When Kiwi went missing, Diana Naegelkraemer and her seven-year-old daughter, Mackenzie, were heartbroken.

The four-and-a-half-pound Yorkshire Terrier puppy had taken off when Jeff, Diana's husband, slipped on a patch of ice outside their Estaire home and dropped the leash. In the dark of evening, Jeff didn't see which way the tiny dog went.

Given her small size and the rural area in which she was lost, Diana wasn't very hopeful Kiwi would turn up — especially not alive.

“It was dark and cold, and I honestly thought the more time that passed, the more likely she would be dead,” she stated.

Filled with grief and anxiety, the family set out into the chilly night with headlights and flashlights pointed in all directions, calling for their pet.
Down the road, neighbours the family had never spoke to before asked what all the commotion was about. As soon as Diana explained the situation, Jessica Boudreau and Calvin Harnish and their kids got dressed, turned on their flashlights and joined the search.

At 1 a.m., the search was put on hold — Diana and Jeff were exhausted, as were the neighbours.

“We came home and Mackenzie slept and I cried,” Diana said. “I was so heartbroken from this entire situation and missed that little ball of fluff so much.”

The next day, the search continued. Diana handed out flyers to her neighbours and continued to search. By mid-afternoon, she hadn't found Kiwi, and she had to leave for work.

What she didn't know, however, was that the search would continue without her.
Siblings Austin Boudreau, 13, Cody Harnish, 13, and Hayley Harnish, 9, along with their dog, Thunder, began looking for Kiwi again as soon as they returned from school. Marching across the snowy terrain near their homes, the kids let their dog lead the way.

“We followed Thunder,” Cody said. At one point, the “hunter-type” dog started digging in the snow near a fallen tree. The children felt a jolt of excitement, but further investigations didn't turn into anything.

However, Thunder quickly moved to another nearby tree — much to the children's delight, Thunder had gotten it right this time.

With her leash tangled among a nest of branches, Kiwi looked back at the kids through her big brown eyes. Scared, she nipped when they tried to free her; but with a bit of coaxing and help from Calvin, it didn't take long to have her freed. Aside from being cold and wet, Kiwi was in good health.

Diana said she didn't believe her husband when he called with the good news.
“It was literally finding a needle in a haystack,” she said. “I still can't believe she survived it.”

The Naegelkraemer family doesn't have enough kind words for the Boudreau and Harnish children that took the time to locate Kiwi.

“We were ready to give up,” Diana said. “We thought she was dead (but) those kids weren't ready to give up and they were persistent. (They) had a genuine love for animals and just wanted to find her.

“I thank God for bringing these kids into our lives,” Diana said. “They are heroes.”

Posted by Arron Pickard