On A Positive Note: Service dog that disappeared 3 years ago found at New Kensington shelter
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - A story that aired on KDKA led to a reunion between a local woman and her pet.
We first met Jenevieve Woods in 2018. She's a different kind of social influencer who sends out delightful care packages to lift the spirits of her followers. Everyone calls her Peach and her presence is all about positivity.
Peach has a rare and debilitating form of mitochondrial disease similar to ALS. She has emotional support animals that she adores and her family hoped she could benefit from a specific kind of service animal called a stability dog.
"As the mother of a disabled daughter, when she leaves the house, I worry a lot," said Tonie DeLorenze, Jenevieve's mom.
The dogs are specially trained for weight bearing. It's a tedious and expensive process, which is where the story started.
An anonymous donor donated $5,000 for the training and a woman named Shirley Bills gave Peach an Airedale named Amara, a sweet companion, but not a physical fit for Peach.
But instead of Amara being returned to Shirley, the trainer allegedly kept Amara, claiming she was contractually his now. We won't go into the allegations for legal reasons, but eventually, he and Amara disappeared. It was an emotional ordeal that got a lot of attention on KDKA.
Now, fast forward to this fall.
"I got a message from this random person who'd been watching the story who lived in the area," Tonie said. "She sent me screenshot -- this dog is at Animal Protection."
That's right. Three years later, Amara ends up at Animal Protection in New Kensington. The staff watched the story and confirmed it was her.
"Like just by the grace of God, we found this dog," Tonie said. "So she went up there, it was her dog and she took her dog home and I am so happy because I felt so bad that someone had gifted Jenevieve a dog, so gracious to give a dog in hopes of it to be trained and to have this happen."
Meanwhile, Peach plans to keep on giving and inspiring others with her kindness.