Andrea Rosebrock 
In what many people are calling a miracle, a little 12-year-old poodle named Michou, survived 19 days locked in a van at Burlington airport without food or water in often sub-zero temperatures.
On January 6, someone passing by the parked van noticed a stench coming from the parked van and called authorities and Animal Control Officer Jodi Harvey went to the scene and forced open the door.
The little poodle, Michou, was laying on a pile of blankets, so weak he could hardly even lift his head.
“It was unbearable,” she says, recalling an interior soiled with excrement. “I wear a turtleneck, and I had to pull it up over my nose.”
Harvey knew she had to get him to a vet and quick. Michou weighed almost 25 lbs. before his harrowing ordeal and when he was found he barely weighed 9 lbs.
Even now, almost a week later, he is still listed as critical but his survival at all is being called a miracle. He’s under vet care being treated with intravenous fluids and small amounts of food. He’s getting his spunk back and is expected to make a full recovery but it will take time, perhaps months before he he can be adopted.
As how did this little miracle dog wound up in a situation like this? As hard as it is to believe, authorities believe it was an accident. Somehow his owner, Pascal Bellon, 50, of Frelighsburg, Quebec, either didn’t realized or forgot Michou was in the van when he left for an extended trip from the airport on December 18. I am not sure how someone doesn’t know or forgets they have their dog in their vehicle but that’s the story. He didn’t know the dog was in the van and his wife back home thought Michou had run off.
“They have multiple pets, and this one became unaccounted for at some point, and they believed he had run off,” police spokeswoman Lt. Jennifer Morrison says. “There’s no indication this was anything but an accidental near-tragedy.”
“Everything we’ve got points to it being unintentional,” said Morrison. “We don’t know how or when the dog got into the car, but we do believe that the owner was not aware that this dog was in the vehicle at the time he grabbed his bags and went.”
Bellon isn’t being charged but he was issued a ticket, a $100 fine. He surrendered Michou and has agreed to pay all the vets bills.
I guess we should be happy that Michou was found in time and will survive and that he is no longer in the hands of someone who could take so little notice of him or forget him so easily, or whatever the story is. For Michou, this story really will have a happy ending as he will recovery and once recovered will most likely be adopted into a loving forever home.
THOUGH I AGREE IT’S A SHAME TO NOT RELIZE YOU HAVE YOUR DOG WITH YOU. I DO BELIEVE THEY SHOULD BE GIVEN A SECOND CHANCE WITH THIS DOG. HE IS AN OLD DOG & THIS IS THE ONLY FAMILY HE HAS EVER KNOWN. WHY NOT MAKE THIS MAN & WOMEN TAKE SOME KIND OF CLASS ON DOG OWNERSHIP OR SOMETHING BEFORE THE DOG IS RETURNED. AS THEY HAVE SEVERAL DOGS & IF THEY HAVE SHOWN THEY ARE RESPONSABLE PET OWNERS WHO JUST MADE A MISTAKE WHICH I’M SURE WILL NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN.
I have to disagree with Janet. How in the world can you forget that one of the dogs is in the van? Sorry, I do not buy that. Before I leave the house each morning to go to work, I hug and kiss each of my dogs, and make sure they have their favorite blanket or toy with them. There is no excuse for this to happen to any dog.
SUSIE I RESPECT YOUR OPINION BUT LETS SAY FOR INSTANCE THE DOG GOT BEHIND THE CAR & THE MAN DIDN’T KNOW IT & HE ACCIDENTLY RAN OVER IT WOULD YOU STILL SAY HE WAS AT FAULT? IN THE SAME TOKEN SAY A MOTHER IS WATCHING HER CHILD PLAY & LOOKS AWAY FOR A SPLIT SECOND & THE CHILD HAS AN ACCIDENT WOULD YOU CALL HER A BAD MOTHER? ACCIDENTS DO HAPPEN & I BELIEVE THIS IS ONE OF THOSE TIMES WHERE THIS WAS A VERY VERY BAD ACCIDENT. THIS FAMILY HAS OTHER DOGS & THEY DON’T ABUSE THEIR ANIMALS LIKE SOME OF THESE HORRIABLE ABUSE STORIES WE HEAR. SO I STILL THINK THAT IF THE WERE TO TAKE SOME KIND OF CLASS ON RESPONSABLE ANIMAL OWNERSHIP THIS DOG WOULD BE IN GOOD HANDS WITH THESE PEOPLE.
i think the dog should go back to his owner to. it was a bad accident that i’m sure will never happen again
Bad accident, yes; but what would the consequences be had it been a child?
