Two days after she went missing from the Animal Welfare League, Eva the black poodle mix puppy was returned to her owners. After her disappearance received widespread coverage Thursday, Eva was returned around 4:45 p.m. by the couple who took her from the shelter. “They said they had no idea what they did was wrong,” said Darla McCammon, exceutive director of the AWL. “I want to thank our local radio stations, the Times-Union article, it was a united effort,” McCammon added. “Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department and the animal control officers were really involved, along with all of our supporters through Facebook.” Eva’s adventure began early Tuesday after she disappeared from her home. “She wasn’t out of my sight more than five minutes,” said Ron Harris, one of Eva’s owners. “We called the shelter right away when we realized she was gone.” Someone had found Eva and turned her in to the shelter. She wasn’t even in the shelter long enough to have in-process paperwork filed – before her owners could pick her up, Eva was taken from the shelter by a couple wanting to adopt. “I can’t blame them for wanting to take a cute puppy,” Harris said. “We’re seriously considering the GPS chip after this.” Her owners, Harris and Annalyse Watters, were happy to have her home, along with Pepper the cat. “She went right back to playing with Pepper,” Harris said. “Pepper was even looking to Eva while she was gone.” As part of the agreement, the AWL did not file any charges against the couple since Eva was returned safely. “To me, it was more important to get Eva safely returned than to prosecute,” McCammon said. The shelter does have an adoption process in place. Those wishing to adopt can sign in, visit the adoptable population, take the pets for a walk and play with them in a cuddle room. The pets can then be fostered for one weekend to see how the pet adjusts. If all is well, paperwork is then processed and a small fee paid before a pet can go home with an owner permanently. “We couldn’t be upset with the shelter,” Harris explained. “They did nothing wrong and their process works great.” For anyone wishing to adopt, the AWL’s shelter is located at 3489 E. CR 100S.
