Nevada Family Reunited With Rescued Dog

After months of running with the coyotes, one pooch is lucky enough to be reunited with his family.

Hades, a 4-year-old Bull Terrier mix, was returned to his family on February 13. But not without some issues first.

The dog was found in the wild by a woman who nicknamed him Ghost. There was a brief custody battle over who Hades would reside with- the lady who found him in the wild, or his family.

However, the Cabada family from Las Vegas was able to provide many photos, videos, and documents proving Hades was indeed a member of their family.

Kelsi Pizzi, a spokesperson for Animal Foundation Shelter, told USA Today that with all the information the Cabada family provided, it was clear that this was their dog. She then went on to add it was a very emotional reunion. Once Hades spotted the Cabadas, he ran over to them. His tail was wagging the entire time. It was evident that Hades missed them, as he kept jumping into everyone’s arms. And the children had happy tears.

Christy Cabada told USA Today that the entire incident was very emotional. She felt horrible all week, with a knot in her chest, and felt anxious. She said it all melted away as soon as Hades recognized them. She then added her heart was so full of love.

The family of four bought Hades some Valentine’s treats, and he went home and lay in his big, fluffy bed.

Hades has been on the run since August. Cabada told Inside Edition that the pup was able to escape when they were outside. Their fence was small, and the dog could jump right over it, setting him free. Prior to finding the Cabadas, authorities had thought the dog was dumped into the desert.

Residents of the Inspirada neighborhood of Henderson said they had seen the dog on a nearly nightly basis. They then decided they needed to post pictures of him on social media. In these photos, it appears that Hades was not only accepted as one of the coyote pack, but some stated it looked like he may have been the leader.

Susan McMullen from the Southern Nevada Trapping Team said that Hades just fit right in with all the wild animals. The coyotes seemed to accept him right into their pack, she told Fox 5 Vegas. McMullen said the dog looked to be injured, which was the main reason she wanted to capture him. She was fearful the coyotes would turn on him.

The all-white dog had several individuals try to capture him, but he ran away each time. This is why he became known as Ghost.

Crowdsourced information was utilized by the Southern Nevada Trapping Team to find Hades. After some time, they were able to lure the canine into a crate filled with food. The team observed how deep Hades’ appetite was when an examination showed that the pup lived on eating rocks while in the wild. USA Today stated he had some scars over his body, as well as an infection and a broken toe.

McMullen raised money for Hades’s veterinary care and wanted to adopt him earlier in February. However, all of this changed when a local news station did a feature on the pup’s life in the wild. This was then viewed by the Cabada family.

USA Today said Cabada sent McMullen pictures of Hades to substantiate the family-owned him, even though he did not have a chip.

In an encounter that led to police intervention and Clark County Animal Protection stepping in to provide the dog with a place to stay for a few days as custody was confirmed, McMullen ultimately relinquished Hades to the Cabada household.

USA Today reported McMullen posted a video to Facebook on February 14 stating she would fight the guardianship verdict. Despite that, as of February 16, the video wasn’t accessible.