A fun-filled day was had by Stefanie and Duane Lindsay and their three-year-old puppy, Roo, at the beach. However, things turned ugly when they were involved in a serious vehicle accident on the way home. Another car struck the pair on the highway while traveling at 65 mph as they were returning from Bodega Bay to their home in El Dorado County, California.
Thankfully, the couple only sustained minor wounds despite the fact that their automobile overturned and came to rest upright in a nearby grassy field. Before they realized that Roo was no longer in the back seat, they quickly checked on one another.
They started to fear the worst when they noticed that the back glass had been blown out. Stefanie was certain Roo was dead after being tossed out the window without her will.
Duane started crawling around on the floor in search of Roo despite bleeding from his head while Stefanie dialed 911. She looked for Roo in the neighboring grass and on the road as she waited for an ambulance, but she couldn’t find her.
When help arrived, firefighters and the highway patrol utilized heat sensors to search the area for Roo while Duane was taken to the hospital.
Due to Covid-19, Stefanie was unable to be with her husband when Duane was being treated for a cracked sternum, so she went back to the region to look for her cherished dog.
She still couldn’t find her, but she wasn’t going to give trying. She posted about Roo on social media in an effort to reach as many local rescue organizations as she could.
Even strangers from the neighborhood began to assist in the hunt for Roo at this point.
The pair noticed a tip that was posted on Facebook 14 hours after Roo vanished. They followed it to a neighborhood three miles from the scene of the collision, where they found Roo relaxing under a tree.
According to Stefanie, “I lost it.” “While waiting for her, I knelt down in the center of the cul-de-sac. She took a moment to realize who I was, but as soon as she did, she rushed over to me.
Thankfully, Roo was just going to suffer from soft tissue damage and road rash.
Stefanie hopes that by sharing their story, others will be inspired to purchase pet safety harness seatbelts.