Lucky Penny makes it home after 2,400 mile road trip
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A family’s beloved dog, who went on an unplanned cross-country adventure over the holidays, created quite a stir as dog lovers and Alaska Airlines helped to get her home.
Penny, a floppy-eared vizsla puppy from Royal City, Washington, went missing near her home on Dec. 19, leaving her owners, Kendra and Colt Brown, worried sick. When Adams County Pet Rescue put Penny’s picture on Facebook, a woman called to say she recognized the dog from a truck stop. A cross-country truck driver had thought Penny was a stray and had taken the dog.
Over the next several days, the Browns made dozens of phone calls to the trucking company. Once they finally tracked the driver down, he was in Iowa. He agreed to find a shelter where he could drop Penny off.
In the meantime, the Browns, at a loss for how they were going to get their dog home, created a Facebook page, “Bring Penny Home for Christmas,” which garnered some 1,300 followers.
On Christmas Eve the Browns got a call from Banfield Pet Hospital in West Township, Pennsylvania. A dog had been dropped off and the microchip confirmed she was Penny.
With their dog 2,400 miles from home, the Browns needed a Christmas miracle and they got one. Alaska Airlines employees KC Hostetler, state of Alaska sales and community marketing manager, and Marilyn Romano, state of Alaska regional vice president, took a call on Christmas Eve from a reporter in Spokane who had heard the dog’s story. Could they help Penny?
Romano contacted Betsy Bacon, in Alaska Airlines Air Cargo in Seattle, and soon plans were in the works to get Penny home. Volunteers from a local animal rescue drove Penny to Baltimore, where she boarded Alaska Airlines flight 767 bound for Seattle on Jan. 2.
The story ended happily last Friday with a happy, healthy and very wiggly Penny being delivered by Alaska Airlines employees into the arms of her owners, with news teams from three Seattle-area TV stations there to cover the homecoming.
On Saturday, a customer who had seen the news coverage, called in tears wanting to thank Alaska Airlines for getting Penny home. “Everyone at Alaska Airlines was touched by Penny’s story. As the hometown airline, helping folks in our communities is at the core of who we are,” said Romano. “And our four-legged friends are no exception.”
Comments
This is just one of the many reasons Alaska is such a great airline. Thanks Alaska, for getting Penny home!
Everyone at Alaska who made this happen deserves a BIG THANK YOU.
The culture at your company is all about helping people. I will never forget when I was stuck in Boston during Hurricane Katrina and Alaska was one of the first flights out.
That is why my first choice is always – Alaska.
Keep up the good work.
And Thanks again for helping out the couple from Royal City have a truly Happy New Year.
That’s a wonderful caring airline. So glad you got Penny back. I’m a cattle dog owner and they are very special to me as well. Too bad I just booked Hawaiian Airlines, would’ve booked Alaska Air.
Aw! What a sweet story and precious Penny! I’m so glad she was able to return home to her family. Hopefully, Penny received her flyer miles for her unexpected journey. Thanks for sharing this sweet story!
Yes, thank you Alaska Airlines! I fly Alaska whenever I can because there is something qualitatively different about my trips with AS and I’m sure this story illustrates what part of that difference is. There seems to be a culture of caring at AS that I have never found at other airlines.
Thank you Alaska Airlines. I’ve been a loyal flyer since 1994 and its stories like this why I will continue. I’m also a Vizsla owner and you have no idea what special dogs they are. They are funny and huge cudders. I know Penny missed you her family just as much as they are such loyal dogs. I would die if this had happened to my Vizsla. Thank you so much for getting her home!!
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