Beloved dog Clarice found after 24-day search in Iron County

On day 24, Clarice ran to sit at Craig’s feet and let him hug her before he put the leash on. The nearly 2-year-old dog had bolted after being spooked by fireworks, and the 24-day search wound through the Chequamegon National Forest, across the state line and into Caspian, Michigan.

Craig spent days driving the back roads of the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, posting signs, handing out flyers and listening for twice-daily radio announcements that might lead someone to the dog. The search covered one of Wisconsin’s most difficult landscapes, a forest system that spans more than 1.5 million acres, including wetlands, bogs, dense woods and wildlife habitat that can swallow up a frightened animal for days at a time. The Chequamegon side alone covers about 858,400 acres.

Each public post risked driving Clarice deeper into hiding when well-meaning people tried to help. Lynn Schmechel of Jeff’s Way Home Lost Dog Search and Rescue urged the family to shift from broad searching to a more controlled plan, warning that dogs missing for several days often stop acting like pets and slip into survival mode.

That meant cameras, bait and humane traps instead of constant chasing. Humane World for Animals and Pet FBI recommend starting with a motion-activated camera to confirm a pattern before setting a trap. Jeff’s Way Home, a volunteer rescue group, provides flyers, maps, road signs, trap help and drone help.

A sighting on day 21 brought the effort to a field after Clarice crossed into Caspian, a small Iron County community with a land area of about 1.4 square miles and a population of roughly 600. The first trap attempts came up short when the door shut too early on days 22 and 23, and even when Craig saw Clarice at a distance, the dog still held back.