Licorice, a roughly 70-pound puppy who escaped from her new Calistoga home the same day she was adopted, was finally captured last week after spending 72 days on the run.

Catching the year-old dog involved a collaborative and painstaking effort between local agencies, volunteers and concerned citizens, who reported sightings and tried to track the dog’s movements until she could be trapped.

Now, things are looking up for Licorice, who is settling into a foster home where she is learning from a reward-based trainer and acclimating to a new, more stable routine before she is put back up for adoption. 

“At some point in the future, that’s the goal – to find her a home that matches her needs,” said Alissa McNair, board president of Wine Country Animal Lovers who led efforts to rescue Licorice. “Now that we know more about her, we know that she’s going to need a very patient person with some really secure fencing and the ability to work with her very slowly and help her learn to be a dog.”

On May 6, Licorice was dropped off at a home in Calistoga after being rescued from a euthanasia list at a Contra Costa shelter. But within hours, she had escaped through the fence at her new home and, fearful of humans, she evaded all attempts by her new owner, local citizens and police to bring her to safety. 

During Licorice’s two-plus months on the lam, she made stops at various locations along the heavily-trafficked Foothill Boulevard corridor – not the safest place for a big, black dog afraid of humans. She explored areas near Buster’s Southern BBQ, Puerto Vallarta Market, the Inn on Pine Street and private residences along the roadway, where she would find comfortable porches to nap on. 

“We were worried that she was going to get hit by a car or even worse cause an accident,” said McNair. “She could have gotten pregnant out there on the run; all sorts of things could have gone wrong.” 

Luckily, that didn’t happen. Led by WCAL, the mission to catch Licorice included rescue organization Street Dawgs – which lent a specialized trap large enough for the dog – Calistoga police, and locals and even tourists who called, texted and posted online updates of Licorice sightings.

“There was a couch down on Pine Street that she was sleeping on, on someone’s back porch. Then she would get up before they left for work and take off and go hang out down by the river,” McNair said. “And then come evening time, once all the restaurants closed, she would check out their dumpsters, and we figured out her route based on all the sightings. That’s really how we kept track of her.”

McNair, who has been with WCAL since its inception in 2012, said 72 days to trap a fearful dog is fairly standard. 

“People would call, and they were frustrated, understandably, and would say, ‘Well, why don’t you come get her?’” said McNair. “I said, ‘Well, I would if I could, but it’s not that easy. I’d love to come get her, but at this point we’re just tracking her and trying to convince her to walk into a trap.’”

On July 16, following the weeks of tracking her movements, and then more weeks “training” Licorice to show up for meals placed near the trap at a private residence, Licorice was finally captured.

The next day, Steve Franquelin, Calistoga Pet Clinic veterinarian and cofounder of WCAL, spayed Licorice and gave her a dental exam while staff at the clinic provided her with some grooming following her long adventure. 

A WCAL social media post over the weekend read: She had a paw cleaning, a mani/pedi, ticks removed and could stand to gain 10 pounds. 

Another post described Licorice as “…a big softie who likes to steal shoes to prance around with.”

McNair said she is encouraged by the updates she’s been receiving from Licorice’s trainer, who said she is adjusting to her new environment and learning to trust humans.  

“He’s sending videos and he’s doing a great job with her already. He’s got other dogs at his home and she’s quite comfortable around them,” McNair said. “She’s already doing so much better.” 

WCAL is a donor-funded, nonprofit that has grown over the years and assists with animals in Napa, Lake and Sonoma counties.

Services include free spay and neuters and trapping stray dogs, as well as helping people find lost pets, and removing animals from local shelters and placing them in foster homes until the right adopters can be found. WCAL also has a crisis care program to help people with pets who have sudden, urgent medical needs that the owners cannot afford. This prevents unnecessary euthanizations or shelter surrenders. 

“We’re pretty nimble and flexible and we try to fill the void and do what’s needed to help animals in our area,” said McNair. “There’s about 45 of us who all work together on a regular basis, but there’s a lot more people who support what we do.”

To learn more about WCAL, visit its website click here.