Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, January 3, 1994 TAG: 9401030015
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: LISA APPLEGATE and SANDRA BROWN KELLY STAFF WRITERS
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
"The situation was becoming ridiculous," Formato said.
Formato said he left his dog, Kogi, outside alone for only a few minutes Dec. 19. But in that time, Kogi disappeared from his Peakwood Drive home in South Roanoke.
In the two weeks that followed, Formato plastered the Roanoke Valley with "missing dog" signs and took out a classified newspaper ad. He even bought ad time on WDBJ-TV offering his $500 Christmas bonus from work as a reward.
Formato canceled his plans to travel to Texas for Christmas to follow every phone-call lead he received, including the ransom call from some alleged dognappers in Franklin County.
"They told me if I wanted to see Kogi again, I should drop the $500 reward in a trash can at Famous Anthony's, and they would leave directions to where my dog was supposedly being held."
But Formato didn't have to follow through on their demands. Pamela Merritt called on New Year's Eve with a description similar to Kogi's light fur color and 80-pound build. She told Formato she found the dog at the Summit Apartments, only a few miles from Formato's home.
"I knew she had Kogi when I went to her house and saw his yellow nylon collar," Formato said.
Only problem was, Kogi was in Maryland. Merritt told Formato she had taken Kogi with her to visit her parents for the holidays and left him there.
But by late New Year's Day, Merritt had brought Kogi home and received the $500 reward. An exhausted Formato said he was just relieved that his efforts paid off.
"All that matters is that I got him back. I live alone, and my family is from North Carolina. He's just a great dog."
by CNB