Community Corner

Everything is Jake Again at the Huggins Home

Jake, a chocolate Lab who likes to go for walks and play with the kids, wandered away from his home on Christmas Eve.


An all-out search for Jake the chocolate Lab ended in a find the day after Christmas.

Christine Huggins got a call late Thursday afternoon from a woman who lives a couple of blocks from her.

The woman said she had a Granite State Dog Recovery Facebook page open with a photo of a lost dog named Jake on it. The dog in the photo looked like the one that had wandered into her yard.

The woman took a liking to the dog and told Christine, "If you don't come I am going to keep him."

It was Jake, an affable 8-year-old with the energy of a puppy. A 90-pounder who thinks he's a lap dog.

The news brought relief and joy to the Huggins family, who live near the Swampscott border, in Lynn.

The Huggins' two daughters, one a 9-month-old and the other a 6-year-old, have been missing Jake ever since he nosed his way out of the family's gated backyard on Christmas Eve.

Jake's departure set off a Christmas Eve search by family, friends and neighbors.

For hours they scoured streets on foot and in cars, whistling and calling out Jake's name.

The Huggins were in a panic. The search continued on Christmas and the day after.

A friend had told them about Granite State Dog Recovery, an Internet alert system for lost or missing dogs.

Volunteers, family and friends posted Granite State fliers featuring the missing dog.  They posted them on the street in Lynn and Swampscott and Marblehead, and on websites and over social networks.

After almost 48 hours away Jake was happy to be reunited with his family.

They had a good talking to him.

This was the first time he had ever wandered off for more than five minutes and they told him they don't want it to ever happen again.




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