A Tail-Wagger : Family That Had Adopted Lost Dog From Shelter Returns It to Grateful Owner

The family that had adopted a teen-ager’s lost Boston terrier from the county animal shelter returned the pet Friday during an informal ceremony there.

Sunshine Alvarez, 13, hugged Diane Perez of Garden Grove, who had adopted the 9-month-old pooch, and presented her with a bouquet of daisies and a Baby Ruth candy bar for returning the dog, whose name is Baby Ruth.

“I’m so happy,” said Sunshine, a San Juan Capistrano seventh-grader, as she hugged and kissed the dog. “God answered my prayers, and I want to thank him and everybody.”

The Perezes, who had at first refused to return Baby Ruth, said they changed their minds after they read about the Alvarezes’ plight and after dozens of people offered them $350 to buy another purebred Boston terrier.

“Even if we didn’t get the offers, we would have returned it, because we know how it feels when someone steals your dog,” said Abel Perez, 17, who explained that his Chihuahua was stolen a few months ago when thieves broke into the family’s house.

Jack Edwards, director of the county animal control division, said he worked all day Thursday on the reunion effort, and Friday, he even postponed his vacation for a few hours to supervise the handing over.

After Sunshine presented Perez with the flowers and the candy, she was taken to Baby Ruth’s temporary kennel. Baby Ruth leaped into her arms, licked her and, apparently excited by the furious barking of the other dogs, sprang from Sunshine’s arms and ran toward the entrance. Cameramen there to record the event broke into a sprint to follow her.

Edwards said the Perezes will be reimbursed the $78 they paid to buy Baby Ruth and will receive money from the dozens of people who offered them cash to buy another dog of their choice.

Said Edwards: “The moral of this story is that people should have tags on their dogs. If Baby Ruth had had one, this would never have happened.”

On Friday, the Alvarezes promised the Perezes Baby Ruth’s firstborn.

Before leaving the shelter, Sunshine handed out Baby Ruth candy bars to animal control officers, reporters and others who came to the shelter looking for their animals. She said she was planning to throw a Kibbles ‘n Bits party Friday evening.