Retired seeing eye dog returns to Weirs home

Published Date Written by Gail Ober

LACONIA — Flora the retired German Shepard seeing-eye dog is safely back at home after her owner said someone likely dropped her off near the Chapel of St. Helena on Rte. 11-B earlier this week.
According to her owner, Joe Santosuosso, he and Flora went for their morning walk on the morning of January 7. He said the two usually walk down the highway and often turn around at the church.
He said when the returned home, he typically hooks her up to a run he has in his back yard but said he wanted her to get used to hanging around the house. He said he put her treats in the open barn door but when he looked outside she was gone.
He said she walked down the driveway to Route 11-B (he said there was snow and he didn't see her prints in it) and he figured somebody had picked her up.
Santosuosso said he notified all of the area police departments, including Belmont because he bought the dog from someone in that town, and ran notices in the local media.
He also posted pictures of Flora on the telephone poles along the roadway where the two usually take their walks. He also called the man from whom he got her and he posted something on his Facebook page.
Santosuosso said he doesn't know which of his many efforts to find Flora worked but said three days ago, he went outside and saw a fresh dog print in the snow.
He said he bagan calling her and she came up to him from behind his van. He said she still had the 7-foot leash, both of her collars and tags. He also said the paper he wrote his name and address and affixed to her collar was still there.
"I said, "Where have you been for the past several day?'" Santosuosso said.
He said she came into the house ate her supper and went to sleep.
Santosuosso said the two later walked to the church and he was removing the posters he had put up. He said he noticed a big paw print in the mud near the chapel and figured someone dropped her off there and she found her way home.
"She's in fine shape," he said, expressing his gratitude to the many people who helped him try and find her.

Caption (flora the dog) Flora, a retired seeing eye dog from Laconia, was lost for about two weeks when she suddenly returned home to her owner.