Molly the dog lost almost 40 pounds during her time away from home
An Iowa family is relieved after being reunited with their dog, Molly, who went missing for five months.
On June 15, Molly’s parents, Randy and Cynthia Ruth, brought the golden retriever to Spitfire Farm in Anita for an appointment with groomer Rose Shoemaker. Molly — who was microchipped but not wearing a collar — decided to exit the grooming session early, escaping through an open door and into the tall corn surrounding the farm.
“Molly jumped off my grooming table and ran out the door into farmland where the corn had just started to get quite tall. She was seen several times for the first couple of months, and lots and lots of effort was put forth to find her. However, no one could catch her,” Shoemaker tells PEOPLE of the canine’s disappearance.
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Spitfire Farm employees tried luring Molly in with toys, treats, and members of her family, but she still couldn’t be captured. According to Shoemaker, the “small, supportive community” of Anita helped the farm and the dog’s owners scour the area.