Dog Dumped by Owner Travels for 5 Days To Find Sister in Shelter

Two dogs abandoned in Macomb County, Michigan, were reunited after being separated for nearly a week and are now back together searching for a forever home.

Barney and Nutmeg are believed to have been abandoned in the Clinton Township area. While the smaller female dog, Nutmeg, was quickly taken in by a local rescue volunteer, Barney, the male dog, proved harder to help.

Over the course of five days, rescuers used everything from search parties to a live trap to bring him to safety, all while Barney traveled miles toward the shelter in search of his friend. Meanwhile, Nutmeg was in a shelter kennel at The KG Foundation in Detroit. Overwhelmed by fear and isolation, she didn’t lift her head and barely moved.

“She laid in the corner of her kennel, not moving, or barely picking her head up,” Jordan Covington from The KG Foundation told Newsweek. “Her whole body flinched when you touched her, and she would pee or poop if you had to handle her—it was heartbreaking.”

Five days after Nutmeg’s rescue, Barney was captured, marking a turning point—not just for him, but for Nutmeg too. Their reunion at the shelter was an emotional moment.

Initially cautious, Nutmeg soon realized who Barney was. “When she first saw Barney again, she was scared and pooped everywhere being carried into a new room. She growled at first, but as soon as she realized it was ‘him,’ she turned into a different dog,” said Covington. “She was walking around him, licking him, wagging her tail, and even grabbed a bag of treats off the table. It was the first time any of us had ever seen her do ‘real dog things.'”

Despite their joyful reunion, both dogs face significant challenges. Barney has heartworm disease, a painful condition requiring dangerous treatment. While Nutmeg, though improved, remains deeply fearful of new people and environments. “After her spay, she had to get an x-ray because her incision looked a little weird, and the x-ray showed that she has BB pellets all inside her body from being shot at,” Covington said.

Now though, they are focusing on settling into life indoors. “They’re definitely bonded and howl if they can’t see each other,” Covington said. “They have big personalities which makes them all the more lovable.”

“To be transparent with the state of the world and the crisis that animal welfare is in, we know placing them won’t be easy. But it will be worth it. The love they have to give is so unconditional and pure,” he explained. The pair are currently available for a foster-to-adopt situation or a foster home to help them recover physically, mentally, and emotionally.

The KG Foundation, which focuses on community outreach and helping rescue homeless animals, partnered with A Rejoyceful Animal Rescue to care for Barney and Nutmeg. “Although we are the ones who rescued them and are paying for all of their medical needs, the KG Foundation is a community outreach organization,” Covington said. “Our primary focus is keeping dogs in their home and assisting our rescue/shelter partners with homeless animals that we rescue off the streets.”

For now, Barney and Nutmeg are adjusting to indoor life. Staff bring them home for “sleepovers” to help them adapt, and are confident that they will be in a happy forever home before long. “They have no concept of how to live in a home. Nutmeg is afraid of the TV being on and every noise the house makes, but we’ll get them there. They’ll be spoiled house dogs in no time,” Covington said.