Dog Missing for 8 Months Spotted Near Pearl River

Rockland County/North Bergen residents could hold key to bringing “Honey” home

(June 23, 2014)—A lost pet whose travels throughout North Jersey have been followed by thousands of people through social media has been spotted on the loose near the New Jersey/Rockland County border and could be headed toward Pearl River. A large volunteer force is desperately trying to raise awareness of “Honey” among area residents and businesses in the hope that it will produce more sightings and information that will finally lead to her rescue.

Honey was spotted in Montvale the week of June 15, looking very skinny and her ribs clearly showing, said Lisa Rose Rublack, who is heading the search for Honey on behalf of the Last Resort Animal Rescue, where Honey was adopted from. The Montvale sighting followed a June 5th sighting in Park Ridge. That sighting was later confirmed by professional tracking dogs who picked up Honey’s scent.

The odyssey of Honey—a small, tan and black, 2-year-old Rhodesian Ridgeback mix—began last October, when she slipped out of her collar while in Saddle River County Park (Otto C. Pehle area in Saddle Brook) with a family member, Eileen Hickey. Hickey and son Connor Bratyanski of Saddle Brook are devastated. Since that October day, Honey has been on the move, generally using the paths of the Saddle River and nearby brooks as her guides, and seems to be on a northward trek.

Although Honey has been spotted multiple times by Bergen County residents since she went missing, she remains elusive. She has a timid nature that makes catching her extremely difficult. “She is shy and scared and will not come up to people; even making eye contact with someone has caused her to run away,” said Rublack. She cautions that anyone who sees Honey should NOT approach her, but instead snap a photo of her if possible and call the Honey Hotline right away, 973-928-6308.

“We are relying on the eyes of town residents to help us find Honey,” said Rublack. “Please be on the lookout for her. Put the Honey Hotline number in your cell phone. Have your camera at the ready. “Like” Honey’s Facebook page and share it with others to spread the word.”

The page that chronicles Honey’s journey (https://www.facebook.com/bringhoneyhomenj) has more than 1,700 Facebook followers and has produced scores of volunteers (“Honey Helpers”) engaged in the search effort, supplementing the work of others in the community. “There are the families that fostered Honey before she was adopted, her adoptive family, and 90 Honey Helpers, not to mention animal control officers and police, all on the lookout for her,” said Rublack. “If Honey could only know how many people want her home.”