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‘Call Babs!’ She Finds Lost Dogs When Everyone Else Gives Up

When her pregnant foster dog bolted, Babs Fry was devastated. Luckily, her search was successful—and it sparked a calling in her heart to reunite countless other lost dogs with the families who love them. Here is her story of how her love brings pups home!

Babs even helps take care of the pups she finds
Babs even helps take care of the pups she finds
Babs Fry

Babs Fry’s mission began with one lost dog

Babs Fry and her husband, Derek, were bringing home their latest foster dog, a pregnant lab-terrier mix named Prada.

“Oh no!” Babs gasped as the dog wriggled out of Derek’s grip and raced up the road.

“We’ve got to find her!” Babs insisted, and she and Derek began searching the streets of their San Diego neighborhood. But they had no luck finding her.

Babs put up posters, but after a week, there was still no sign. Desperate, she called a local dog finder named Laura, whom she’d come across on Facebook.

Babs worried the woman might be a fraud, but it turned out Laura had a lot of knowledge and good advice—like not chasing the dog or walking around the neighborhood, because it spreads your own scent.

“Remember, while you’re looking for Prada, she’s fighting for her life,” Laura said. After a few sightings, Laura helped Babs set up pet-friendly, humane traps, and soon Prada was back with the Frys, where she delivered her pups, who went to loving families.

For Babs, Prada’s rescue was just the beginning. She felt called to use the knowledge Laura had passed along, so when she saw a lost dog poster on the street or a Facebook post from a worried family searching for their pet, she contacted the owner to ask, “Can I help?”

From traps to trail cams: how Babs finds missing pets

Babs bought traps and motion-activated trail cams. Whenever a lost dog was spotted, she set up the cameras and traps, then waited for the pup to return.

When a friend told Babs about a stray she was feeding who was dragging her back legs, Babs trapped the dog, then found and called her people. “Zoe’s been gone for three months! We’d all but given up hope!” the family exclaimed with joy when Babs returned her.

When a 1-year-old Vizsla named Penny escaped from a boarding kennel, she managed to hide in the woods for a month. “Call Babs!” Facebook posters advised. When Babs brought Penny home, her owners, Mike and Mandy, wanted to give her a generous reward. But Babs always refuses payment for her help, so instead, Mike helped her set up AWayHomeforDogs.com—an official nonprofit dedicated to reuniting dogs with their lost loved ones.

Babs helped Mike and Mandy find their lost dog, Penny—then, they helped Babs start her official nonprofit
Babs helped Mike and Mandy find their lost dog, Penny—then, they helped Babs start her official nonprofit
Babs Fry

A heartwarming reunion that proves her method works

One especially meaningful case for Babs was when Marschelle and Rhett Papa took their four kids on a family road trip and their rescue mix, Ajax, escaped from Marschelle’s mom.

“Don’t worry, we’ll find him,” Marschelle told little Grant, Maxwell, Amara and Iris, then flew home while Dad and the kids continued the trip.

Back home, Marschelle and Babs studied a Google map of the neighborhood. “We need to get posters up there, there and there,” Babs said, pointing out Ajax’s most likely escape routes. She asked Marschelle to bring bedding and pajamas for her traps because the kids’ scents would be strong.

Over the next two weeks, there were a few sightings of Ajax, but the kids burst into tears when they arrived home and their pup wasn’t there to greet them.

But Babs refused to give up. She printed more posters, and Rhett drove around pinning them to poles. This time, Ajax began to appear, and all the sightings were in places Rhett had driven.

“Rhett’s in the minivan he drives the kids to school in!” Marschelle realized, and Babs began focusing her cameras and traps along his route. It wasn’t long before Ajax appeared, lured by roast chicken and the familiar scents of his beloved kids.

“Ajax!” the little ones screamed, jumping with joy as their best friend bounded from a trap and licked them all in turn.

Babs helped reunite Ajax with his family
Babs helped reunite Ajax with his family
Babs Fry

“If it wasn’t for Babs, we would have given up after the first few weeks,” says a thankful Marschelle.

These days, hardly a day passes that Babs doesn’t return at least one pup to their family—including one yellow Lab, who had been missing for over three years. “It’s become a full-time labor of love,” says Babs. “Reuniting families warms my heart!”

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