PROSPECT, Maine — A dog that was a passenger in a deadly car accident last week is missing, and her owner is offering a $100 reward to try to help get her back home.
Molly is a friendly black Labrador who likes to chase tennis balls, isn’t scared of school buses, gunshots or all terrain vehicles — and is an important part of Susan and Powell Johnson’s family.
The Frankfort couple was injured in an accident Thursday, Nov. 8, that happened when William Dunham, 79, also of Frankfort collided head-on with their vehicle on Route 1A. Dunham was killed in the crash that may have been caused by wet roads, according to police.
“She’s a good dog. I really miss her,” Susan Johnson said Tuesday afternoon. “We’re empty nesters. Our daughter’s down in college in southern Maine, and Molly’s like our kid. We have two cats, and they’re wandering around looking for her, wondering ‘Hey, who are we going to harass now?’”
She said that after the accident, she reached her hand back and Molly licked it.
“She didn’t feel like she was hurt,” Johnson said.
But in the commotion of the crash, Molly got startled when emergency responders pried the door off the vehicle to get her husband out, and Molly ran off into the woods.
Powell Johnson, 64, suffered six broken ribs, a broken leg and hip, and a shattered foot in the accident. He is at a rehabilitation facility now. Susan Johnson suffered a concussion and bruised hip and ribs.
Susan Johnson, 49, said Tuesday that she has returned to the accident scene to look for the dog and also knows that people who live in the area also have been keeping an eye out for her.
“We just don’t know if she was maybe hurt and went off somewhere and died,” Johnson said.
So far, she’s heard one report of a black Lab that was running around by the Blue Hill Hannaford.
“I don’t think she would have gotten all the way out there unless somebody picked her up in a car and let her out,” she said.
Molly, who is about 4 years old, weighs about 40 pounds, has a block head and a “good barrel chest.” She was wearing a light pink fabric collar and her rabies tag from the Searsport veterinarian. Her other registration tag was twisted off.
She’s a bird dog and is familiar with shotguns and rifles. She is also used to running alongside ATVs, according to her owner.
Johnson said that when her daughter was still in high school, a couple of times Molly followed her onto the school bus. Even two years after the daughter’s graduation, Molly still waits for her to get off the bus.
“She still thinks her girl is on that big yellow bus,” she said.
If anyone has information about Molly, please call Susan Johnson at 356-2000.
So sad. Hope these folks can find the dog and bring her home! I know many people in the area of the accident. And they have been on the look out and spreading the word on Facebook. I hope at least this part of the accident has a happy ending!
I can’t imagine this situation. I think I am going to get a seat belt for the dog!!!
I use a long leash on my dog’s harness in the car hooked through buckled seat belt tighten all the way on the back seat. She loves riding and this keeps her from roaming around in the car and she loves it. It is just long enough for her to stand on the floor..I never hooked it to her collar afraid it would break her neck if something happened and proved effective when I slammed on brakes for a moose one time. I always worried if she got under foot when driving it too could cause an accident as she is a small dog. Works very well and she is always excited to see her harness come out of the drawer as she knows it means a ride in the car.
I was able to find dog seat belts on eBay for 99 cents, free shipping. They work great.
I hope Molly is brought home safe and sound.
Maybe someone in the area of the accident has a scent hound that can be used to track Molly? I hope this dog is returned home safe and sound, so she can help her owners heal.
I live right near where the crash happened. We have been calling for Molly and the neighbors are also keeping an eye out and calling for her.
There is a female, black lab that was picked up in Cumberland wearing a pink collar. Long way from Prospect worth checking into in case someone picked her up. Picture can be found here:
https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/c0.0.403.403/p403x403/22529_492427977446782_208301721_n.jpg
The contact is the Cumberland Police 207-829-6391
Did you call the owner with this information?
Oh. I hope this is her. Please give us an update.
I wish it was her but it isn’t :(
This accident just happened on thursday and the cumberland dog poster says it had been seen in the area over two weeks.. I do wish it were her for the sake of the family.. I have family that drive that road everyday and have them on alert too!
I hope Molly is found safe and sound……………
That is a nice lookin puppy dog! I hope she is brought home safe and sound!
