Losing a pet can be a traumatic and anxiety-inducing experience for any owner. Luckily for dog owner Debra Loi, traffic police managed to retrieve her Italian Greyhound named Katsu after it got lost and was later found wandering on an expressway near Geylang Bahru.
Ms Loi initially put up a S$5,000 reward but has since said that she’ll donate the sum to an animal shelter as the search efforts were undertaken by several people, including the authorities.
A video of her emotional reunion with Katsu has since gone viral.
On 30 Nov, Ms Loi posted on various social media platforms seeking help to find her lost dog.
The appeal ended up in a 48-hour search for Katsu as more than 50 people rallied to help locate him.
His anxious owner even put up signs around the area asking if anyone had seen the Italian greyhound.
In another video, Ms Loi said that she lost her voice while looking for Katsu.
After an arduous search, a road user shared a clip of a dog wandering on what seemed to be the Pan-Island Expressway (PIE).
The footage showed what looked to be Katsu weaving in and out of the lanes, dodging vehicles as they drove along.
Eventually, some motorcyclists and drivers manoeuvred their vehicles in such a way as to escort the dog to the road shoulder, away from danger.
At least two motorcyclists even got off their bikes to attend to the canine themselves.
At the same time, a police car with its hazard lights on also made its way to the roadside, after which an officer stepped out, likely to assist.
After Katsu was rescued, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and traffic police appeared to take him back in a car.
The combined rescue effort eventually culminated in the tearful reunion of Katsu and Ms Loi in a clip that has gone quite viral on her TikTok page.
The video captured a police car driving into an HDB estate carpark, where Ms Loi was eagerly waiting. After the car reversed into a parking lot, the pet owner approached the vehicle quickly.
“Katsu!” she cried, as the police officer opened the door to reveal the dog, which looked a little scared but otherwise unharmed.
Ms Loi promptly picked up Katsu and held him close, before shaking the hand of the officer who helped bring him back.
“Thank you Singapore Police, thank you so much guys,” she said, as the police officer took his leave.
As for Katsu, the greyhound just appeared relieved to be back with his owner as he licked Ms Loi’s face.
During the initial search, Ms Loi had offered a S$5,000 reward for anyone who could find Katsu.
But since her pet’s rescue was a joint effort, she decided to donate the amount to an animal instead, “in hopes of finding a home for the lost and abandoned cats and dogs”.
“I have someone that reached out asking for the bounty of S$5,000. I recognise that she has made a significant contribution, but who am I to judge whose effort is more?” she stated. “Although I am very grateful for her, it was not a one-person effort in this whole event.”
In the video, Ms Loi also said she was donating to celebrate the police.
MS News has reached out to Ms Loi for comment and will update the article if she replies.
Earlier this year, a lost dog reunited with its owner after eight months through a viral TikTok video.
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Featured image adapted from @kumarsorojitkumar on TikTok and @debra_loi on TikTok.
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