Reid returns! 45 days on, he's a little lighter, but even more adored — if possible

Carmel Reid and her family never gave up hope after their beloved poodle/Bernese mountain dog went missing. They're elated to have their bernedoodle home safe and healthy, and credit a community for helping every step along the way.

The poodle/Bernese mountain dog was missing for 45 days, but the owners never gave up hope

CBC News

· Posted: Oct 16, 2026 4:30 AM EDT | Last Updated: 1 hour ago

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What did he eat? Where did he sleep? What, or who, did he meet along the way? 

How Reid, the large Bernadoodle, a cross between a Bernese mountain dog and a poodle, spent 45 days in and around the forests of Gander, N.L., will never be known — and that’s OK with his owner.

"He's a warrior," said Carmel Reid. "He took care of himself. And he figured out a way … to keep himself alive."

The three-year-old dog, who had never been off-leash, fled from a single-vehicle collision mid-afternoon on Aug. 21. While Carmel’s husband, Lorenzo, was being taken to hospital, people passing by said they saw Reid go into the nearby forest.

"Lorenzo left in an ambulance and I wasn't there," said Carmel. "By the time I got to Gander and went back up to look for Reid, there was no sign of him anywhere."

Reid the bernedoodle poses with his housemate Piper prior to getting lost in August. (Submitted by Carmel Reid)

The following morning, someone spotted a dog on the Gander Golf Course, which is located on the Trans-Canada Highway.

After that, no sightings for nearly three weeks. Nineteen days after the crash, he showed up on a surveillance camera around the Twin Ponds area, not even a kilometre away from the site, Carmel said.

"That was the first time that I guess we had seen him since he went missing," she said.

"So we were delighted to know that he was still alive."

The morning after that sighting, Reid showed up in Joe Batt’s Pond, a popular cabin area on the opposite side of the highway as Twin Ponds, and a few kilometres west of the crash site.

"Several people saw him there. They had him on video again. It was definitely him."

But then nothing again — for three whole weeks.

Social media pages such as "Help find Reid the dog" were abuzz with activity during the bernedoodle's 45-day disappearance. (Facebook screengrab)

During that time, the Reid family never gave up hope on their family pet. They searched every day and others were helping.

"There was times where it started to creep in, but then we were like, 'No, until somebody can come to me and say he's no longer alive, we're not giving up on him.'"

How moose meat played a role

Then, a breakthrough: Reid showed up in Gander. Along with the dozens of people who had come out to help search for him, now people’s home security systems aided the search exponentially.

They set up three traps to see if he could be lured in. They were baited with moose meat.

"We knew that the only way we were going to catch him was with the trap … he was running from everybody."

WATCH | Reid went into ‘survival mode,’ owner says:

Return of Reid: Missing dog found 6 weeks after escape

1 hour ago|

Duration

3:43

The owners of a dog lost for 45 days in and around Gander are relieved he’s back, and thankful for the strangers who helped bring the three-year-old bernedoodle home. The CBC’s Troy Turner has the story.

A text woke her up at 3:30 a.m. The dog was spotted near one of the traps. Carmel turned on the trail camera she had set up to view the trap. After some shuffling around the perimeter, the moose meat drew Reid into the trap.

"We took off over there and I went in by myself," Carmel said. "It was dark ... I walked up to him. As soon as I started to walk up to him, he started to growl because he was afraid. So I just sat down, probably like six feet away from him on the pavement and just talked to him for a little bit.

"He was trying to smell [me]. As soon as he was able to do that his tail started to wag. And I could see that he recognized me. So just like that, he was back to Reid our pet. We took him out of the cage, he was perfect. And he's been perfect ever since."

In the 45 days he was missing, Reid shed more than 30 pounds. But, besides some cuts on his paws and bruising on the chest, he was given a clean bill of health. A trip to the groomer's to get  the cement-like mud cut from his fur was a help. 

His personality is also slowly getting back to normal too, she said.

"It wasn't too long after he left that we had a big thunder and lightning storm, and I was like, where is he to, he must be so scared. But since he's been back, we had a thunder and lightning storm and he went on outside and didn't even bother him.

"I think it'll be a while before he settles back down entirely. But we're not in a hurry. We have lots of time."

The family has been moved by the outpouring of support for Reid, as well as the generosity of those helping in the search.

"Strangers that we didn't even know existed, or didn't know we existed, were coming out of nowhere and saying, ‘What can I do to help you?

The family is looking forward to a long life ahead for Reid. And they’re hoping his first time being off leash — for a whopping 45 days — will be his last.

She says that when a pet is missing, it's important to heed any instructions from the owner not to approach the animal, especially one that was traumatized from an accident like Reid, as it might drive them farther away.

"He's not processing things the way he should. He can't use his senses the way that he should. So he's not able to recognize that you're a friendly person, that you're trying to help him."

United again, Reid and Piper are getting along well, says owner Carmel Reid. (Troy Turner/CBC)

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