Please let us know ok>As different and odd as we all are from each other,to one thing that we all care about is animals.This might just be the thing that keeps us sane@ Thanks all of you misfit toys!!!<3
:(
I may have seen this dog on Rt. 1A in Winterport, 1-2 days ago? Sorry now I didn’t pay more attention. I hope you find your dog.
Best of luck with your husbands recovery and certainly hope your family member Molly is home soon. Please be sure to update us when she returns to your loving arms.
What they should do is get some of their clothing her blankets/bed and put it in a dog trap and hopefully the dog will come to it and go into the trap to lie down on their clothing and she will be trapped inside. It has worked before for other dogs. Not the trap part but just lying out familiar clothing/bedding.
What an excellent idea – maybe Molly’s owner reads this and tries it! I hope they find her safe and sound.
I will be trying that this Friday! Thank you for the great advice!
hope you find her.
Molly needs to go home
This breaks my heart and brings back emotional memories of a time a few years ago when my daughter’s dog was lost in Forest Park for several days. Scores of people came out to help us look for her and she was sighted a few times, but she was so scared, she ran from everyone. My son-in-law, finally realizing that all these well-intentioned strangers were adding to the dog’s fear, waited until everyone left at dusk and then waited quietly in the spot she was last seen. Almost immediately, his headlights caught the dog and the foot chase was on. Not easy to out-run a dog! When he had gained enough ground, he literally “dived” at her, caught her, and brought her home. When my daughter called me with the news, I cried like a baby with relief. I sure do hope this black lab is captured. He is probably so scared and hungry.
Poor Molly. I hope she is found safe and sound. Molly go home.
If anyone knows exactly the spot of the accident and/or last sighting – thanks to give directions. We’d like to help road searching.
Hi there! I am Susan’s daughter, Elizabeth. The accident occurred on Route 1A in Prospect right near Boynton’s Dairy Farm and Construction. I will be out at some point tomorrow, calling for her. I’ll also be up on Friday with my boyfriend out on the ATV trails with some of my parents’ clothing to leave around the woods. Thank you for your help! :)
Okay – thank you! We’re on the hunt.
A girl I know in Winterport let a black lab in her apartment last week same day. She said it was a black lab female! She posted the happenings on facebook and said she called the Winterport Police to try to find out more. I would call them to find out!
I hope everyone that reads this passes it along so Molly might be found.
If Molly is not already at someone’s home, it would be good to have someone whose voice is familiar to her return to the scene regularly, with food and water and call out, as she may be checking there herself
Could this black lab found by Responsible Pet Care of Oxford Hills be Molly?
http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?fbid=10151252903529201&set=a.154240289200.106787.98023954200&type=1&theater
The black lab has a different name according to the post.
Unless she ran really far away it is likely she will return to the crash site. Check out this FB page. Bella didn’t go too far from where the accident she was in occurred. And this other dog Noodles returned to the crash site – http://www.facebook.com/FindingBellaDog/posts/376196205799062
Put a shirt with your scent on it at the edge of the woods. I did this and found my dog sleeping on it the next morning. It works. Good luck.
I saw the Blue Hill (what looked like) “stray Black Lab” today…A nice woman was trying to coax it to her…(I would’ve helped but we had a vet appointment). But the dog I saw looked much older than Molly looks in these pics and it had white on its muzzle. They were not there on the way back (I was then prepared to help).
I agree with the poster about putting some familiar scent right in the area…maybe with a crate with some food? I wouldn’t spread your scent too far out but keep it in a small area.
The schools should make announcements that the kids and bus drivers be on the lookout for Molly. This dog could walk up to a bus looking for her Master.
If you haven’t gotten your pup back yet, try setting a Have A Heart trap. Bait it with some delicious meat, and put in a blanket that has familiar smells, and cover the trap itself, with another blanket or some brush. I hope you get her back soon, and your husband is well on the way to recovery!
There is a FB posting of a found female black dog that matches your description of Molly…she is in Cumberland County and her photo seems to show her with a pink or reddish collar…it is a little far, but you never know if she got picked up or just traveled the distance…I am hoping that this is a match for the family in your story…..here is to hope! Maybe the sighting timeline notation was incorrect…?