The article said the wife thought the dog took off…correct? Were the pounds and shelters checked? If the dog was wearing tags or chipped, and the dog was found, the family would have been notified. This man went on an extended trip – it is not like he parked his car/van and walked over to the terminal to pick somebody up. The dog was without food or water in cold temperatures. For the dog to loose the amount of weight it lost – sorry, to me they do not deserve the dog back – accident or no accident.
Others may see my opinion as bit**y, but I have seen enough with elderly abuse, and animal abuse – thru my rescues and transporting, but what kind of people are these? No matter what time of day or night, when I get in my van, or leave the van overnight, I check to see if anyone or anything is left in the vehicle.
This is total stupidity on the owners part. That is not being a responsible pet owner in my book.
i agree as bad as this situation is..the people should have the dog back (provided they really want it back) person above said it correctly the dog is 12 years old and that is the only family it has known…and now at 12 to be adopted..i dunno..i have mixed emotions about this one..the dog may acually be grieving his family
SUSIE YOUR MISSING THE POINT THESE PEOPLE ARE NOT ANIMAL ABUSERS. THEY HAVE OTHER PETS & I’M SURE THEY WERE ALL CHECKED OUT & NO ABUSE WAS FOUND THEREFORE THEY ARE RESPONSABE PET PARENT WHO JUST HAPPENED TO OF HAD A VERY VERY BAD ACCIDENT. I DON’T BELIEVE PEOPLE SHOULD BE PUNISHED FOR AN ACCIDENT. AND NOT ONLY ARE YOU PUNISHING THE PARENT YOUR ALSO PUNISHING THIS POOR OLD DOG WHO HAS TO BE GREAVING FOR HIS PEOPLE & JUST DON’T UNDERSTAND WHAT IS GOING ON. I THINK IT WOULD KILL THIS POOR DOG TO BE RIPPED AWAY FORM ITS PARENT’S. IF THIS POOR DOG GOES TO A NEW HOME & IT GREAVES ITS SELF TO DEATH WOULD YOU TURN AROUND & PUNISH THE PEOPLE WHO TOOK THE DOG AWAY.I HOPE & PREY THESE PEOPLE CHANGE THEIR MINDS & FIGHT FOR THEIR DOG.
Janet, I understand your point of view. Yes the dog is old, and has probably never known anyone else but them. I agree with that. My point is as I said before, if the dog had run away, as the wife suspected, it would have been picked up, and they would have been notified. Even if the dog had been hit by a car, the tags or chip would have enabled the police or the vets to contact the owners. If this ever went to a trial, I would not let the people have the dog back. This is a grave accident; and if the person who passed the vehicle did not report it, the dog probably would have died. This shows irresponsibility and gross negligence in my eyes. (no I am not an attorney).
OMG!!!! 19 days in sub zero temps. i SO agree with u, Susie….i count my babies~4 dogs/8 cats~every day!!!!OCD, lol. when i go out i count everybody~again. i tell them i’ll b back in a wee while…give them all kisses, make sure there’s water, etc. sheesh, it takes ages 2 get out of the house with all the counting n kissing.
this wee boy has a very strong will. if any of my babies “ran away” i’d b checking every pound, vet, anyplace 2 get my baby back.
he’s got such a sweet wee face…….
WAIT YOU SAID ABOUT THE DOG RUNNING AWAY WELL IF IT HAD & SAY SOMEONE PICKED IT UP & DECIDED TO SAY KEEP IT OR IF IT HAD GOT KILLED BY A WILD ANIMAL, THEN THE PEOPLE WOULD NEVER HAVE KNOWN WHAT HAPPENED TO IT. I KNOW PEOPLE AROUND HERE WHERE THEIR DOG RAN AWAY & WAS NEVER SEEN AGAIN SO EVEN IF IT HAD RUN AWAY THERE IS NE GARANTEE IT WOULD HAVE BEEN FOUND. IF I WAS THE JUDGE I WOULD GIVE THE DOG BACK TO THEM AS THEY ARE NOT BAD PEOPLE JUST PEOPLE WHO MADE A MISTAKE & NEITHER THE DOG OR THE PEOPLE SHOULD BE PUNISHED FOR THAT. IF EVERYBODY ON THIS EARTH WERE PUNISHED FOR THE MISTAKES WE MAKE WE WOULD ALL BE GUILTY & BE PUT IN JAIL & WE ALL KNOW THATS ALL UNREALILISTIC DON’T WE?
I say…give him back. Poor little guy is confused enough. Probably scared as well. He’s very cute. He will never understand why he has new parents. He was not beat, so probably still loves his mommy and daddy very much. We are all humans and saddly, that makes us very suscepitable to mistakes. ‘Yee who are free from sin, cast the first stone.’
