Boss has been found, but the heartbreak was complete for the worried boy who owned the little dog.
For the past week, the community around Haldi and Blackwater roads had been on the lookout for the wayward pooch, after he ran off from the family home. His main companion, Brendan, a 13-year-old with severe cerebral palsy, missed him terribly.
After a poster and social media campaign, and some reports of Boss sightings, the black Yorkie was found dead on Tuesday night.
"His remains were found close to home," said Brendan's mom Krystel McKinnon. "Two days before he went missing he chased a baby cub and we think the mama bear got the best of him."
Boss was found by taking extraordinary measures to search for him. A friend had a hunting dog that was brought over for a sniff.
"[We gave the hunting dog] Boss's brush for scent," said McKinnon. "Ten minutes later she found Boss's remains right by our house."
Boss followed Brendan around with faithful devotion, and spent a lot of time on the boy's wheelchair to be close. The broken bond will be painful for him most of all, said his emotional mom.
"Boss is pretty irreplaceable but yes we will get a new dog - perhaps a bit bigger to keep out the animals," she said.
McKinnon profusely thanked the community for all the support shown during the search period, and took comfort in having a point of closure so at least they could move on from the uncertainty and constant searching.
