La. to WNY, a dog's incredible journey

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - From Louisiana all the way to Orchard Park. How did a lost dog wind-up 1,200 miles away from its home?

"Bluebell" was lost and found, then lost and found again. Looking at the sweet and playful dog, you would never know the ordeal she's been through.

It all started four years ago, and more than a thousand miles south, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Bluebell, the blue Great Dane, got loose from her owner's yard, when a landscaper accidentally cut the fence.

Gina Browning of the Erie County SPCA said, "He had lost a few dogs. Every other dog was returned to him, except Bluebell."

Ben Gautreaux says he panicked when he returned from a two-week vacation, and Bluebell was gone.

"I couldn't find her. I didn't know where she was. When I found out she was at the pound, they said it was too late. It had been too many days, for not picking her up and they were putting her to sleep," he lamented.

Unbeknownst to Gautreaux, Bluebell wasn't put down. She was adopted out to a family, that kept her until the Thursday before Easter.

"The family had just moved to Buffalo from Louisiana," explained Browning. "The landlord here in Buffalo wouldn't allow them to keep a Great Dane."

Workers at the Erie County SPCA couldn't believe what they found, when they scanned Bluebell's microchip.

Browning said, "Through microchips, we have been able to reunite dogs, maybe a couple months later, in different parts of New York State. This is the first time in at least 22 years that we've been able to reunite a dog all the way across the country."

Margaret Phillips, a foster dog mom, said, "Luckily, she had the microchip. And it's a happy ending, that she can be reunited with her owners."

Gautreaux gushed, "This is changing our life, because this dog's part of our life. For her to be gone was just horrible; but now she's going to be back, and it's going to be great!"

She'll be going back with the help of a Buffalo business owner, with a very big heart.

Browning said, "He said, "You know, before I commit to this, can you do a little bit of a background check on this man? I want to make sure that I'm not facilitating the transport of a dog to an irresponsible owner.""

Restaurant owner Chris Silverstein is making the trip possible. He's taking Bluebell with him as he goes on a business trip next month to New Orleans and will deliver her to her original owner.

"My favorite news stories are always the dog stories, where they find their way home, or they save somebody's life, or they do some cool act. I just... I love dog stories, so being part of a dog story is going to be kind of fun," he said.

Silverstein is going to document the entire journey, in photos, on Facebook . He hopes to post a new picture about every 20 minutes, over the course of the 22-hour drive. Silverstein and Bluebell will set out for their journey on Mother's Day evening.