Young girl reunited with puppy missing for 8 days in Windsor-Essex

A seven year-old-girl is thanking the people ofCottam, Ont.and a dog tracker whotraveled for hours to help her find her little lost dog during a record-breaking blast of winter weather.

It was two weeks before Christmas when London Ramsay's ShihTzuBorderSpaniel puppy Iveeran away during a visit withher grandparents.

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"I was really sad," said Ramsay, who stayed with her grandparents to search for thesix-poundpuppy instead of returning home toCambridge.

"A couple nights after I was just not sleeping good because I did not have Ivee."

Record-breaking snow storm

Days after Iveeran away,snow started falling at a record pace.

"I thought the worst, just like everyone else did," said Jamie McDermott, who helped keep an eye out for Iveeafter the puppy went missing.

About 46 cmof snow fell in Windsor-Essexwhile Ivee was out wandering in nighttimetemperatures that dipped as low as -18 C, according to Environment Canada.

By mid-week adog tracking company from Whitby,Ont.got in touch with the Ramsay family and made the four-hour drive to Cottam.

Free search and expertise

KevinMcCormick with Tracker's Edge arrived in the area on Sunday and started to help the family search for Ivee, who had been missing for seven days by that point.

McCormick had to leave that same night, but he toldRamsay to stay in good spiritsit was only a matter of time untilIveewas found.

London and her grandparents put up postersaround the community and sharedpictures of her puppy online,hopeful someone would spot the dog.

A few people sent along tips someone even reported seeingIveecrossa road with some cats at one point but there wasn't much luck until Monday.

Spotted puppy

It was around noon whenMcDermottlooked out his back window and spotted Iveesitting in his back field.

"It was digging up a little bit of snow in the back looking for something to eat," said McDermott, who raced into his home and found some treats.

"The minute I called its name it turned its head and looked right at me," he said.

McDermottwas close, but not close enough. Iveeran to hide in some nearby ceder trees after he started walking towardher.

She looked a littleratty, she had some twigs and stuff sticking out between her nails,- Jamie McDermott

That's when he called Ramsay.

'Ivee, come here!'

"I was getting really positive that I was going to find her," said Ramsay, who enlisted hergrandparents to driveher over to McDermott's house a few minutes away.

Ramsay started to call for her puppy as she walked through the back field.

"I was like Iveecome here! Come here!" Ramsay recalled.

Ramsay sat down on her knees and yelled for Ivee, doing everything she could to bring back the puppy she was given as a birthday gift the day she turned seven.

Then,Ivee appeared.

"Shewalked a little bit up and I just made her smell me and I just petted her nicely and she jumped on me and licked me and I was crying. I was bawling my eyes out," said Ramsay. "I was so happy!"

"I actually had goosebumps," said McDermott, who watched the reunion happen. "It recognized her voice and jumped right into her arms."

Lost, found healthy

The puppy was finallyback in Ramsay's arms,but her days in the wild had left her in rough shape.

"She looked a little ratty, she had some twigs and stuff sticking out between her nails," said McDermott. "I could tell she'd been through the war."

They quickly brought her to a veterinarian who said despite wandering around for more than a week during the worst weather of the winter for this region Ivee was relatively healthy.

Fresh cut, big kiss and a big thank you

Iveemay have been medically finebut she was in desperateneed of a trim, said Ramsay.

"She looks like a rat," she laughed.

"I thought I was going to not have Ivee for her first ever Christmas," said Ramsay, who was extremely grateful for everyone's help searching for her puppy. "I want to say thank you for trying to help find my dog."