After 7 days of 'Looking for Lola,' missing dog found safe

The owner of a dog missing in Sioux Falls for nearly a week says she's overwhelmed and humbled by the support of the community that helped bring her back safely.

Mandy Klinkhammer was visiting her parents in Sioux Falls on Christmas Eve when her boxer Lola ran out of the garage, setting off a frantic search to find the 1-year-old dog during a frigid South Dakota winter.

A Facebook group sprung up a few days later, called "Looking for Lola." By New Year's Eve it had over 6,000 members coordinating search parties and sharing sightings.

"When you know you have the whole city's support ... there's no words I can say to express how grateful I am to each and every person," Klinkhammer said.

"Anyone who doubts humanity or doubts that people care, look at this situation."

Local businesses threw their support behind the effort as well, donating hand warmers, coffee and donuts to those searching.

But above all, Klinkhammer said, she felt divine intervention in her search.

"I want to make sure God gets all the credit," she said. "All the support in the community was an answer to our prayers."

The night before she ran off, Klinkhammer had a sudden feeling that Lola needed a coat for her stay in the garage — and the only one at Target was bright red. Without it, Klinkhammer said, she would have been much harder to spot.

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On Sunday morning, searchers were laying out the plan for the day — there hadn't been a sighting of Lola in a while, and they discussed searching the city's culvert system.

Then they received several phone calls, all in quick succession, that led them to a possible sighting at Ronning Estates.

Animal control led Klinkhammer and her daughter to the spot — and there was Lola, huddled under a tree.

"She didn't look like she was moving," Klinkhammer said. "But then she looked at us and seemed disoriented."

Following tips they'd read online, they pulled out their ace in the hole — a bucket of rotisserie chicken. They pretended to eat it, throwing it around them as they did.

Lola slowly got up and moved toward them, but looked like she was starting to veer away.

And so Klinkhammer and her daughter got down on the ground, and started to pray.

It's something they do every night — and every night Lola is invited to join in as they recite Psalm 91. Her ears perk up, Klinkhammer said, because she knows it's time for bed.

And as they prayed, Klinkhammer said, Lola came right back toward them, sniffing their faces and wagging her tail.

And, shortly afterward, eating half a bucket of rotisserie chicken.

Klinkhammer said a veterinarian has checked out Lola, and for what she's been through — including nearly 5 inches of snowfall and temperatures falling to minus 18 degrees — Lola looks great.

She was shaking severely, and her paws have been roughed up, but there are no signs of frostbite — and that bright red coat, which fit her perfectly a week ago, was nearly falling off her body after losing 10 pounds.

“The entire time she was gone, we had faith that God would keep her safe," Klinkhammer said. "And our prayers were answered.”

And now Klinkhammer and her family will be able to head back to Omaha and ring in the new year. They'll be safe, they'll be warm and they'll be spoiling Lola rotten.

“I’ve been crying many, many tears over the past 7 days," Klinkhammer said. "Today I got to cry tears of joy.”