Breeze runs free for more than a month

You may have seen Breeze – photos of her plastered to a window or maybe even seen her in the flesh, running freely around the Jasper townsite.

She’s a lost dog, a collie golden retriever cross, and was brought to town by Jaime Swallowell, a server at O’Shea’s, after being adopted from the Hinton SPCA.

Breeze was last spotted near the train tracks across from the Astoria Hotel, on Friday, April 24, more than a month after she escaped. She has been spotted throughout town and even patted by community members, but Swallowell thinks it will take someone who doesn’t know Breeze to approach her without scaring her and bring her home.

According to Swallowell, because Breeze was new to her surroundings, missing her former owner’s other dogs, and dealing with the recent loss of her owner, she was quite scared during her first few hours in Jasper which is probably why she fled through an open door on March 22.

Since then, Swallowell has been asking the community to help find Breeze. She has been searching nearly every day, following the dog’s regular patterns in hopes of her turning up in specific locations throughout town and the surrounding area. 

She said the community’s support has been amazing with up to 20 people looking for the dog on any given day and her phone constantly ringing with people asking how they can help to find the missing dog. As well, the SPCA has been in Jasper helping in the hunt for Breeze and has supplied the Jasperite with old clothes from the previous owner and has even tried driving the ex-owner’s vehicle around town.

Apollo, one of Breeze’s former owner’s other dogs, was adopted in town and has been helping Swallowell look for Breeze and keep her company during the mission. Although Breeze has been on the run for quite some time, Swallowell has not given up hope and believes the dog will return when she’s ready.

Swallowell has set up a Facebook group called ‘Where in Jasper is Breeze?’ and asks that anyone who sees Breeze please contact her at 780-852-3014.