Lost dog finds her way back to former shelter, rings doorbell for help

EL PASO, Texas — A rescue dog in Texas went on a journey that sounds like the plot of a “Homeward Bound” sequel, getting loose from her new owner and winding up back at the front door of her former shelter — in the middle of the night — ringing the doorbell, asking to be let in.

On January 29, the Animal Rescue League of El Paso put out an urgent alert on social media asking for help finding newly-adopted Bailey, who’d gotten loose from her owner. A few people on the rescue’s Facebook page reported seeing her, but nobody was able to catch her.

Apparently that is because Bailey was a woman with a plan. Nose down, she made a beeline straight for the most familiar surroundings. 

Following a mental roadmap that stunned shelter staff and would probably make a New York cabbie jealous, Bailey found her way back to the Animal Rescue League two days later, about 10 miles from her new home.

But what’s a girl to do when you show up in the middle of the night and there’s no one to let you in? Ring the bell, of course.

Just after 1 a.m. on January 31, shelter staff got a Ring doorbell notification with a view of a very cute, very tired pup at the front door. Staff rushed there to let Bailey in, gave her a warm blanket and tucked her in.

“Bailey is now safe,” the shelter shared in an update. “To all those who searched, spotted, called, hoped – we thank you. As we knew, dogs are incredible. Bailey made her own way back to ARL, and rang our ring doorbell at 1:15 am saying she wanted in. Staff rushed to the shelter and put Bailey in her run. She was very happy, and we were too.”

Bailey has since been reunited with her new family.

“She lived at the shelter for soooo long this was home to her,” the shelter added in a comment on social media. “She felt safe here. When she got loose she was on a mission to get home.”