
DATE: Saturday, May 31, 1997                TAG: 9705310272

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B3   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY MARY REID BARROW, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH                    LENGTH:   57 lines

LOST DOG FINDS JUST THE PERSON TO HELP HIM

A dog needs a best friend on occasion, too, and Scooby, the lost pit bull, found two when he needed them most this week.

Scooby, who had been on the lam for more than three weeks, was reunited with his family by Liz Sills, an animal lover and founder of the Virginia Beach SPCA. Both got a little help from Scooby's girlfriend, Apple, a little brindle pit bull.

Scooby, who usually lives with Bill and Susan Emerson, was visiting the Emersons' son Willie on 68th Street at the North End when the caramel-colored dog with floppy ears escaped through an unlocked screen door. Scooby was last seen that day heading toward the ocean at 89th Street.

``In 1 1/2 years, he'd never been lost,'' Willie Emerson said. ``He'd never been out.''

The distraught family plastered posters, offering a $200 reward, on utility poles up and down Atlantic Avenue, along Shore Drive and in resort businesses. Family members took turns visiting the Virginia Beach Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and Animal Control shelters every morning and afternoon.

Every five days, they also went to animal shelters in Norfolk, Portsmouth and Chesapeake. But no Scooby.

Whatever instinct a dog has for survival must have led Scooby to the safety of First Landing/Seashore State Park near Sills' North End home. Earlier this week, Sills realized that a dog was trying to get into her yard to eat her cats' food. Then one morning, Sills found the gate to her yard broken and a dog collar on the ground.

Sills called the Emersons. Brian Emerson, Willie's brother, arrived first with Apple, the family's other dog. He recognized the collar and he and Apple began searching the park's wooded dunes.

``Apple was checking all the bushes,'' Brian Emerson said. ``She could tell he was up there.''

Before too long, the whole family arrived and they all began calling and searching. But no Scooby.

It was dusk. Brian Emerson decided to take one more look.

``I looked down in the dunes and there was Apple staring face-to-face with Scooby,'' he said. ``They started running toward each other and playing. I thought it was a miracle, like a dream.''

Scooby had lost almost 20 pounds and was covered in ticks, but was otherwise in good health.

``We all slept for the first time that night,'' Bill Emerson said.

Brian Emerson fixed Sills' gate the next morning. And the Emersons offered her the $200 reward.

`` `Don't be ridiculous,' I said,'' Sills related. ``I've got my reward. Make the donation to the SPCA.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo by MARY REID BARROW

Brian Emerson holds Apple, left, while Willie Emerson strokes

Scooby's head. They are all in Liz Sills' back yard adjacent to

First Landing/Seashore State Park, where Scooby was found after

being lost for 3 1/2 weeks.