ICYMI: WATCH: Maddox's Rescue; Bringing the Scared, Lost Mastiff Home

WESTBOROUGH, MA — For nearly a week, Maddox was lost out in the 'boroughs, missing from his new home in Marlborough, and wandering as far as Westborough. Paul Andrews and his family had just adopted Maddox from Arkansas, so not only had the dog taken off, but in unfamiliar territory.

The pup, a three-year-old Mastiff, has been reported found and safe at home, but not without a lot of coordinated effort and caring neighbors.

"I would like to thank everyone that helped to find Maddox!" wrote Andrews. "All of the people who re-posted, hung fliers, said prayers, kept us in out thoughts and most of all Lisa at Missing Dogs Massachusetts, Anne Marie Rakovic, who tirelessly helped with fliers and for keeping me calm during the capture, and Mike the dog whisperer who coaxed him out of the swamp thicket."

Hope sprung when children from a day care program, and a hotel worker, on Computer Drive in Westborough said they spotted Maddox.

Andrews called Rakovic, who is active with Greyhound Amber Alert, who brought in her friend Michael McCann. Joining Westborough's animal control officer, McCann has a long history of dog searches.
Before others joined him, Andrews spotted Maddox, who had a blue garbage bin cover around his neck, lying down in a grassy slope by water near a fenced area off Route 9 in the Industrial Park area of Westborough. Slowly approaching him, Maddox stood up when he was within six feet. Andrews tossed some food but Maddox only ate a piece of steak. The animal control officer, McCann and Rakovic arrived.

"The strategy was to do a quasi-finesse rescue," said Rakovic, "which is where basically you try to let the dog come to you. And you do not actively engage with the dog by looking at them, standing up or approaching. Michael was eventually able to get close enough to sit down in front of Maddox and not face him, but he was able to drop him some food that he eventually ate. And then after a bit he was able to slip a leash around his neck. And after another long while Paul and Michael walked out of the woods with him."
The process, explains Rakovic, took somewhere between an hour and a half to two hours from the time that Andrews first saw Maddox.

"In a situation like this you have to go extremely slowly, which Paul and Michael did," said Rakovic. "And I give them the most amazing amount of credit. Maddox let us all pet him and he seemed to be in really good shape. He was just loaded with ticks. The family is taking care of the ticks and he has a vet appointment scheduled. And that's a real Thanksgiving story!"

Photos submitted Ann Marie Rakovic