90-Year-Old Woman’s Dog Leaps From Moving Vehicle Onto Busy Highway

 A 90-year-old South Carolina resident found joy and purpose in a dog named Belle. So, you can imagine her devastation when she thought she lost Belle on the highway. She was terrified she would never see her beloved dog again! For 11 days, the woman wondered what had happened to Belle. Then, her son received an interesting message on Facebook.

Before Belle came along, the South Carolina grandma had an old dog she loved very much. She’d spent the last 16 year with him, having picked him out as a pup in her mid-70s. Unfortunately, his health started failing.

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Three months after her beloved dog passed away, the woman’s son, Tim Whitfield, left, couldn’t watch her grieve any longer. Hoping to find her a new companion, he gifted his mother with a curly-furred, black dog — Belle.

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While of course she cherished the memories she made with her late pet, it was time for her to start a new chapter with a new furry companion. But tragically, on July 15, 2020, little Belle got a bit too courageous.

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Tim was driving down the highway close to Charleston, South Carolina, with Belle in the front seat. He lowered the windows so the dog could feel some wind on her face, and, with his attention divided, she made a leap for it!

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In a flash, Belle was gone. Tim drove around in circles, desperately searching for the curious puppy, but Belle was nowhere to be found. His heart was racing. He’d just picked out that dog to help his mother. This would hurt her big time.

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So, Tim took the matter to the place where family drama and political brawls thrive: Facebook. There, he hoped he could find answers while also keeping Belle’s fate a secret from his mother.

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“I hate to keep asking for favors, but tonight, my Mom’s little dog jumped out of the rear window of the car somewhere between Hwy 7 and 17S intersection and where 17 turns into two lanes,” Tim wrote to on July 15th. He needed help.

Tim Whitfield / Facebook

“A significant reward is being offered…we bought her this puppy after her dog of 16 years recently died. She doesn’t know yet…please help if you can…” he continued in the disheartening post. The family proposed a $2,000 reward for Belle, below.

Tim Whitfield / Facebook

Eventually, Tim had to confess to his mother that Belle was gone. Though news of the quick-as-lightning incident hurt her fragile heart, the family kept their fingers crossed and their hopes high. In the meantime, Tim’s Facebook friends were sending all of their love and support.

Tim Whitfield / Facebook

“Never in my life would I have expected such an outpouring of love, care and concern! Mom is dealing with this, but still heartbroken … please pray for her,” Tim wrote on Facebook five days after Belle escaped. The search continued.

Tim Whitfield / Facebook

But 11 days into the search for Belle, a miracle happened. Belle was found alive and well… in Miami, Florida! Somehow, the adventurous pooch crossed state lines and travelled nearly 600 miles! Tim was dumbstruck. How did this happen?

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According to WCIV, Belle was found on the highway by folks traveling through Charleston toward Miami. Without question, they stopped their own journey to rescue Belle from the dangers of the road.

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They wondered who this frightened pup could possibly belong to. After doing some digging, the valiant family found Tim’s anguished, yet optimistic, Facebook posts about missing Belle.

The strangers looked to the shaking dog they scooped from Florida’s highways and then examined the posted photo of Belle; it seemed to be a match. They immediately contacted Tim via social media. Obviously, Tim was over the moon.

Tim Whitfield / Facebook

“Through a miracle from God, your prayers, active searching and sharing, Belle has been found in Miami, Flordia!!!!” Tim enthusiastically wrote on Facebook, notifying his anxious friends and family members who were keeping up to date on the hunt for Belle.

Tim Whitfield / Facebook

Belle clearly needed to get something out of her system before watching The Price Is Right every morning with her new mom! “A great reminder that when all seems lost, hope must be the constant thought,” Tim continued.

“I will never be able to thank each of you enough for your loving care, from people I’ve never met to the best of friends, for your endearing love and prayers!!” Tim’s warm post read. His relief and gratitude practically flooded out of his social media status.

Tim Whitfield / Facebook

“It will never be forgotten…and please use our circumstance to remind you that God watches over everything, no matter how small! Blessings to everyone!!” Tim Whitfield finished. Clearly Tim’s a religious and/or spiritual dude.

Tim Whitfield / Facebook

We can just picture the look on his mother’s face after reuniting with her scruffy puppy. For her, Belle was more than just a dog, but rather a rare new beginning toward the end of her life. It’s never too late to create new relationships!

