Rockingham, Vt.
A little past noon on Election Day, Jacqueline Stone, 67, was driving south on Interstate 91 with her puppy Max.
Shortly after passing Exit 7 in Springfield, Stone, who is a resident of Newington, Conn., experienced what Vermont State Police have characterized as a “medical emergency” and went off the road, striking a grass embankment and doing damage to the front and side of her Toyota Sienna.
Max didn’t seem to be injured, but the 10-month-old puppy fled the vehicle and escaped down a grassy embankment and into the woods, part of a sparsely populated area where Commissary Brook meets Missing Link Road in Rockingham, less than a mile from the Connecticut River.
The dog is of medium size, mostly black, but with tan along his belly, paws and the underside of his tail. He also has light tan spots on his eyebrows, giving him a more human appearance.
Stone was taken to Springfield Hospital, while Max “was unable to be located,” according to a release issued by Vermont State Trooper Matthew Steeves.
It was unclear whether Max and Stone would ever see each other again.
But the story didn’t end there.
The following morning, a little past 9:30, someone reported seeing a black dog along I-91. After fleeing the scene, Max had returned, apparently in search of his owner.
Steeves went to the scene of the accident, where “I was able to take him into custody,” he reported in the statement.
The dog spent some time at the newly opened Westminster Barracks, after which, Steeves reported, “Max was reunited with Stone.”
Staff at Springfield Hospital said Friday morning that Stone had been discharged.
Matt Hongoltz-Hetling can be reached at mhonghet@vnews.com or 603-727-3211.