Seattle dog on the loose in Kansas for 3 months, returned

? A 4-year-old dog who escaped at a Kansas rest stop while en route to his new adoptive home in Seattle has been found after three months.

Domino is a black-and-white border collie-Labrador mix who was saved from a high-kill shelter in Texas. Domino was eventually adopted by Katie Aretz, a Seattle resident who found him online, the Salina Journal reported.

But on his way to Aretz, Domino escaped from his crate Aug. 3 at a rest stop in Lindsborg and was missing for several months.

Many volunteer groups searched for the dog. Lost-dog posters were distributed, and a Facebook Messenger group was formed to coordinate efforts. But Domino was always a step ahead.

“He even rolled in cow manure to mask his scent from coyotes,” said Rhonda Starks, who works at the McPherson Animal Shelter.

Finally, volunteer searcher Sarah Neustrom Becker found Domino, who didn’t resist being taken.

When that happened, Domino “just laid down. He didn’t try to get away,” said Ro Heart, who joined the search for the dog.

Domino was taken to Starks’ shelter, where he was treated for worms and skin issues but otherwise given a clean bill of health. He was also microchipped for identification in case he got lost again.

“For what he had been through, he was in excellent condition,” Starks said. “I got involved because that’s who I am. Just him being on the loose broke my heart. I was going to do anything I could to save him.”

Aretz flew to Kansas to finally meet her new companion last week and take him back to Seattle.

“I was so afraid he had died or had been taken in by some other family by then,” she said.

Aretz said she brought him home in a rental car instead of transporting him in a plane.

“I didn’t want him put in a cage again.”