Pet gives vet warm welcome

A special reunion took place Sunday in the parking of the 50,000 Silver Dollar. Bryan Settle, from Hayden, Idaho, and a wounded combat veteran, was reunited with his dog, a blue heeler named Zoe. It had been nearly three years since owner and dog had been with each other.

While deployed, Settle, who served in the Army, arranged for his dog to stay with friends in Amarillo, Texas. Having returned home, Settle suffered a traumatic head injury in combat. He now suffers from grand mal seizures due to the head injury, and in a few weeks will go to Washington D. C. to train with his new seizure-alert dog. It was important to Settle that he get Zoe home before leaving again.

Joan Nickum, a coordinator for animal rescue transport working out of Kansas City, Missouri. said that her friend saw an advertisement on Craigslist asking for help in getting Zoe home. Nickum arranged for a Pilot ‘N Paws pilot to pick her up and fly her to Albuquerque, where she ended up getting stranded for a week. Zoe spent a week at a rescue volunteer’s home and then on Sunday completed her journey by ground transport to Haugen, Montana.

“Everyone who has volunteered to help with this ‘mission’ can’t stop talking about how honored they are to be part of this, and we’re all crying a lot,” Nickum said.

Settle was excited to see his dog again on Sunday and got to share the moment with his wife and three kids. He has had her since she was six weeks old. She is also the daughter of another dog that Settle had for ten years.

“It was awesome,” Settle said. “It was like getting back a piece of my heart. It’s no different than losing a child. Blue heelers are so different from any other dog breed I’ve owned. They become a part of you, like an appendage.”

Settle said that Zoe recognized him immediately, but admitted she was a bit timid at first, having just finished a very long road trip.

“It took her a bit, but she also recognized my wife and kids. She didn’t know what to think about my youngest because she hadn’t seen him before,” Settle said.

Settle said that it was overwhelming that people took the time and spent their own money to get his dog back to him.

“It’s amazing. All the people involved were thanking me for my service, and I’m like, ‘no, what you’re doing is amazing.’ They did all this for someone they didn’t even know. It was a 17-part journey and they did it because they love animals,” Settle said. “They are the heroes. I can’t say thank you enough.”

Carrie Kiely drove the last part of the leg. She transported Zoe to meet with Settle all the way from Butte.

“I was just privileged to be a part of this and to be at the end of the transport,” she said. “Zoe was a little nervous, but she’s just a peach. She was licking all three of the kids and was really excited to see [Settle].”

Kiely said that most of  time, as a driver, she is always in the middle of the route and often doesn’t get to see the end result.

“The neat thing with this situation is all the media coverage because then everyone can get to see the end,” Kiely said, “and the reunion that took place.”