GREENE — The canine’s identify is Ghost and today he’s as standard as some reasonably profitable film stars.
Ghost the husky has been lacking from his Greene home since mid-November. Submitted picture
A white husky, Ghost went lacking in mid-November and the seek for him over ensuing months has been a collective effort — to place it mildly.
Thousands of individuals have been following the gripping drama on social media, and when phrase got here down that Ghost had been noticed within the city of Acton earlier within the week, curiosity within the story reached close to hysterical ranges. The matter has been mentioned almost nonstop on a Greene neighborhood Facebook web page and elsewhere. The folks of this city need Ghost again to his proprietor in Greene and the earlier the higher.
“I’ve been following the story of Ghost since he first went missing,” stated Tina Barbour of Leeds. “I check multiply times a day for any updates I can find. You just want to help so badly but you know that all you can do is wait and report any sightings.”
When you hear the backstory about Ghost and his proprietor, James Ember, it’s not exhausting to know why so many individuals have been staying glued to their Facebook pages in hopes of even the smallest scraps of recent data.
Ember, who has lived in Greene for 26 years, is a carpenter and cabinetmaker who misplaced his 23-year-old daughter in a automotive crash in 2021. It was a devastating loss that left Ember reeling.
“I don’t know how to express this level of emotion and heartache,” he wrote on the time.
Since the lack of his daughter, Ember has relied an ideal deal on his canine for assist.
“I love Ghost,” Ember wrote. “I need Ghost.”
So when the husky went lacking on Nov. 19, Ember was distraught to say the least. When phrase acquired round on the Citizens of Greene community Facebook pagemany locals have been distraught proper together with him.
When Ember first reported his canine lacking, he described it this fashion:
“A smart husky that knows where home is and loves home doesn’t just wander off and not return,” Ember wrote. “Ghost has lived with me for a year and has gotten free about five times, he’s really good at it. It’s usually been when company is visiting and the kids accidentally let him out, he goes and explores for a couple hours, then comes home.”
At first, a whole lot of native folks started getting concerned with the drama. Soon after, it was hundreds. In one estimate, a minimum of 40,000 folks from Greene and past had interacted with Ember’s Facebook posts a method or one other.
The longer the saga continued, the extra invested folks grew to become. They scoured social media for any trace of a white husky being present in one place or one other.
“I was totally captivated,” says Sheila Gurney, a former postal service in Greene. “Each publish that got here up for a white shepherd or husky ended up not being Ghost. It was wonderful as to what number of white dogs there have been lacking. For so lengthy it was by no means Ghost. It was all the time any individual else’s canine. “
Every day, beginning within the morning and persevering with into the late night, the folks of the Greene neighborhood continued to share data with each other whereas awaiting updates.
Then, earlier this week, on Monday, Jan. 15, got here thrilling information.
“There may be a possible sighting of Ghost on Sanborn Road in Acton, Maine,” in line with a Facebook publish.
How did Ghost find yourself in a city almost 80 miles to the south? No one appears to know, however the extra data that got here out in regards to the sighting, the extra encouraging it grew to become.
“Now that they know the area in which he is in now,” stated Barbour, “it’s like you’re on the edge of your seat — just so anxious to hear any bit of news and you just pray for the day they are reunited.”
A publish on Ghost, the lacking Greene husky. His proprietor is urging those that see the canine to not chase him, as a result of the hassle may drive him additional away from rescuers. Facebook
As issues progressed, an animal management officer in Acton discovered himself in the course of all this drama. Ember himself had traveled to Acton and the mission to seize the wayward canine was underway.
With every new sighting of the canine additional emphasizing the assumption that this actually was Ghost roaming the city of Acton, these on the Citizens of Greene Facebook web page have been naturally excited. Excited and keen to assist in any approach attainable.
“GHOST!” wrote Deb Blanchette, in name capital letters to emphasise her glee. “What a emotional rollercoaster this as been with Ghost and James Ember for the people that have been following this.”
Blanchette additionally addressed Ember immediately: “I would be more then happy to go to Acton and help bring him home,” she wrote. “Just say the word.”
Others have been likewise maintaining their fingers crossed and providing assist in quite a lot of varieties. Many have been prepared to assist with veterinarian payments as quickly as Ghost was in custody. Others provided to donate provides, effort and time, no matter Ember wanted when this hectic journey got here to an finish.
Melissa Booker set up a fundraiser to help with medical bills ought to Ghost require therapy as soon as the canine was discovered. There was a way of optimism about all of it. By early Thursday night, greater than $1,000 had already been raised for Ghost and extra funds have been coming in.
“Most of us don’t even know Jim,” Gurney wrote, “but our hearts are with him as he tries to find his best friend. They are talking about having a town celebration and I think that would be a wonderful idea. . . . For once in this miserable world, I am seeing people genuinely care and come together for the sake of a lost pup and an owner’s love. Very heartwarming.”
By Thursday evening, even strangers in Acton have been leaping into the fray.
“Hi, Greene Maine,” wrote Jennifer Lebida Dropski. “I’m an Acton resident and Ghost is around where I live! There has been a sighting this morning. I’m hearing that he ate quite a bit of food last night and they’re going to try to trap him today. We’re all praying here and tons of people looking for him!”
Another girl in Acton wrote that “Ghost just ran through my yard!” Thursday afternoon. With every passing minute, it felt increasingly more like Ghost and Jim Ember would quickly be reunited.
Meanwhile, new threads have been popping up on a regular basis on Facebook.
“Is he home yet?” folks needed to know. “Is Ghost back in Greene?”
Early within the day Thursday, Ember posted an update from Acton, the place he was sleeping in a camper offered by an area resident drawn into the story.
“James had a good night sleep,” wrote Acton Animal Control Officer Jim Driscoll. “He spent the night at Rob Dobson and Kassi Smith Dobson’s home. They opened their doors to someone they’ve never met but have genuinely become friends.”
Ember posted Thursday morning that he has seen Ghost together with his personal eyes and was sure that it was his canine. While the search continued, Driscoll needed to flip to Facebook to discourage folks from getting too immediately concerned within the seek for Ghost.
“Please don’t try to catch him,” Driscoll wrote. “You’ll only force him away from our feeding station, which has taken us a few days to pull him in close.”
Ghost was described as “limping and exhausted” when he was final noticed. With bitter chilly climate on the best way, a higher sense of urgency impressed the searchers to seize the animal as quickly as attainable. Some Acton owners contributed by permitting Driscoll to arrange traps of their garages in hopes of luring Ghost in.
Police officers patrolling close by cities, together with Wakefield, have been additionally looking out for the canine. Driscoll and others continued their efforts into Thursday evening.
“We’re all exhausted,” he wrote at about 9 p.m.
“He’s a savvy little beast,” Driscoll wrote of Ghost, “but so are my helpers.”
With all that occurring, it appeared prefer it was only a matter of time earlier than man and canine could be reunited. On social media, prayers have been provided and hundreds have been ready for phrase again at home.
“Please, Ghost, come back,” wrote Becky Jasud of Greene, “so you can get the love and healing you need. We’re all rooting for you both.”
By Thursday evening, Ghost remained on the run and the drama appeared destined to proceed for one more day.
If solely he knew how standard he had develop into.
This story might be up to date.
« Previous
Androscoggin County arrest logs: Jan. 12-18, 2024
Invalid username/password.
Please examine your electronic mail to verify and full your registration.
Use the shape beneath to reset your password. When you have submitted your account electronic mail, we are going to ship an electronic mail with a reset code.