Rescue of 'Luke the Lost Dog' Had Many Positive Aspects

Peter Atkinson, owner of Briarcliff Pet Resort, stands next to the 5-foot fence over which Luke jumped to escape on June 30. He was returned to his home two weeks later.

Peter Atkinson stood inside the one-acre yard reserved as a play area for dogs that are boarded at his Briarcliff Pet Resort in Menifee. Next to him was the fence he built himself -- solid wood and sturdy wire -- to ensure that the dogs entrusted to his staff's care would stay where they are supposed to.

"I'm 6 feet flat," he said, gesturing toward a section of the 5-foot fence that came up to shoulder level. "That's how high he had to jump."

"He" is Luke, a golden lab / shepherd mix that somehow performed the great escape that had dog lovers throughout Menifee tracking him down for 13 days. Luke -- a 115-pound canine that stands about mid-thigh level to the average adult -- jumped that fence and eluded his owners and close to 30 searchers for nearly two weeks, until a local resident seeing a flier about his disappearance called the owner and the dog was rescued.

Luke is a loyal family pet to Eddie Rodriguez and his family (left). But on the morning of June 30, he represented the slim minority compared to what Atkinson refers to as the "99.9 percent of dogs who just want to play when they get out here. They don't even try to jump."

Menifee 24/7 reported previously that Rodriguez was told his dog was lost when he arrived to pick him up that day. What was not told was the whole story, including the tireless efforts made by Atkinson and his staff to find the dog and the precautions taken at Briarcliff that has kept this from happening before.

"Dogs have been my whole life," said Atkinson, who along with his wife shows dogs professionally and has cared for dogs in the U.S. since he arrived from England in 1987. "Dogs have been good to me and I want to be good to them. So does my staff. There was no negligence here. I built that fence myself, thinking the dogs were going to be safe. It was never my intent to leave the dogs unattended there, and they are not."

Briarcliff is a 20-acre facility on Briggs Road that includes a dog and cat care facility as well as horse boarding facility. When Atkinson bought Briarcliff, the horse stables were part of the deal, and a trainer gives horseback riding lessons on site. But Atkinson admits that dogs are his first love.

Dogs boarded at Briarcliff are kept inside the main building behind five spring-loaded doors. They are allowed outside the building only if the owner pays for services including a "ranch walk" and play time in the fenced yard. Dogs are taken on slip leash by an attendant into the fenced yard. Only one dog (or group of family dogs) at a time is taken into the yard, where the dog is unleashed behind a closed gate and allowed to run around.

According to Atkinson, an attendant was watching Luke and a second dog being boarded at Briarcliff for the Rodriguez family when Luke suddenly began looking for an escape route and, in one leap, cleared the 5-foot fence. The attendant quickly leashed up the other dog and took off in pursuit. Three staff members chased the dog, which managed to escape the property in a northwest direction, into the hills and brush.

Atkinson, in Long Beach at the time, was immediately called and returned to Briarcliff by early afternoon. He said Rodriguez arrived to pick up his dogs a few minutes after Luke's escape, before staff had time to call him and inform him of what had happened.

Atkinson said he has lost potential new clients because of the one-sided manner in which Luke's escape was originally reported. In fact, Briarcliff's role in the search for Luke was substantial. Atkinson had two of his own staff members searching four to six hours a day. He hired a search and rescue team to look for the lost dog. He helped distribute fliers around town. And he offered a $1,000 reward, which he paid to the man who reported finding Luke in his back yard not far to the south of the pet resort.

Nina Medina, president of the Menifee Valley Humane Society, was one of several volunteers who searched for Luke in addition to the paid rescue team. She was involved in one of several sightings of the dog -- actually getting within about three feet of him at the mouth of a storm drain before he got spooked and took off.

Medina said that she understood the frustration expressed by Rodriguez, who could not be reached for this article. At the same time, she applauded the efforts of Atkinson and his staff in searching for Luke.

"Eddie got upset," Medina said about Rodriguez's initial reaction. "You would, too. I would've been rip roaring mad. But it was just as big a shock to them (Briarcliff staffr) as anyone.

"Peter got a bad rap in all this. He did his best to find Luke. He paid for the canine search and rescue and he fronted the $1,000 for the reward. He did man up."

Atkinson said by the end of the month, a 7-foot fence surrounding the entire perimeter of the dog kennel area will be completed.

"All my staff members were heartbroken when it happened," Atkinson said. "They are all like me; they love dogs and they're all like family members. They're not just employees."

Meanwhile, Medina attended a "welcome home" party on Saturday for Luke, who is recovering well after his two weeks on the run. She said all four paws were infected but are on the mend. Otherwise, he's happy to be home with the Rodriguez family.

"He is a very happy and loving dog," said Medina about Luke, who went right to his owner when Rodriguez was told where the dog was located. "He was giving me kisses big-time. The family is just so grateful for everyone who helped look for Luke."