On Monday night, the doorbell rang at a house on Ewert Street.
Susan Andrist opened the door to see two ladies standing there.
"One lady said 'we think this belongs to you'," Susan recalled.
The woman was holding Susan's Dog on a Hog statue that had been stolen weeks ago from her flat roof top in front of her house.
"And then they had to watch as I cried like a baby," Susan said. "The tears just kept flowing."
Susan had bought the Dog on a Hog for her husband, Audie, an avid Harley rider, in 2003, the year they were married and bought their house.
Unfortunately Audie died of cancer in 2010. Dog on a Hog holds great sentimental value for her.
The metal statue, depicting a beagle with ears blowing in the breeze riding a motorcycle is now sporting red glasses. Someone had painted the metal glasses on the statue red. Oddly enough, on one of the last rides Audie took on his Harley he was wearing red-mirrored sunglasses for the occasion, Susan said.
"I remember I told Audie he looked like a bug - he looked so funny," Susan laughed, thrilled about the return of the statue that means so much to her. "And now Dog on a Hog is back with red glasses."
Susan knows it's her original Dog on a Hog statue because one of her friends had painted it black and the one that was returned to her is black.
The lady that returned the statue told Susan someone she knew had purchased the Dog on a Hog and when she saw it she knew she had to return it. The lady had a friend that lived on Ewert Street. so she went to ask her if she knew where Susan lived. That's how they both came to be standing at Susan's front door to see the statue returned to its rightful owner.
Dog on a Hog will now be placed safely indoors, away from temptation.
"Audie always said he wanted his hog parked in the living room," Susan laughed.
Susan knew when the statue was stolen there would be a slim chance of getting it back. She reported the theft to police and the constable told her to keep watch for it on popular online selling sites and garage sales.
When The Citizen spoke to Susan after the statue was stolen, she said she'd been heartbroken that someone had stolen the beloved Dog on a Hog and all she wanted was for it to be returned, no questions asked.
Susan and Audie Andrist are well-known in the Prince George community. Susan has muscular dystrophy and before her health deteriorated, she was the longtime president of the northern chapter of Muscular Dystrophy Canada. She' has a form of muscular dystrophy that sees her body degenerate over time and for now uses leg braces and a walker to get around and a scooter for longer distances.
Susan and Audie were dedicated volunteers who founded the Muscle Run, a summer fundraiser for Muscular Dystrophy Canada in partnership with the Harley Owners Group (HOG) of Prince George. The popular event was held for years that saw more than 100 motorcyclists travel from Williams Lake to Smithers every summer.
Susan felt Dog on a Hog was watching over her, especially since Audie died and she'd always looked back at it when she left the house.
"And now that he's back I can feel the smiles from heaven," Susan said, referring to her husband. "It just warms my heart that I got Dog on a Hog back. The lady who returned him to me will never be forgotten and her kindness will always be appreciated. It restores my faith in humanity. I love the people of Prince George."
