MASON COUNTY, Mich. — In Free Soil in Mason County, Michigan, a problem had been afflicting them for months.
An elusive German Shepherd kept escaping rescue.
“He was the talk of the town, I would say, there for a while," said resident Staci Rybicki.
“Every time they tried catching them, he disappeared," said her husband, Dan Rybicki.
The dog was aptly nicknamed ‘Ghost.’ They estimate he walked from 40 to 50 miles away after getting loose during a rehoming situation.
Mason County Animal Control and a non-profit organization, Mason County Mutts, had been trying to capture him since March. The community would post sightings of him from all around Free Soil and beyond.
One spot he seemed to enjoy, though, was the Rybicki’s yard. They would spy him out front playing with their dog, Cookie, on occasion.
“I couldn't get, you know, real close to him, but enough to see who he was and that he was the lost dog and I'm like, okay, that's the one they're talking about on Facebook," said Staci.
Ghost wouldn't let anyone get too close. Until one hero stepped up to the challenge of capturing him — Staci and Dan's son, 7-year-old Eric Rybicki. Wielding his weapon of choice, a meat stick, he was lured the lost pup to his garage.
“He would just keep inching it back," said Staci.
Ghost followed him right in and miraculously, stayed put as he closed the door. It was a tactic the professionals were unsuccessfully trying for weeks.
“He picked us, he needed that love,” said Staci.
They say it was a proud moment for themselves, as well as their son.
“He was so excited. He ran inside. He's like, 'I did it! I did it!' And he's like, 'I got him!'” said Dan.
The Rybicki’s called Mason County Mutts to pick Ghost up.
“He was a little timid trying to get him in there because I think he kind of knew, you know, I'm leaving," Staci explained.
Not even 24 hours later, they knew they made a mistake. They asked Eric if he wanted Ghost to stay with them.
"His eyes lit right up. And he's like, 'You think we can?' I was like, 'Whoa, I didn't even know if he's available yet. You know, we might go back to the original owners,'" Dan said.
Back at the shelter, it turns out Ghost was surrendered by his previous owners. The Rybicki’s knew it was fate.
“We connected with each other," said Staci. "We got that, you know, that feeling of okay, maybe this could work.”
They decided to rename him to fit his new life. The little runaway is now named Shadow, thanks to the fact that he's always following the Rybicki's two children around the house.
Although he didn’t know what treats were (or any commands), the Rybicki's think Shadow decided to stay because he knew he was finally in the place where he belonged.
Now Eric and Shadow get to spend their days playing fetch in the front yard of their home — like the true superhero and sidekick that they are.
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