October 12, 2007
By Paul Peirce
Tribune-Review
Bailey, a 10-year-old bichon frise who trudged about seven miles to find his way home after getting lost, got some well-deserved pampering Thursday.
Photo: Janet Staigvil plays with her dog, Bailey, 10, who after trotting 7 miles through woods and streams found its way home from Madison to the family's North Huntingdon residence. The dog gets special treatment from Cutie Petutie doggie salon's hair dresser Gloria Ackerman in Pleasant Unity. (S.C. Spangler/ Tribune-Review)Bailey received a complimentary grooming of his white locks and a massage at Cutie Petutie dog salon in Pleasant Unity while owners Janet and Lou Staigvil looked on.
Dog groomer Jennifer Smith was so touched by the saga of the lost dog that she offered a free spa session to the devilish, 15-pound pooch.
Bailey was gone for three days while he walked to the Staigvils' home in North Huntingdon after getting lost in Darragh. His tale was recounted in the Tribune-Review.
"There's so much bad news out there that it's great to read about something good. I just wanted to meet Bailey," Smith said as she combed, clipped and calmed the dog.
Since Bailey returned home Sept. 25, Janet Staigvil barely has let her beloved dog out of her sight. In the meantime, she fields phone calls from supporters.
The family has received numerous calls from well-wishers. Bailey has received cards and even a few gift baskets, including one from Connie Beroni, a former resident of Jeannette and Grapeville who lives in South Daytona Beach, Fla.
"Oh my, we've gotten telephone calls from New York, West Virginia and Virginia, to name a few," Janet Staigvil said.
On Sept. 22, Lou Staigvil took the dog to his sister's house in Darragh, near Madison Cemetery, while he split some wood. But Bailey vanished.
His frantic family kept searching for him. Then Janet Staigvil found her pet crying on the porch, covered with briars and a few cuts.
"I still can't believe he made his way home," she said.
"Oh, did he ever eat when he got home," her husband said. "And he slept a lot, too."
Janet Staigvil is waiting for Bailey to hit the big time.
"It's been unbelievable ... but we're still waiting for Oprah to call," she said.