5 Months After Going Missing, Lost Whippet Returns In Snowstorm

<p> Credit:<a class="checked-link" href="https://www.facebook.com/BringBurtHome/photos/pb.290342301155001.-2207520000.1422475361./290359501153281/?type=3&theater">BringBurtHome/Facebook</a><span></span> </p>
<p> Credit:<a class="checked-link" href="https://www.facebook.com/BringBurtHome/photos/pb.290342301155001.-2207520000.1422475361./290359501153281/?type=3&theater">BringBurtHome/Facebook</a><span></span> </p>

For weeks, a firefighter had been keeping an eye on a scrappy stray whippet near the Randalls Island Fire Academy in New York City. The dog had kept his distance, but the offer of food during the recent snowstorm was too tempting, the New York Times reported.

The firefighter, Lt. David Kelly, turned to a bit of crafty Macguyvering to make sure the dog weathered the storm, as CBS New York reported, using rope tied to a cage and food:

"I left the door open. I tied a 40-foot rope to it," he said. "I sat inside the vehicle; left window open a little bit, and finally he came out, and when he went in the cage, I pulled it closed and I got him."

An internet search led Kelly to a Facebook page called Bring Burt Home. The lost dog, which Kelly had affectionately dubbed "Rock," matched the description of a dog who had gone missing in the summer.

(Credit: Whippet Rescue and Placement/Facebook)

The wayward pup's owners were ecstatic:

After five months, and of course in the middle of a mega snow storm, I get a call from a really nice fireman who has seen a whippet, nightly for 2 - 3 weeks, near the FDNY training facility on Randall's Island. The fireman has been feeding this dog, but only from a distance because if he gets to close the dog runs - really fast. Sound like my guy? Yup. I can't believe you are still out there, Burt!!!!!!!!!! ‪#‎BringBurtHome‬

As of Tuesday, according to the New York Times, Burt was warm at home, recovering on a couch.

The Humane Society urges passersby to speak out if they see a pet left out in the cold. Here are a few tips for caring for your pet in severe winter weather.