Lost dog stops traffic during rescue attempt

Diane Davis is one determined woman.

While the Gary-New Duluth resident was driving on Grand Avenue near Smithville on Saturday night, she saw a small, white dog walking in the road.

She wasn't about to let it get hit by a car.

"As soon as I saw her, I said 'No, that isn't going to happen,' " she said.

A chase of sorts began, with Davis driving in her van, trying to coax the dog to come to her -- only to have the dog run in the opposite direction.

The dog crossed Grand Avenue again at one point and Davis blocked traffic with her vehicle trying to protect her.

"(The drivers) are cruising along doing 40 to 50 mph," she said. "Most couldn't see a dog that small."

The dog, a Coton de Tuléar known as Laini, had been outside with her owner in Smithville when she got spooked by some firecrackers and vanished, according to Laini's owner, Lori Sommer.

"My mother lives in Smithville on 92nd Avenue West, so there are many dangers for a small 12-pound dog like Laini," she said, speaking of the nearby wooded area, St. Louis River and heavy traffic on Grand Avenue.

Sommer, who graduated from Morgan Park High School and now lives in Forest Lake, Minn., assembled a dozen people and began searching shortly after 9 p.m.

By 9:30 pm., unbeknownst to Sommer, Davis was already in pursuit of Laini.

After 10 to 15 minutes, Davis caught up to the dog near Morgan Park at 88th Avenue while cars were honking and lining up behind her. Just before United Protestant Church at 830 88th Ave. W., Davis was able to convince the dog to jump into her van.

"She started inching closer," she recalled. "I opened the door and she jumped right in."

Relieved, Davis took Laini to her home.

"She was so sweet," Davis said. "She followed me through my house everywhere I went. I knew she was loved by somebody."

Laini had no tags but Davis noticed a tattoo number in her ear and said if she couldn't find her owners by Monday, she would have called area vet offices to see if they could identify her.

"I just felt horrible for (the owners) because they had to be worried sick about her," Davis said.

Indeed they were.

Sommer said they called off their search at about 2:30 a.m. and by 5 a.m. were back outside again. They also designed a flyer, but when they went to print it, there was only enough ink for one copy.

Sommer posted it at the Morgan Park SuperAmerica on Sunday morning before having more copies printed.

"I made them post it right on the door," she said, "even though they weren't supposed to let me."

Davis's husband, Jason, just happened to stop there later that day and saw the flyer. Laini and Sommer were reunited by early afternoon.

Sommer said days later she is still on "cloud nine" about the experience and said it renewed her faith in humanity.

"I know Laini would have been killed if Diane hadn't picked her up," Sommer said. "This story could have had a very sad ending, but due to the efforts of an extraordinary local woman who is nothing short of a hero, it had a very happy ending."

Davis knows about sad endings. One of her dogs got out of the house last year and was hit and killed by a vehicle.

"I was not going to let this dog get hit," she said. "I was bound and determined to get her. Everything else wasn't even there."

Davis's husband refused to accept the monetary reward offered by Sommer.

"If it had been a couple weeks -- you have to feed them -- but not for one night," Davis said.