Missy the loyal dog finds hope after her owner’s death

In a heartwarming turn of events, ER24 crews uplifted a nine-year-old dog named Missy after finding her loyally sitting next to her deceased owner in Johannesburg North. Her owner had been dead for approximately two days by the time he was found.

Missy was discovered by paramedic Lizaan Meyer when responding to a call about a possible declaration of death. “It was obvious that she was very loved and spoiled by her owner. She had lots of food, biscuits, and treats and stayed in the house with him.”

Meyer recounted the discovery. “Upon arrival, I found that the doggy’s owner had unfortunately passed away. His neighbour could not get hold of him since the previous day and phoned the security company, who then phoned us.
“Missy was found lying in the bedroom next to her owner’s body. She would look at me and make whimpering sounds, obviously mourning the death of her owner. That broke my heart.”

After speaking with the deceased’s daughter, Meyer learned that she had nowhere for Missy to go.

She reached out to her branch manager, Alet Reed, for assistance. “Luckily, I am blessed with a manager who also loves dogs, and she immediately reached out to her contacts and helped me to find a kennel for Missy to stay at until we found her new home. She then reached out to more dog-loving colleagues, who got the word out and found Missy’s new family.”

Reed explained that Missy is currently staying at a kennel where she has been warmly received. “She is in a phenomenal kennel, where the dogs are in constant care. She has, however, been spending the majority of her time in the house with the owner and her dogs.”

Reed reached out to Bianca Peens, a former colleague active in the animal rescue world, who swiftly found Missy a new home in Cape Town. “Thanks to a very generous heart, this offer came very quickly. It all came together so quickly, I still cannot believe it.”

Missy will soon join her new family, who are eagerly awaiting her arrival. “I think she will love her new environment, with siblings to play with and owners that care for her and love her dearly, that’s all she needs right now,” Meyer said.

Reflecting on the experience, Meyer expressed, “I am truly grateful that I have such compassionate colleagues who are willing to go the extra mile and make a situation a little bit better for someone else. A boss who without a doubt jumped in and supported me. It is humbling and heartwarming to see that sometimes it is just the little things in life that make the biggest difference.”

Reed agreed with Meyer and said, “None of us know how our day is going to end, and all we can hope for is that there are people out there that will help us out.”

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