08/31/2026
32 DAYS. HUNDREDS OF MILES. ONE FAMILY WHO NEVER GAVE UP.
WELCOME HOME, HARDY. ❤️
If Hardy could speak, he would have one incredible story to tell.
His epic journey of survival began on July 30th, while he was staying at a boarding and training facility in Bernardsville, New Jersey. Hardy slipped out of a newly placed collar and, terrified, took off running.
The trainer had chosen not to use the Martingale collar because he did not believe it was a good collar. Unfortunately, the collar that was used allowed Hardy to slip free and begin his terrifying journey. Let that sink in.
What followed would become 32 days of survival, determination, heartbreak, hope, and an absolutely unwavering commitment from a family who refused to give up on their boy.
For approximately the first 11 days, Hardy remained within about a two-mile radius of where he escaped. Within two days of working the case, we were able to get him on camera at one of our feeding stations. We moved quickly to get a trap into place and hoped this would be over almost as quickly as it had begun. But Mother Nature had other plans. A massive thunderstorm rolled through with torrential rain, and Hardy never returned to that feeding station.
That storm seemed to mark the beginning of what can only be described as Hardy’s Forrest Gump like journey across New Jersey.
From that point on, every sighting seemed to come from somewhere completely different, sometimes five or ten miles from the last.
Bernardsville. Millington. Dunellen. Piscataway and beyond.
There were stretches of days when Hardy seemed to disappear completely. No sightings, nothing. Everything would go quiet, but we knew one thing, eventually, Hardy would surface again.
Tracking him became like throwing a dart at a map. Hardy traveled the same natural corridors we see so many lost dogs use. roadways, railroad tracks, power lines, wooded areas, neighborhoods and connecting greenways.
And he was incredibly resourceful. Along the way, Hardy apparently discovered feral cat feeding stations, wildlife feeding areas and other sources of food. We would receive a sighting, race to that location, establish feeding stations and cameras and within hours, Hardy would already be miles away. He was always one step ahead of us.
There were countless all nighters spent sitting in cars. Hundreds upon hundreds of posters were hung. Ring Neighbors was updated every time Hardy entered another community. Cameras were moved. Feeding stations were relocated. Maps were studied over and over again.
And through every mile, every dead end and every quiet day…We never gave up on Hardy. More importantly, his family never gave up on him.
We kept saying the same thing…eventually, Hardy would slow down. Eventually, he would make a mistake. Eventually, we would get our opportunity.
Several nights ago, Hardy was spotted in the Dunellen and Piscataway area. Looking closely at the mapping, we noticed a corridor running between homes in one particular neighborhood. Based on the direction of his travels, we strongly believed Hardy had used that corridor. Several nights later, another sighting came in.** Sure enough, right near that same corridor.**
Yesterday, of all days, I left for vacation. Before leaving, I told Hardy’s family that I would remain available by phone and that we had a backup plan in place if something happened while I was away.
Naturally, while I was halfway to the Outer Banks, two new Hardy sightings came in. A feeding station was immediately established.
And last night…Hardy found it.
For 32 days, Hardy had rarely stayed anywhere for long. We knew this was not a situation where we could wait until morning. If Hardy gave us an opportunity, we had to take it immediately.
At approximately 11:00 PM, Hardy appeared on camera. I told his parents, Spencer and Emily, to make the drive to my house in Blairstown, pick up one of my traps, and get it back to Piscataway as quickly as humanly possible. There was no time to waste.
Spencer drove all the way to Blairstown, picked up the trap, drove back to Piscataway and had everything set by approximately 2:30 AM. Then came the waiting.
Like so many lost dogs seem to do, Hardy let his wildlife friends test the waters first. A gang of raccoons arrived, then a fox and then…Hardy.
He cautiously circled the trap. He checked everything out. And at approximately 3:20 AM, only about 45 minutes after the trap was set Hardy walked inside.
HE WAS SAFE...After 32 days of running scared…After countless miles…After highways, railroad tracks, power lines, woods and unfamiliar neighborhoods…After thunderstorms, scorching summer days and nights spent surviving completely on his own…
Hardy was finally safe.
The tears and cheers that erupted when we knew that trap door had closed are difficult to put into words.
This was truly an incredible team effort. Hardy’s parents, Emily and Spencer, went above and beyond every single day to bring their boy home. Their parents Kim, Butch, Thyra and Mark were right there beside them.
And then there were the countless people throughout every community Hardy traveled through who called in sightings, checked cameras, shared posters and generously allowed us onto their properties to establish feeding stations, cameras and traps.
Every single sighting mattered, every share mattered, every person who kept their eyes open mattered. And we are incredibly grateful.
There is one moment from last night that I don’t think I will ever forget. As Spencer prepared to make that long middle of the night drive to get my trap, I told him:** “You’ve got this, Spencer. I know you can do it.”**
His response? “You trained me well.”🥹
And he absolutely did it. This family’s love, dedication and commitment to Hardy is something that will stay with me forever.
From where Hardy escaped in Bernardsville to where he was finally captured in Piscataway was approximately 15 miles as the crow flies. But Hardy’s actual journey stretched far beyond that. He traveled more than 20 miles outward, doubled back, changed directions repeatedly and covered an extraordinary amount of ground during those 32 days. We may never know exactly how many miles those four paws carried him. But we know what kept all of us going**…Hope.**
For anyone reading this whose dog is still missing…for anyone staring at an empty camera night after night…for anyone wondering whether their dog could possibly still be out there…
Remember Hardy.
Thirty-two days. Town after town. Mile after mile. Quiet days with no sightings. Moments when it felt like we were chasing a ghost.
And still, we never stopped believing that somewhere out there, Hardy was surviving.
I truly believe that through all of those miles, Hardy was searching too. Searching for something familiar, searching for safety…searching desperately for his people!
Never give up.
They are out there. They are surviving. And sometimes, when you least expect it, the opportunity you have been waiting for finally comes.
Welcome home, Hardy. ❤️
32 days on the run.
One extraordinary survivor.
One incredible family.
And one very, very happy ending.
Welcome H🩵ME Hardy Pants!!
