Catherine Wuenschel, of Wyndmoor, is a lover of rescued dogs. She previously had a rescued Rottweiler and a Lab-terrier mix that had to be euthanized early this year at age 14½.

After the inevitable period of grieving, she looked online and found Home at Last Dog Rescue in Lansdale, an all-volunteer nonprofit that takes in dogs as fosters. She wound up adopting Freda, a Bernese mountain dog that had been rescued from a puppy mill in Lancaster. (Bernese mountain dogs can average over 100 pounds as adults.)

Wuenschel adopted Freda in June from a foster mom in Fort Washington and named her dog after a human-rights acronym: freedom, respect, equality, dignity, autonomy.

“She needed a calm place,” Wuenschel said. “She was friendly with other dogs but fearful of people. They are treated like cattle in the puppy mill. She is still not super-comfortable with humans. She was skittish, fearful and shy, but I would not give her back. I still would have adopted her. She has a lovely disposition.”

On July 10, after just four weeks in her new Wyndmoor home, Freda slipped out of a door Wuenschel had opened momentarily.

“I saw her run down the street the same day,” she said. “I had no tracking device. I drove all over the area. I went to Morris Arboretum and talked to staff members there. There were sightings on camera near Chestnut Hill College. Freda followed creek and utility lines. She went past Cheltenham Avenue. She was seen in Fort Washington on Camp Hill Road running in a field, but when she saw a person, she would run away.”

Wuenschel learned about an organization called K911 Lost Dog Search-Team Ruby, a nine-year-old, all-volunteer nonprofit based in Quakertown that specializes in finding lost dogs using scent mapping, trail cameras, pattern tracing, remote monitoring equipment to track a dog’s movements and, of course, flyers. They put up more than 100 signs in the area.

“I got 20 calls a day on average,” Wuenschel said. “Stacy from Team Ruby was incredible. People want to find a way to help. There were gifts left on my porch. Even the Amazon delivery lady who does not like dogs wanted to help.”

Finally, after 17 days of wanderlust, Freda was returned home at 4:30 a.m. on July 27, as a result of two great volunteers, Stacy and Harry.

“I worked with sweet elderly men at [Chestnut Hill College] who tried so hard to help,” Wuenschel said. “A trap on campus did it. Freda went into the crate at 11:30 p.m., and we got her at 4:30 a.m. A kind man put the crate into a truck. She was covered in goose poop. They had put food down for Freda and cameras at CHC.

“Freda is still traumatized. She was 54 pounds when she was found and is now 65. A lot of kids in the area were sweet. When I walked down the street with Freda, it was like being with a celebrity. The day after I got her back, I took the day off to make phone calls. The Team Ruby people are amazing. They did not expect to spend so much time with me.

“I really do want to stress the importance of just how much I appreciate all of the acts of kindness from complete strangers who called to help locate Freda. She wagged her tail for the first time last Saturday, but it was for another dog, not a person. And she will not eat in front of me.”

Catherine Wuenschel’s brother-in-law, Walt Maguire, is a former Chestnut Hill Local editor. Her story was brought to our attention by Karen Tracy, now retired, who worked in public relations for Springside Chestnut Hill Academy for 37 years. You can reach Len Lear at lenlear@chestnuthilllocal.com.