Lost Dog Homer Returns Home After 80 Days Across Montreal
Homer, an 11-year-old terrier mix with significant health concerns, has finally returned home after being missing for eighty long days. The beloved pet disappeared from Montreal's Snowdon neighborhood on November 12, 2025, and was miraculously found across town on January 30, 2026, looking scruffy but fundamentally healthy.
The Miraculous Recovery
Isabelle and David Pinsky had nearly given up hope of ever seeing their canine companion again. "Everybody said: 'Forget about it. You'll never get him back,'" Isabelle recalled. "I know it's only a dog — but it's my dog." For nearly three months, the couple searched tirelessly, putting up posters throughout the neighborhood with help from their daughter who traveled from Toronto to assist.
The breakthrough came when Homer was discovered on the sidewalk of Henri-Bourassa Boulevard near Viau Street, significantly north and east of where he had originally jumped out of David's car. A Good Samaritan brought him to the Proanima facility on Pie-IX Boulevard, where staff identified the Pinskys through Homer's microchip.
Health Challenges and Survival
Homer's return was particularly remarkable given his medical condition. The terrier mix requires daily prednisone tablets for liver disease and monthly vitamin B12 injections, treatments he had missed entirely during his eighty-day absence. When retrieved, he was weak and bony, having lost approximately three pounds from his normal thirteen-pound frame, with his fur grown long and matted.
Veterinary examination revealed Homer had likely spent at least one night outdoors in temperatures reaching the negative teens Celsius. Despite these harsh conditions and missed medications, the veterinarian reported Homer was in surprisingly good shape overall.
The Emotional Reunion
Isabelle Pinsky was at work as a private caregiver in a long-term care centre when David called with the unbelievable news. "I freaked out. I said: 'How do you know it is true?'" she remembered. Her skepticism turned to joy when she witnessed Homer's recognition of familiar surroundings.
"He ran to the car with the leash on," Isabelle described. Once back in their Côte-St-Luc building, Homer immediately recognized his environment — his toy bin, his leashes, and his many human friends in the residence. "He knows everybody in the building," she said. "He is all over the house, all over the furniture. He is fabulous, back to himself."
The Search Efforts
During Homer's disappearance, the Pinskys pursued every possible lead. They filed reports with both police and the SPCA (before animal control services transitioned to Proanima), and followed up on a witness account of a woman picking up a dog matching Homer's description near where he initially bolted.
The couple combed streets including Côte-Ste-Catherine, Beaucourt, St-Kevin, and Lavoie, but found no further sightings of their terrier mix. "For 80 days, I was out of my mind," Isabelle admitted. "I drove my husband nuts." She had feared the worst — that Homer might have been hit by a car, abducted, or succumbed to the elements.
A Happy Ending
Today, Homer is happily readjusting to home life and has already begun regaining some of the weight he lost during his adventure. His story serves as a powerful testament to the importance of microchipping pets and never giving up hope.
The Pinskys' experience highlights both the vulnerability of pets with medical needs and the remarkable resilience animals can demonstrate. While Homer's exact whereabouts during those eighty days remain his secret, his safe return has brought immense relief and joy to his devoted family.