This one is a tough one and I am mixed….yes it was an acciedent – anyone could have done it – but that said….how can you not know?????
I have had friends who were surprised to be driving down the road and heard panting – only to look in the rear-view mirror and see their pup in the back seat.
I say – give this dog back – i’m sure it snuck into the car to be with ‘dad’….I say this only because the other pets at the home show no signs of abuse. We make mistakes.
I raised my son on my own for 19 years as of last week – he is fine and healthy but yeah, I made mistakes. That doesn’t make me a bad mom – it makes me someone who works with what I have at the time I have it.
The point is – it was an accident – the dog was found and is doing OK…..I honestly believe – based on the fact that the other animals were evaluated and cleared of abuse that this ONE time – a terrible thing happened. I have an 11 yo cat now and can’t imagine how he would do with a new family if he were taken from me. He is loved and pampered and spoiled but yeah – he’s gotten locked in a room over night – he has ‘hidden’ for a day – but usually he is with me in my bed at night licking my face or kneading his paws.
No pet lover sets out to hurt their animals (or kids—-human kind) but it can happen. If there is proof of no abuse I would say give them a chance.
OK – I have to add another comment – this may back up Susies’ point but I am compelled to vent.
I live in a mobile home park – houses are back to back – in the summer I would go next door and sit on the porch and chit chat with my neighbor. On a few occasions here comes this ‘pup’…..learned later it was a mini-something. Few minutes late rhere would come this kid – giving me dirty looks for talking to his dog. I was like – OK, fine – your dog ended up in this yard that already has a very territorial dog.
Fast forward – 2 weeks ago I see a flyer taped to our mailboxes – Poor Buster is missing and his family misses him so much and is so devastated, balh blah blah
My first impulse was to laugh and think the dog was better off – seeing as how they couldn’t keep tabs on it. Then it hit me – we’re in Michigan – it gets COLD in the winter and this poor dog is lost. He was skittish but quite the sweetheart.
Then I go to a local store and see the same flyer…..IM’d my neighbor and asked if she had seen it – she said she saw it in September – this was in December…..where was this dog????
I’m trying real hard to not bad-mouth these people but then I can’t help but think – WTF?????
This dog would be in my yard and my neighbors yard on a nightly basis – I didn’t care – my cats were safe inside-I wasn’t worried. Then I started thinking that if this little guy can get out so much and it’s KID that comes looking for him – what are the parents teaching these kids.
The flyer has gone away and I still don’t know if poor Buster is home or out there freezing.
I am not bad-mouthing anyone – but then again…..if you take on a new pet – you need to know what your getting into. As I said, I have cats and they are indoor cats PERIOD.
But I have dealt with dogs and dog sat and I know how dogs can be – but how can a dog be MISSING and you not realize it…..
Stepping off my soapbox
Thank you Kathy. Someone here has seen my point.
I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE HERE WHO HAS SEEN MY POINT OF VIEW. I GUESS SUSIE & KATHY HAVE NEVER MADE ANY MISTAKES. I’M NOT SAYING THIS TO BE MEAN I AM JUST TRYING TO GET THEM TO SEE THAT WE ALL MAKE MISTAKES & SHOULD NOT BE PUNISHED SO HARSHLY FOR THEM AS I FEEL THESE PEOPLE ARE BEING.
Janet, I take that as an insult. Everyone makes mistakes, and in my lifetime, I have made a few. But when it comes to children, the elderly and any animals, there needs to be extra care involved. This, as I said before, was a grave mistake.
Have you ever done rescue or transported animals that have been abused or left on their own? Having said that, if you have done rescue or transport, you would have a totally different point of view. I have witnessed gross negligence (which to me, this situtation is gross negligence) with animals, and it makes me sick.
Spend a day or a weekend on rescue, then see how you feel.
NO SUSIE I HAVE NEVER DONE RESCUE OR TRANSPORT BUT NOT BECAUSE I DON’T WANT TO. BUT EVEN IF I DID I WOULD STILL FEEL THE SAME WAY. COME ON EVEN THE POLICE BELIEVE IT WAS AN ACCIDENT. SORRY SUSIE THAT YOUB TOOK THAT AS IN INSAULT AS IT WAS NOT MENT TO BE AN INSULT IT WAS MENT TO BE JUST A STATEMENT THAT WE ALL MAKE MISTAKES BUT THEY ARE JUST MISTAKES. LIKE I SAID THESE PEOPLE HAVE OTHER ANIMALS & THERE IS NO LONG TERM ABUSE LIKE WE ALL SEE EVERYDAY ON HERE. GIVE THESE PEOPLE A BREAK I KNOW IT WILL NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN.