Tim Whitfield / Facebook

It’s beyond amazing that those Good Samaritans were able to locate Belle’s owner, as that often isn’t the case when finding a lost dog. But sometimes, a surprise encounter with a mangey mutt wandering the cold streets could be fate in disguise. It was for Kristofer Goldsmith.

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Kristofer Goldsmith assumed it would be just another mundane day in Washington, D.C. He hopped in his electric blue pickup truck in hopes of carrying on his merry way to work. And his drive was just like any other… at first.

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But the Army veteran and founder of High Ground Veterans was stopped in his tracks when he saw a small animal scamper past his vehicle. Oddly, the animal appeared to be wearing clothes. It was a sight that bewildered him.

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Kris pulled over and slammed his truck into park, his eyes not leaving what turned out to be a disoriented little dog in powder blue PJs. Upon approaching the pup, it was clear the furball was nervous, but nevertheless interested in Kris’ help.

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A confused Kris picked up the pooch, who turned out to be a docile angel, and brought him to the safety of his truck. The two stared at each other for a moment before Kris whipped up a makeshift leash for the camel-colored dog out of parachute cord.

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Hoping to find the dog’s owner, Kris let the dog lead the way on an hours-long, aimless walk. “We probably walked a mile in circles,” Kris said. “He didn’t seem to recognize any house or make any attempt to run up on anyone’s front porch.”

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After a failed mission, they headed back to Kris’ truck. When the dog, now more comfortable, nuzzled up to his hero, Kris knew he had no choice but to take the dog to work. He couldn’t deny he was looking forward to having an office buddy.

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Before taking the dog into the office, Kris called the number on the dog’s rabies vaccine tag to see if he could obtain any information on who the lonely mutt belonged to. He found out that the mongrel was just eight months old and adorably named Frosting.

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Though the company promised it would contact Frosting’s owner, it simply couldn’t give Kris any confidential information. So all the duo could then do was wait… and Tweet. Kris thought that perhaps the internet could help locate Frosting’s owner.

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A cocky Kris was nearly positive that he’d get a speedy Twitter response to his explanatory tweet, but alas, goose egg. He wrote that he’d hold the dog until noon, when nearby animal shelters opened their doors. Until then, Frosting would spend the day in Kris’ office.

Soon enough, Kris realized that Frosting was a very good boy, but a clingy good boy. He wouldn’t allow any space between him and Kris, always ecstatically sprawling out on his feet or his lap, which made work sort of difficult.

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“I tried to use my standing desk and he would stand up and put his paws on me,” Kris said of his new buddy. As it turned out, he and his wife had coincidentally planned to adopt a dog just a month later.

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“We were looking for a small dog, a dachshund, who would be easy to travel with,” Kris said. So as he started thinking about the possibility of nobody coming to claim sweet little Frosting, the more he liked the idea.

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At the time, Kris was staying at a summer rental property that was strict about its “no dogs” policy, so Frosting had to spend that first night at Kris’ friend’s house. Frosting (understandably) did not enjoy being ripped away from his new adopted dad.

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“This dog is very, very, very bonded with me,” Kris explained. “As soon as I left, he was glued to the window, looking to see where I went. And in the morning, he was super excited to see me.” Frosting surely didn’t understand Kris would only be gone for a measly few hours.

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Still, Kris had to admit that Frosting’s separation anxiety was cute, and that he too missed the pooch that night. Considering their newfound connection, there’s no doubt that Kris was more than elated when a week passed without anyone claiming poor Frosting.

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“My wife is already attached to the dog. She might die of a broken heart if we couldn’t keep him,” said Kristofer. Though he joked about his smitten spouse, he couldn’t imagine letting go of his new friend. He dreaded having to return the pooch.

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The curious case of Frosting was a bizarre one. Where were his owners? Why hadn’t anyone contacted Kris? Why was Frosting wearing suspiciously clean pajamas when Kris found him? Though there were questions, Kris no longer cared about the answers.

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“He’s nice, quiet and well-behaved. Seems like he’ll be the perfect office dog,” Kris happily said. It looked like the Takoma resident and his giddy wife were set on adopting the pupper who seemingly appeared out of thin air.

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They felt that the name “Frosting” was still a good fit for the doggo, especially considering the good boy was nearly sweet enough to eat. Together, Kris and his wife bought Frosting a new tag to commemorate his gleeful homecoming.

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Kris knew the strange encounter with Frosting was a gift, and fate must’ve had something to do with it. He and his wife never had to go pick out a dog, because in reality, Frosting picked them.

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