It all started at the Barnegat veterinary office. We were taking my sister, Sandy, for a checkup. As I, Coco, was getting out of the car, I got spooked and ran into the woods like the wind. No one was going to catch me.

My adventure had begun. My family members, Andre and Terry Allen of Brant Beach, reported me going on the loose to all nearby authorities, especially Tri-Borough Lost Dog Trackers. This last group took this job entirely voluntarily. They were out there until 3 a.m. some days.

I left my family in the Rosehill area of Barnegat. The people there were very friendly, and at one house on Dori Lane I…