I appreciate everyone’s views and do understand how different people see things differently in this case.
First off, the guy voluntarily gave up ownership to the dog so that it could get the care it desperately needed. He was not forced to but in doing so he possibly avoided more serious charges.
If it was an accident at the very least it was negligence and negligence is still a form of abuse and in this case came very close to costing the little dog his life.
Let’s not allow this to escalate into personal attacks. Respect each other’s opinions, we all have our own right to them.
Thank you,
Deanna
DEANNA I WASN’T TRYING TO MAKE ANY PERSONAL ATTACKS ON ANYONE AS I’M NOT LIKE THAT & YEA I AGREE EVERYONE HAS THEIR OPINIONS TO WHICH WE ALL ARE ENTILTED. ALL I’M SAYING IS HE SHOULDN’T HAVE GIVEN UP SO EASILY. AS IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT HE PROBABLY DIDN’T EVEN KNOW THE DOG WAS IN THE CAR & IF THAT IS THE CASE I SITLL BELIEVE HE SHOULD BE GIVEN A SECOND CHANCE.LET ME PUT IT THIS WAY AS TO WHY I BELIEVE HE SHOULD BE GIVEN A SECOND CHANCE. MY BROTHER IN LAW WORKES IN A COAL MINE & HE HAD AN ACCIDENT WHERE A TRAINIE WAS BEHIND THE COAL CAR HE WAS DRIVING WHERE HE SHOULDN’T HAVE BEEN AS MY BROTHER IN LAW COULDN’T SEE HIM WELL THEY GUY GOT PINNED BETWEEN THE CAR & THE WALL & WAS KILLED, BUT IS MY BROTHER IN LAW BEING PUNISHED? NO AS IT WAS JUST A TRADGIC ACCIDENT,MUCH LIKE THIS WAS BUT THIS HAD A BETTER OUTCOME. ALSO IS IT NOT BETTER TO KEEP A FAMILY TOGETHER THEN TO SPLIT IT APART EVEN CPS AGREE WIH THIS AS LONG TERM ABUSE. ANYWAY SUSIE I DO APOLIGIZE FOR MAKING YOU FEEL INSULTED AS THAT AS NOT MY INTENTION.
THANKS DEANNA, YEA I KNOW WHAT YOU MEAN & TRUST ME I WOULD NEVER GO THAT FAR. JUST TRYNG TO KINDA MAKE A POINT IS ALL. I HOPE SUSIE WILL ACCEPT MY APOLIGY.
Janet, I accept your apology, but it should never have gotten to the point where someone on these blogs has to apologize.
Everyone has their own opinion – some stronger than others. The more exposure, handling, viewing or stories such as this, thru the years, you get hardened – and sometimes it leaves you with no shades of gray. It is either black or white. Sometimes I feel there is no excuse. This is one of those times.
Keep the faith – and the Big Guy will help us all thru some of these situations with our four legged animal friends!
Susie and Janet, thank you both. I lost a friend the last time things got a bit over-heated here and don’t want that to happen again.
Each and every one of you, you all mean a great deal to me even though I only know most of you from here, every person who works and fights and strives so hard to make things better for our canine companions is important.
We may differ in some of our thoughts and ideas but the bottom line is the animals. That is what is important and our focus.
Deanna
WELL LIKE I ALWAYS SAY I LOVE A GOOD DEBATE LOL
Janet,
We all make mistakes but the thing is to learn from them. I am back to this discussion a bit late – I see it’s been resolved……somewhat. I agree with your opinion too – I admitted that raising my son all these years I have made many mistakes but I learn.
I was venting about my neighbor because yeah, a dog can sneak out 2 or 3 times – it happens….but this was a nightly thing…then the flyer – the poor dog is missing.
We all can agree to disagree – that’s the reason behind all these posts.
Have a great weekend
Janet, I wasn’t saying that you were, I just want to make sure it doesn’t get to that point.
I understand what you mean and if the owner had really wanted to, he probably could have kept Michou I believe. I like to think that he did what he did because he felt it would be best for the little dog.
There’s, no doubt, many details that we don’t know. No one is saying that this was intentional or that he didn’t love the dog. It’s going to take months for Michou to fully recover and perhaps he feels the dog is in the best hands for his recovery.
I know that we are all passionate here and hold strong opinions and I do like to hear everyone’s opinion because it helps me to see all sides. No one is saying you are wrong or that Susie is wrong either. It is just two opinions.
All is well my friend!
D.