Moe is home safe and sound.
The Chihuahua-Jack Russell Terrier mix, missing since early Wednesday morning when he got out of his Aquebogue yard, was found on Ellen Street in Riverhead.
A 15-year-old girl saw the dog in the woods behind her house and coaxed him into her arms late this afternoon.
“At first I thought it was my neighbor’s dog,” said Andrea Perez. “But after I picked him up I said, ‘Oh my God, that’s the dog that was on RiverheadLOCAL yesterday!’ I ran into my house with him and called my mom.”
Moe, a spunky two-year old, was found more than two miles from his home.
“He was shaking and scared,” Andrea said. “I kept telling him, ‘It’s okay, don’t worry, it’s okay,’ and he let me pet him and then pick him up.”
Andrea’s mother rushed home from work and called the owner’s number. His nurse came right over.
Moe is now reunited with his owner, Danny Kriedter, a disabled Aquebogue man who relies on his little canine friend for companionship.
“Danny was crying tears of joy. He was really excited,” his nurse, Suzy Kennedy, said.
Kriedter, 47, is a quadriplegic following injuries sustained when he fell from a roof on Shelter Island in 1994. He had been working as a roofer. He can’t move anything but his head, Kennedy said. He has 24-hour nursing care.
Andrea refused to accept the $500 reward offered for the dog’s return.
“I don’t want money for it,” Andrea said. “I was just grateful for finding the dog.” She said Kennedy insisted on giving her $100.
Andrea, a 10th grader at Riverhead High School, has had a dog herself — a miniature Australian Shepherd — for about a year.
“I love dogs. I love my dog,” she said. “I’m just glad I found Moe.”
Kennedy said she could not believe how people came together to help after the story was published on RiverheadLOCAL and went viral on Facebook.
People showed up, search parties were organized, and a Facebook page was made for Moe. People walked and drove around Aquebogue searching for the wayward dog. People from across the island got involved, said Francine McGerty, who set up Moe’s Facebook page.
“Danny is very grateful for everything,” Kennedy said. “He’s very overwhelmed.”
Moe is still “pretty skittish and jumpy,” she said. So she’s not allowing to dog to be on her patient’s bed until he settles down, since Kreidter is on a ventilator and the dog could damage it.
“Moe is glad to be home and Danny is very, very happy he’s back.”
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