Hope remains high in hiker’s quest to find Ozzy
Search for missing Yorkshire Terrier continues after false alarm
Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
March 18, 2021
Natalie Dubin began searching for her 10-year-old Yorkshire Terrier, Ozzy, when he ran away from a trail on Rattlesnake Mountain, Dec. 26. Photo courtesy of Natalie Dubin
As it has many times since the day after Christmas, Natalie Dubin’s Facebook account began receiving notifications that Ozzy, her missing 10-year-old Yorkshire Terrier who ran away on Rattlesnake Trail on a chilly afternoon, may have been spotted.
When she looked at the photos of a Yorkie posted by the Mitchell County Animal Rescue’s social media page, she steadied herself. It wasn’t the first time in her nearly three-month search that she had to balance excitement and a fear of disappointment.
“I’ve seen a lot of different Yorkies on a lot of posts,” she said. “I didn’t think this one was him, but I needed to look into it.”
It would be a few hours before Dubin’s doubts were confirmed, as she learned the dog in the post had been reunited with its owner in Mitchell County, but the news did little to diminish her hopes of reuniting with the dog she’s had since he was a puppy.
The owner and her dogs — Ozzy and Sirius Black — became regular hikers in the area since moving to East Asheville in 2017. When her sister came to town for the holidays, they decided to spend Dec. 26 ascending the summit of Rattlesnake Mountain.
“My sister has always wanted to go up Rainbow Road, so we went the day after Christmas,” Dubin said. “It was a beautiful, icy cold day. We went to the summit, which overlooks the mountain range, and enjoyed ourselves. It was a beautiful day. As we were hiking down, Ozzy caught wind of something and darted off towards the scent”
The sisters began looking for the family dog immediately.
“The brush was so thick, but we searched until sunset,” said Dubin. “After we went home, I returned later that night with a friend to keep looking.”
Multiple sightings of Ozzy, a 10-year-old Yorkshire Terrier that went missing on Rattlesnake Mountain in December, were believed to have occurred in Black Mountain in January. His owner, Natalie Dubin, has been searching for the dog since Dec. 26. Photo courtesy of Natalie Dubin
The speech language pathologist scoured the trails many times in the days after Ozzy disappeared, leaving scent trails that led populated areas. Dubin returned a few days later with Michelle Wilson and search K-9 Epic, of Asheville-based Epic Animal Recovery.
“I learned about Epic after posting pictures of Ozzy on the trails and asking for help finding him,” Dubin said of her Facebook post that was shared over 20,000 times. “Ozzy went missing on a Saturday and we came back with Michelle and Epic that following Monday.”
Epic alerted the search party of Ozzy’s scent, and the group found an area where they felt confident the Yorkie had been. But, they finished the search empty-handed.
Dubin wasn’t deterred, however, and continued looking for signs of her dog in Montreat, Black Mountain and Ridgecrest. The search team began offering a $1,000 reward for Ozzy, Jan. 7.
“I hiked around 20 miles during those first seven days,” she said.
She discovered she wasn’t alone in the search for her dog.
“I would tell anyone I saw out there to keep an eye out for a little Yorkie,” Dubin said. “So many people asked if I was there looking for Ozzy, too. I still run into people up there looking for him.”
In January, while canvassing the neighborhoods around Flat Creek and Montreat Roads, Dubin learned that two people believed they spotted the small dog less than a quarter-mile from each other. However, those sightings did not lead to Ozzy.
It’s been nearly three months since Dubin last saw Ozzy, but her optimism is buoyed by the numerous stories people have shared with her of lost dogs surviving for long periods of time outdoors. She is thankful for the support she’s received from the local community, and beyond, during her search.
“That’s really what’s helped keep me going,” she said. “Everyone has been so helpful, both out on the trails looking for Ozzy and on Facebook, where people tag me in posts every time a Yorkie is found nearby.”
A nearly three-month search for Ozzy continues after pictures posted on Facebook by Mitchell County Animal Rescue were confirmed to be of a different Yorkshire Terrier. Photo courtesy of Natalie Dubin
While she remains steadfast in her determination to find her dog, which she describes as one of her “little mountain goats” and “yoga partner,” Dubin has learned to maintain cautious optimism when she sees photos of Yorkies that have been found in the area on social media.
“I’m really inspired by the community,” said an emotional Dubin. “Just knowing there are people out there looking for Ozzy, whether they’re on the trails or on social media, has really given me the hope that I’ll find him.”
Dubin asks anyone who sees Ozzy to not chase him, and instead take a photo and contact her by text or phone call at (606) 499-3700. The $1,000 reward will be given if the information provided leads Dubin and her trackers to Ozzy.