Manotick springer-spaniel found after community rallies to find him

Bentley, a four-year-old springer-spaniel dog who went missing in Manotick earlier this month, has been found.

The white and brown dog broke free from his collar on Nov. 2, around 10 a.m. on Main Street and hadn’t been seen since.

"Bentley is finally home and we just could not be happier about it," says owner, Misty Giroux. "The boys [sons Ben and Alex] are ecstatic, having their helper back is so important."

Giroux says he was found safe and sound, on Tuesday afternoon, after an exhaustive ten day search, which began while the family was on vacation. 

Not long after posting to social media that he was gone, the community came together to try to find him.

Bentley, a four-year-old springer-spaniel dog, was last seen near near the curling club in Manotick on Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024.

"We had also been working with two women who are trackers, Jules and Lori, who basically do this voluntarily in their spare time where they help families like ours," she said, noting the duo used a variety of investigative techniques, along with the many sighting reports to develop a likely path Bentley was on.

"He'd been captured on doorbell cameras, at the townhouse complex where the pet sitter lives. He was seen around 9:45 p.m. and 2:30 in the morning and as soon as we saw that, one of the trackers said: 'can your husband, Luc, head straight out?' Which is exactly what he did."

Giroux says her husband drove to the area, which is near the local post office, and remained there, waiting for more than an hour. 

"Then he got up to stretch and walked around the side of the truck and there he is, slowly coming out of the wooded area," said Giroux.

"He came closer to Luc and all of a sudden Bentley's nose went up and it was like the switch was flipped, he suddenly left that feral mode and went straight to pet mode."

Giroux is thankful for the eminence help the community provided, adding the family has donated equipment to the tracking team.

"It's so much it's just completely overwhelming so many people stepping up and doing all of this taking all this time out of their personal lives to help our family for our one dog. It has been just absolutely the most joyful thing I think I've experienced," she said.

"I wish I could go and say thank you individually to each person to express our gratitude, our very sincere gratitude for what people have done to get our boy home."

One volunteer is heading the construction of a float for Bentley to join Manotick's Kiwanis Parade of Lights on Nov. 29.

"We're going to decorate it up and Bentley will be present and will be able to thank the community."