Warrior was a stray dog that loved to go on “walkabouts” around Owen Park.
No one knows how Warrior wound up in the park, how he survived in the neighborhood or what his story was.
“We just knew he was a terrific dog,” said Julie Foote, who lives near Owen Park just northwest of downtown Tulsa. “He was so smart and so much fun. We all kind of adopted him.”
Warrior continued to roam the neighborhood for months. Eventually, residents got him treated for medical issues and into a rescue/adoption program.
Now, Warrior has traded Owen Park for the Rocky Mountains near Evergreen, Colorado.
“A true success story,” said Susan Grace, Oklahoma coordinator for Mountain Pet Rescue. “He’s gone from wandering around Owen Park to search-and-rescue training in the mountains. Just fabulous.”
Grace coordinates Colorado adoptions of Oklahoma rescue pets through Mountain Pet Rescue. Warrior was among 48 Oklahoma rescue dogs adopted by people in Colorado.
Adoption information is kept private, but Warrior has been doing search-and-rescue training in the mountains near sites where the U.S. Ski Team has been practicing for the Winter Olympics.
The XXIII Olympic Winter Games get underway Thursday with curling and ski jumping in Pyeongchang, South Korea. The opening ceremonies will be Friday.
Apparently, Warrior has become a favorite with some of the members of the U.S. Ski Team. As a result, some Owen Park residents will be watching the Olympics with a little extra interest.
“All we know is that Warrior is still in training for search and rescue,” said Foote. “He’s the perfect dog for that.
“When he was living in our neighborhood, he had perfect recall. He knew how to survive. I would certainly want him looking for me if I was lost or needed help.”
The dog was named Warrior by a young girl in the neighborhood because of a wound between his eye and nose. People started setting out food and water for him near Owen Park and in adjacent areas.
“He didn’t know any boundaries,” said Foote. “He wandered all over this part of town. He was even spotted crossing I-244 a few times. We all knew him and wanted to help him. He just preferred to move around the neighborhood. If someone took him in, he’d tunnel out or get over just about any fence. Then, in the evening, he would return to that spot like nothing had happened.
“We knew we needed to find a solution.”
So the neighbors started working with Dr. Robert Poteet at Cedarwood Veterinary Clinic in Tulsa and Country Club Boarding Kennels near Coweta.
“He got all the medical attention he needed and got hooked up with a great program for rescue dogs,” said Foote.
Mountain Pet Rescue looks for dogs that would adapt well to the mountains in Colorado from states such as Oklahoma.
Oklahoma has a surplus of rescue dogs, and Colorado has a surplus of potential adoption families.
The rescue animals are evaluated and matched with potential adopters in Colorado. Then, the animals are transported from Oklahoma either by ground or air transportation.
“The people over around Owen Park did an absolutely wonderful thing by caring for Warrior,” said Grace. “They cared for him and then made sure to get him the help to get healthy. Then, they got Warrior into a program where he could be placed with a family.
“He now lives in Evergreen. He’s healthy and happy. He’s with a terrific family and he gets to run around and play in the mountains. He’s learning new skills in the search-and-rescue program.”
Warrior’s training is in avalanche search and rescue. All of the Oklahoma rescues are, according to Mountain Pet Rescue, “larger dogs who will adapt to Colorado much easier than the heat of Oklahoma.”
“He’s got a great sense of smell, so this is a perfect fit,” said Grace. “The people in Tulsa spent a lot of time and effort on this dog.
“Seeing pictures of Warrior so happy in the mountains, with so much space for him to go on his walkabouts, is such a wonderful thing.”
So often, the stories of rescue dogs do not have a good ending.
The story of Warrior “makes us all so happy,” said Foote. “We won’t get to see Warrior during the Winter Olympics, but every time we see the mountains on television, we’ll think about him.
“I’m happy we had a hand in giving Warrior a second chance at life.”
