Ranger rescued

PORTALES — Laura Adkins is calling it a Christmas miracle.

Last Wednesday, Laura and Steve Adkins of Portales were reunited with their dog Ranger after Ranger had been missing for seven months. The dog was found in Roswell, about 100 miles from the Adkins' home.

"It is nice to get the dog back," Steve Adkins said. "We're in good shape."

The 1-year-old Australian Shepherd, who is partially deaf, disappeared from the Adkins' home on May 25 after Steve Adkins left to get a haircut on a hot day.

"I never left him at home. I left him here that morning. When I got back the gate was open and he was gone," he said. "Everybody's 99 percent sure somebody had taken him."

Laura Adkins agreed Ranger was stolen.

"We can make a lot of speculation, but when my husband came (back home), things that were in the yard were missing," Laura Adkins said.

She said Ranger likely went without a fight.

"He was just one of those puppies that was just one of the best dogs you could have. He trusted everybody and was very dependent on other dogs and other people," she said.

Steve Adkins said he and his family spent three or four eight-hour days looking for Ranger, and "we never gave up."

Rumors about what may have happened grew every day the dog was gone.

Someone suggested Ranger had been taken to become part of a dog-fighting ring. The Adkins' preferred hoping the dog had become a loyal friend to another good family.

The next few months included trips to Clovis and Texico, where reports came that dogs looking similar to Ranger had been spotted.

Then late last month, D'Shaun Osborn of Portales was in Roswell and thought she saw Ranger running around.

Knowing it was a long shot, she took photos of the dog and sent them to her friends.

Once Steve Adkins agreed the dog looked a lot like Ranger, Osborn contacted a Roswell friend who rescues animals. Mary Beth Atwood found Ranger in a Roswell animal shelter and helped reunite him with the Adkins'.

Atwood said she learned Roswell Animal Control took Ranger in on Dec. 20 as a stray dog.

None of Rangers' rescuers know what happened to the dog between May and December, but Ranger appeared to have been cared for throughout his adventure.

Steve Adkins was able to take Ranger home after three to four hours of paperwork, he said.

"It was just amazing when we got that call," said Laura Adkins. "It's just meant a lot to Steve. It really has. Thanks to everybody keeping watch. That's what made it happen."

Laura Adkins said she is curious how Ranger would respond to a stranger today if one approached his yard.

"I would hope he has gained some wisdom," she said.