Dog Returns To Owner After Separated By Katrina

[Crossfire Bulldogs]

(AP) GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colo. Buster, the German shepherd mix who was separated from his family during Hurricane Katrina and then faced possible death after biting an animal shelter director in western Colorado, is back with his owners.

Buster was picked up by Angelo Kingvalsky and his mother, Lydia, on Dec. 17 at Camp Wolfgang, a shelter for German shepherds in Ennis, Texas.

"It was immediately obvious this was Buster's family," said Wallace Swanson, who operates the shelter. "He was ecstatic. He ran to them and licked their hands. His tail was wagging like it never wagged here."

The Kingvalskys were excited to take Buster to their temporary housing in Dallas.

"It was great. He was very happy to see us ... especially when he saw Mother," Angelo Kingvalsky said Monday.

The family fled the hurricane on Aug. 29, and Buster ended up at a Gonzalez, La., shelter.

Sue Schmidt of Silt, Colo., who serves on the board of Colorado Animal Rescue, brought Buster and other dogs to the state at her own expense.

When shelter director Leslie Rockey visited Schmidt's home on Oct. 21 to examine Buster, he bit her and was taken into the shelter's custody.

Schmidt, Colorado Animal Rescue and others then got into a battle over who owned the dog and if he would be euthanized because of the bite.

Once the Kingvalskys were determined to be his owners, they asked that Buster stay with Schmidt until they could get him, but he was sent to Camp Wolfgang.

[linnie]

how wonderful they got to find him.