Dani's backing home line. ”Dani is a human raised dog. Feeding on his own, finding the way and resisting the enemy by itself were a huge challenge. Fortunately, many Americans treated dogs as good friends. Professor interviewed more than 10 people who had fed Dani food.

One old man was even adopted Dani for four days when it was probably the 10th days of Dani leaving the buyer’s home, Dani's leg had been cut by something sharp. It was really terrible. Old man said, "I can not help feeding the child secretly, he saved my life." One day the old man was almost hit by a car because of his cataracts. Fortunately, Dani reminded him that he should pay attention to the traffic safety by biting his pants. And Dani also delivered the old man home. So old man adopted Dani and took care of it.

In the old man’s home, the Dani’s injury has improved. However, the cataract of the old man was not very serious, he often did not need the help from Dani. Four days later, Dani seemed to finally understand that this was not his father York, so he ran away.

After an in-depth study, Professor realized that Dani returned home along the railway from Chicago to Denver (Pierre had taken the train from Denver to Chicago when reclaiming Dani home). Dogs have bad eyesight, the ability to identify was poor, Professor concluded that Dani tracked his way home with the smell of the train and the shock of train’s passing. Coincidentally, the last buyer’s house and York’s house were also linked by a rail.

Many roughs were waiting for Dani on its way home. No people provide Dani food in the wilderness. Professor did not even know when Dani learned from predators. Dani has been becoming a hungry wolf. It caught a rabbit, biting, tearing, grazing…when it was about 30 days for leaving Pierre’ home, in mid-October in cold weather.

In the environment of hungry and cold that made Dani become cruel. He learns the rules of the jungle survival - survival of the fittest. From a group of video, people could vaguely see some stray dogs attacked Dani,its back, neck, legs had injuried badly...

By October 25, something bad happened: the signal of the tracking device disappeared! The reason might be e-depleting. At that time, Dani reached a field between the North Platte and Lincoln about 450 kilometers distance of Platte River from Greeley straight-line. This section was very difficult for Dani to walk over, because this section’s railway was over the river about 2000 meters long.

Day by day passed, in late November, the central United States was snowing heavily, continuing until the end of March. Just entered in January, York felt ill and was hospitalized because of heart attacks. In order to take care old York more conveniently, Wendy rent a house at a low price near the hospital.

Quickly to the February 14, Valentine's Day, romantic atmosphere spread everywhere. But York’s house was still gloomy. A rapid knock broke the silence, Mrs. Johnson-York’s old neighbor-said quickly: “You dog had been found finally! My dear York, Dani went home!” Dani had returned to the old home for four days. As usual, early in the morning, he lay at the door waiting for his owner going out for a walk .But York did not appear. At noon, Mrs. Johnson recognized Dani in the snow. Dani was squatting at the door of the old York’s house like a statue day and night.

After hearing Dani’s back, York was very excited,. He stumbled to go home .Then, at a 200 meters distance from the front door, old Yokr used all his efforts to call "Dani…my dear Dani…”. Dani pricked up his ears, shaking the snow, running toward old York .They met again.

Dani had a leg fracture, emaciated, having a very weak body. Veterinary medicine was chronically undernourished that his life was not long. Half a month after Dani’s death, old York passed away too...