In Macon, Georgia, a yellow Labrador Retriever named Kota Bean became known in her household for her knack for escaping confinement.
A severe storm compromised the electric fence around her yard, enabling Kota to slip away undetected despite her family’s efforts to improve security.
Kellie Deck Tuten, Kota’s owner, took to Facebook to express the family’s ongoing struggles to contain their adventurous pet. Kellie explained,
“We have tried countless crates, kennels, cages, and other methods to keep her contained during the sporadic hours we needed her to stay put.”
Normally, even after escaping, Kota would return home or be found nearby within a few hours. This particular time, however, Kota did not come back as day turned to night.
The Tuten family immediately began a search, distributing flyers and alerting animal shelters in the Macon vicinity, hoping for any news of their missing dog.
Weeks turned into months, and despite their exhaustive efforts, Kota remained missing, prompting the family’s hopes to wane.
Everything shifted when Kellie stumbled upon the Bibb County Animal Shelter website and recognized a familiar face: it was Kota. Kellie identified the area last seen in the photo’s description and quickly contacted a friend living nearby.
Despite multiple attempts to intercept Kota, the elusive canine always managed to evade capture. Kellie’s persistence paid off when another rescuer, Lisa Wood, reached out with surprising news.
“Lisa had been feeding my dog twice a day and had even taken in Kota’s two litters of puppies, finding them homes,” Kellie shared.
Although Lisa had recently spotted Kota, locating her newest litter proved challenging. Lisa and Kellie teamed up to track down both the dog and her offspring.
Kota was difficult to catch but eventually, Lisa was able to attach a GPS collar on her, allowing them to monitor her whereabouts.
Upon tracking Kota to a secluded location, they encountered a new hurdle. “Kota approached a drainpipe, sniffed it, and then retreated to a spot a few feet away, lying down.
We were almost certain her puppies were inside, but couldn’t hear or see them.”
The team called reinforcements, and with the help of Amy Beth Wall and Sean Wall, they carefully extracted four tiny puppies from the pipe after hours of effort.
Despite reuniting with her pups, Kota remained cautious around her rescuers, using the dim light of night as her cover. It wasn’t until the following evening that she jumped into the car with them, finally headed back home with her family.
Though Kota and her puppies were safe, her behavior had changed. While the puppies quickly adjusted to their new life, Kota needed more time.
“She is still warming up to us gradually. She’s less interested in coming inside now, which is quite different from before. Yet she comes to greet us when we sit outside,” Kellie observed.
Kota still allows cuddles but seems detached, failing to engage with her old toys.
“She doesn’t seem interested in her old toys, and it’s difficult for us—it appears like she’s unhappy here, though it may be lingering trauma from her time alone,” Kellie reflected.
The Tuten family has chosen to patiently support Kota, giving her time to heal at her own pace. For now, they cherish her presence and the lively energy her puppies bring into their home, grateful for their reunion.
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