DENVER — A dog named Lily took a little too much inspiration from "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" and decided to hop on an RTD bus for a solo adventure.
Lily hopped on the bus somewhere in the Denver area on March 22, according to the Riverdale Animal Shelter. After some time, passengers noticed she wasn't connected with a human and called Adams County Animal Control, which brought her to the shelter as a stray.
"We can definitely say she is a smart dog because she made her way on there and knew she needed to get somewhere safe in order to be reunited with her family," said Tabatha Gormley, community engagement liaison at Riverdale Animal Shelter.
Shelter staff tried to find Lily's home through her microchip and tags to no avail. They extended her stray hold so they could "do some more detective work on our end and kind of follow our procedures and protocols," said Gormley.
Lily was set to be listed for adoption on Thursday, but on Monday, shelter staff learned that her family had been found.
"Absolutely a happy ending to know that Lily is with a family in the home that she's accustomed to. She came here and she knows a ton of demand. She's super friendly. She's super well-fed and well-taken care of. So we're so happy to see the family's mind put at ease and have them be reunited," said Gormley.
Gormley said the shelter's goal is always to reunite strays with their families, when applicable.
"Our number one goal is always to reunite pets with their families in the home where they came from. And you know, definitely exhaust all the resources we have to be able to do that," said Gormley. "And if not, then they go through a medical and behavioral assessment. We find them a home through our adoptions."
Lily was reunited with her family Monday afternoon. Her sibling tagged along on the adventure out of the house but did not make it on the bus, according to Gromley. They have not yet been located.
Gromley said owners should make sure their pets are either microchipped or have ID tags with up-to-date information.
"Pet owners out there, know if your pet is microchipped or they have ID tags, making sure that the information on that is current and checking local shelters maybe even outside of where you think your pet might be lost are really good tips that some people might not think of right away if their pets [are] lost," said Gromley.
